Help me identify this 1911......

[shonc99]

I have up a 1911 frame that is marked:

AR SALES CO
EL MONTE CA

With a serial #:
LH142X


Anyone know much about this CA company?

I posted this a m1911.org and there was some info but not much more. I'm hoping somoene here knows more since we're in CA!

[Kruzr]

I remember once reading about them so I found it: (More than you want to know )
Bob Brenner restarted Federal Ordnance by no later than 1982. Jack Karnes went to work for Bob Brenner when Federal Ordnance was revived. In early 1982, Federal Ordnance had plans to produce M1 Garand Rifles using newly manufactured receivers. By 1987, Federal Ordnance was located at 1443 Potrero Avenue South El Monte, CA 91733. It sold military surplus firearms. Federal Ordnance also sold lightweight alloy M1911 style pistol frames marketed under its name and a trade name as well as selling a Springfield Armory, Inc. high-end M1911 style pistol. Reportedly, the lightweight alloy M1911 style pistol frames were originally marketed by A. R. Sales in the early 1970s.
No further mention of the 1911's in the article. It was a long article but in summary, the rest was about:

The company began importing Chinese made rifles, changed the name to Century Arms and moved to Canada. They went out of business in 1993.

[shonc99]

Thanks for the info. I started to wonder WTF? as the article started talking about some Ford-Lincoln-Mercury car stuff but I'm guessing between 1960 and 1980 there was a plethra of mfgr's/ dealers and gunsmiths making their own versions of common firearms. As one company died, another rose in it's pet semetary place.

[slowfire]

Hey Kruzer, thanks for the memories. I used to frequent Fed Ord in the late 80s and early 90s. I enjoyed hefting their varoius military rifles, average size show room area but great stuff in the warehouse and back rooms.

[Kruzr]

Hey Kruzer, thanks for the memories. I used to frequent Fed Ord in the late 80s and early 90s. I enjoyed hefting their varoius military rifles, average size show room area but great stuff in the warehouse and back rooms.

Wow, you must be OLD!

[ar15barrels]

I bought my EAA Witness and Daewoo DR200 from Federal Ordinance at their big "closing down" auction on potrero ave in S. El Monte.
It must have been around 1996 or so.

The back room was awesome compared to the front shop.

[Moonclip]

These 1911 patterns are listed in the Blue book of gun values. I've never seen any of these guns in person though. Anyone remember a company named Vega making 1911's out of Santa Ana IIRC? I think the 1st stainless 1911 pattern as well.

[JTROKS]

Anyone remember a company named Vega making 1911's out of Santa Ana IIRC? I think the 1st stainless 1911 pattern as well.

Vega, That's the brand I was looking for. I actually worked on one of those stainless 1911 pistols. The quality was lacking. One of the guys I worked with heard I worked at a gunshop so he approached me to see if I can help him get his gun running 100%/ Well the plunger tube was loose and can snapped off. The feed ramp wasn't even smooth enough to feed ball ammo. The extractor did not have any tension at all, it would fail to extract chambered ammo 50% of the time. He didn't want to spend the $50 quoted to get it running with ball ammo. I ended up doing most of the work for $20 since he relied on the pistol as his only home defense gun. Sheeesh... the least I could do to help a fellow Airman.

[slowfire]

Wow, you must be OLD!

and handsome!