Here is my Colt Government Model, circa 1947 (I believe). I bought this back in 2005 at KTP in Maine. It was right about $500 (maybe $525). It had a target rear sight and a big patridge front. The good thing was they didn’t cut the slide, the rear was in the standard dovetail and the front was pinned on. It has been refinished and polished quite a bit. All of the rollmarks are good except for the Pony, it is half gone. The refinish has a lot of splotches like the metal was contaminated when it was re-blued. So I bought it.

I removed the target sights and put on a set of standard GI sights (my front sight installation is not the best lol). It had a metal serrated trigger with a clamp on trigger shoe that I removed and replaced with a milled checkered one. When I first shot it I got A LOT of blowback (for lack of a better term) out of the ejection port. Unburnt powder everywhere, my hands, eyes, ugg. It had a LIGHT trigger. It seemed to be unlocking waaay too soon. So I replaced all of the springs with factory Colt (recoil, mainspring, sear spring, etc). That helped a lot. Then I fitted an EGW flat bottomed firing pin safety which pretty much eliminated the blowback. It was dam accurate too. The slide stop was very loose so I installed a Berryhill checkered one (.200”) and that tightened things up nicely. It came with a set of very worn double diamond checkered grips that I took off and put on my O1911 Carbonia repro. They look good on it. The grips I have on this are a set of Cylinder & Slide “1929” grips. I LOVE full checkered black walnut. Then it went in storage as I was moving around a lot.

So last week I got to get it back and even though I had coated it with CLP it picked up some surface rust (10 years in a wet basement in Maine tends to do that). I stripped it down and cleaned it up. The sear was pretty scary looking, like someone honed it too about nothing. And the disconnector was just a nub. Like it barely stuck up out of the frame. It worked but it was loose as hell. I installed an EGW ball head disconnector, an EGW hard sear, and checked out the hammer hooks. They were good (about .021”) so I just ran them across a fine ceramic stone. I put a small secondary angle on the EGW sear and fit the disconnector and MAN the trigger is nice. And a lot less scary lol. I also fitted a Harrison firing pin stop (my job on the bottom of the EGW one wasn’t the best) and installed an EGW firing pin and a Wolff Xtra power spring.

After the holiday I plan on sending it to John Harrison to get a retro rear and a dovetailed front sight installed. Then later I will fit a Kart Xact fit barrel. I like to tinker and I like the satisfaction of doing my own work. The current barrel has no markings and is accurate but it is pitted (before it went in storage) so what the heck. Eventually I will get it refinished in a nice blue (with no splotches lol).

I love the old Government Models. If Colt would put out something with these rollmarks they would sell like hotcakes.

That is awesome. I appreciate the story and pics. Nothing like the old 1911s. I look at some of them and wonder who originally owned it. Maybe a WWII vet that came home and started a family. Later he kept in in the glove box of his 1956 Oldsmobile? Who knows. I just saw an early Cold Commander in .45acp at a shop on Tuesday. I looked up the serial number on Colts website and it says 1952. I think I might be going back there soon and bringing it home if it's still there. Good on you showing this fine pistol the proper love.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RR,

quote:

Originally posted by mbinky:
If Colt would put out something with these rollmarks they would sell like hotcakes.

Indeed. I know I’d have at least one.

Good luck with the rest of the project. Looking forward to seeing the end result.

I was at a show today and had that same Colt in my hand , cond wise was about the same it needed a good clean up , my buddy was going to get it for around 800 to 900 . I told him to jump on it .

She's a beaut.

Very cool. And I have always been a fan of the old style round pad hammers.

Very nice, man. You own some nice 1911’s. I know some love Ed Browns and Nighthawk and the like, but my taste is similar to yours. Gimme a 1911 of that vintage and condition any day.

Nice work! I appreciate your taste in putting that old Colt back to work.

Jerry

That’s a great 1911 - thank you for sharing this!

Very cool! I, too, can’t wait to see the end result!

Looks good now. Bet it will really look good when you are done.

Thanks for all the kind words gents. I appreciate it. Here is the Colt next to my other "project" lol. An Israeli surplus MK III Hi-Power I picked up two years ago for $475. It is a forged frame and does not have a firing pin safety. Dates to about 1995 I think. I have a 2012 Browning that is box stock and my main winter carry so I wanted to get something to play around with. All the internals are done, I replaced all of the springs and pins with factory Browning, fitted an EGW hard sear (can you tell I'm an EGW fan? ) and a Cylinder & Slide ring hammer. Let me tell you fitting the sear in a Hi-Power is MUCH tougher than doing it in a 1911. I also added a factory ambi safety, which I actually prefer. It shoots great. Next step is sights, Novak or Heinie I haven't decided yet. Then eventually a nice blued finish (although the parkerizing is really starting to grow on me). The grips are Navidrex rosewood. I love how thin they are (I have a set of their micarta grips on my Browning). A set of Spegel's are also on the list.

Nice old Colt. I love those classics.

does the rear sight you removed have a name or brand on it?

king bushing on the front,

that was someone's bullseye gun,

by chance, does it have a maker name etched or stamped on the bottom of the slide?

I don't remember any name on the rear sight. It's currently in storage with a bunch of other parts. It does have an "18" stmped on the underside of the slide and an "18" on the side of the barrel feet. The slide to frame fit is excellent and so is the barrel lockup. Racking the slide is very smooth, it moves in and out of battery beautifully.

Nice BHP, as well!