We went to an auction over the last weekend, and one of the items was an M1911 with a .22 conversion slide on top of it. I was shown a photo of the guns and picked it out a few weeks back, so we had to go watch. The box for the conversion kit was with the gun at the auction, along with the slide and other parts that were switched. My brother-in-law had spotted the auction, so he had dibs on bidding. The other attendees all were clueless as to the vintage of this pistol, and $375 bought it.
There is some honest wear on the blueing, and I think it is about 80-85%. An old fingerprint is on the right side of the slide, a reminder to wipe down your guns after handling them. The lady hosting the auction told us that a great-uncle had fought in WWI, and this pistol came home in his duffel bag.
J. M. Gilbert was the inspector who passed this gun when it was built in 1918. The big questions now are, should my BIL shoot it; should he shoot it with the .22 conversion slide on it, or should he just keep it oiled and hidden away in his safe? It was an honor and a real thrill to handle this gun, and to clean it and reassemble it.
I'm not a serious collector, so I would shoot it - both calibers. It is not new in the box, so I can't see how limited shooting is going to hurt it. I have older guns, dating back to 1881, that I shoot occasionally. My ten cents worth, adjusted for inflation :)
ReplyDeleteMerle
PS: what brand is the conversion - it looks like a Colt to me.
The conversion kit is Ciener, .22 LR. They are available on the internet for $200. The changeover is quick and easy.
ReplyDeleteThe original slide is in the photos.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, I saw the Colt logo & "assumed" that was the 22 unit. Oh well, not the first time I've been wrong....
ReplyDeleteMerle