I have personally turned in a gun to the Phoenix PD and they gave it back to me, no problem.

I also knew a guy here who turned in a plum Sig Sauer 9mm he found IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION in town and he got that one back, too.

Maybe it's just because it's AZ, and there really isn't a gun-resistance-type mentality here. There's a record of your buying a gun at the store where you purchase it, but it doesn't go anywhere, there's no registration and you can carry, exposed, anywhere except a bar or restaurant where alcohol is served, without a permit. There's currently legislation to even eliminate that exclusion, unless it's specifically posted as prohibited by ownership. You can buy from an individual or at a gun show (from an individual, not an FFL holder) without any paperwork, legally. And of course a CCW permit is a couple of classes and a little range time away.

It's not at all unusual to see people in line at the local convenience store carrying, but they're usually cab drivers, etc., who may have a real need to carry one. It might get you some extra attention from the po-po, but it's perfectly legal. I might get a second glance from motorists when riding a motorcycle down Central Ave. with a pistol in a holster, but there's nothing wrong with doing so, as long as that holster is visible.

BTW, Israeli police are trained to carry with a loaded mag, but not chambered, so they practice draw, rack then shoot, from what I have read. If I had a gun already pointed at me, it's not going to make much difference whether or not all I have to do is pull back a hammer, take off a safety or rack a slide. I'm done at that point myself. Safety standpoint, though, I'd prefer to not be relying on a safety/de-cocker or the fact that a transfer bar isn't going to let an accident discharge my weapon.

My $1.05, mileage may vary.

John B.

IF you're going to carry a 1911, you carry it con 1. Anything else is not a good idea. I love this thread.

Well, you would certainly be a person-of-interest, but I doubt it would go much further - particularly if you could prove how the weapon came into your possession - and I can...... with several witnesses - plus the fact that I called in the SN for a check and explanation. I know a lot of LEOs here, so I don't think I need to worry about it so long as I'm up front with them and continue to help them with things I normally do for them.



That sure seems like the prevailing wisdom. I don't see how you could have a half-cocked accidental discharge unless you have your finger on the trigger AND let the hammer slip on full cocking - or commit the no-no of letting the hammer down on a live round..... but I guess stuff happens and I need to accept it COULD happen to me.

The most likely accident would be letting the hammer down on a chambered round, since I do that when the gun's unloaded - it probably happens when folks forget to empty the chamber.

I've never had an accidental discharge with any weapon, but there's always the first time - and I'm approaching the age of forgetfulness, so I need to train myself the safest way.

I just turned the SN of the revolver over to a local police officer as Joe suggested for a test.... but I did it via telephone - he'll run the check and let me know if it's stolen..... if not, his opinion is "finders, keepers". <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Frank

Great Frank. Glad to see you have an appreciation for fine firearms.

FWIW, I carried my CZ75 Condition 1 for 2 years daily, and never had a problem. Now I carry a glock, so.... there's not really any options for that one. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Frank, great find. I assume you can do a basic field strip on a 1911 since you own a BHP. The 1911 & BHP must be carried cocked & locked, no other way. The handgun is a tool of conflict resolution.

Field stip it, remove the stocks, then:
To Remove Safety Lock: A)Cock hammer. B)Grasp thumbpiece of safety lock between thumb and index finger, pull steadily outward and rock it back and forth.

To Remove Hammer: A)Lower, do not snap hammer. B)Use safety lock to push out hammer pin, removing from the left side. C)Lift out hammer and hammer strut.

To Remove Mainspring Housing: A)Using hammer strut, push mainspring housing pin out from right side of receiver. B)Slide housing and its contained spring down out of its guides. C)Push in on mainspring cap, at the same time push out mainspring cap pin.

To Remove Sear and Disconnector: A)Using hammer strut, push out sear pin from left side of receiver and remove sear and disconnector.

To Remove Mag Catch: Press in checkered left end to permit turning catch lock a quarter turn to left out of its seat in receiver, using long leaf of sear spring. Remove catch, lock and spring being careful to not let spring jump away when released.

To Remove Trigger: Pull straight to the rear.

To Remove Slide Stop Plunger, Safety Lock Plunger, and Plunger Spring: Draw straight to rear.

Hope this helps, compliments of SAOTW, 9th edition.

Now, I am not a beleiver in original GI issue firearms, though some certainly exist, guns were scavenged from battlefields, refurbed and put back into service. Guns were arsenal rebuilt between wars and re-issued to our troops and/or loaned to forces of other nations, both friendly and defeated.

Should yours be totally original, it may well be worh far more in it's current condition than you could imagine. Get it appraised by a reputable dealer. Take some really great photos and post them on www.jouster.com, a military collector site with many knowledgeable and honest folks there. You might be able to sell that gun for enough to replace it with a modern, precision built 1911 that would truely make you happy.

That 1911 you have suffers from a short trigger, loose fitting mil-spec parts, poor sights, and age. You could buy yourself a custom built Wilson Combat, Ed Brown, Les Baer, Nighthawk to name a few.

BTW, that S&W .32 Handejector of your grandpa's isn't useless. Take off those stocks and look for a "N" stamped in the frame to signify it was factory nickled. The hammer and trigger appear to be color case hardened which would be correct for a factory nickle gun. See if the stocks are numbered to the gun, as factory M-O-P stocks are rare.

Thanks, Bruce - yes, I've already field stripped it for a partial cleaning, but I'll use your instruction set and take it all the way down this weekend if I hear it passes a trace.



All I can say is that I looked at a list of Colt proof marks for the frame, slide and trigger and all are correct and matching for a 1944 Colt on this pistol. The arsenal rebuilt pistols were stamped with a rebuild proof - this pistol has no such marks.



I'll post the pictures, but I doubt I'd sell this one - it feels too good and reminds me of my father's 1911s - which long ago disappeared and I never asked him what he did with them. I've enjoyed using some of his hand tools and this pistol seems like another one of his tools to me.



Maybe so - but to me, the trigger feels exactly right, the action is not loose like a lot of the 1911s are reported to be and the sights are perfectly fine with me..... I rarely see the sights on a weapon anyway unless I'm shooting still targets.... I guess it's a result of years of shooting birds, skeet and trap with well-balanced, good-fitting shotguns like my Winchester Super-X Model 1, a Nikko O/U skeet/skeet or a Browning Broadway/Superposed Trap gun. Some weapons just come up dead where I'm looking and this one does that perfectly.... it's the only pistol I can compare to the way the 9mm BHP feels and points. If it's as accurate - or nearly so - I'll be tickled. There are probably other choices as good or better, but I sorta like this one.

Those pistols you named are nice, but I'd never buy one - they're too fancy for me. I really don't like the drilled triggers and other modern eye candy..... heck, I don't even like the day-glow front bead sight on one of my 50+ year old Ithaca Model 37 Featherweights. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> I figured this one might be worth $1000, but you're comparing it price-wise to $2-4000 pistols - so I'll take your advice and get an opinion on it.



The grips are not numbered. The only proof mark I could find on the frame is near the right-side grip locating stud - looks like a "D" or an "A" to me:



Thanks for your help and advice! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Frank

I'd have to agree with Frank on this one. I'd rather have a Beat to hell, been to war, bailed out of airplanes with GI 1911 than ANY new one.

As for carry.. a 1911 is to heavy for me. I love the platform though. I like this thread. I'm praying for it to come back clean.

That 1911 is a bonafide piece of history. I'd keep it as well. Value will only go up anyway. Even if guns become illegal, it will have museum piece value forever.

Very nice find, indeed.

As for the condition of the gun. If you think about it. If it was made in 1944 and came home with the GI in either 1944 or 1945 instead of being recycled back into service, then that might explain it's condition. It may have been rarely used, if ever, which makes it even more valuable.

It's amazing the amount of equipment that was destroyed and lost at the end of the war. By the time the war ended, we were at peak production and production didn't stop until the war did in late 1945. They just had so many weapons and equipment and nobody wanted it, not even for scrap, that everything from airplanes to ships to guns was either blown up, buried, tossed overboard, or found their way home in a rucksack.

Considering where that gun was found, in the back of an old car, I would be surprised if it wasn't actually stolen, but the thing is, if the owner never recorded the serial number....and they probably didn't, they'd have no way of reporting it stolen. But there's nothing you can do about that and the original owner is likely long gone by now anyway.

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I'm not knowledgeable enough to give a reliable estimate, but I'll just say that the gun show this past weekend had a few WWII era Colts priced over $4K and many of them didn't look as nice as yours. They weren't selling however, so it's tough to say if they're really worth that. Browse the auctions on gunbroker.com and see what similar pistols are going for. That's about the easiest way I can think of to determine an approximate market value. Check your homeowner's insurance policy and see what kind of firearms coverage you have. This one might be worth a rider. You lucky SOB. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

The only way to carry a 1911 is cocked & locked. It is safe; that's how it was designed. Empty chamber, or hammer down isn't any safer considering that you may not have time to do that stuff when you actually need it. Racking the slide or cocking a hammer is just an unnecessary time consuming step between drawing and firing. Anyway... please don't carry that vintage Colt. If you really want to carry a 1911, I'll trade you even up for my Springfield mil-spec. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Is this the car?
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