Less Beer 1911 WWII vintage Colt upgrade

[graycrait]

The weekend before last I was lamenting the loss of my front sight off my Brazilian Army surplus slide that sits atop the Essex frame. It went flying off somewhere during my .45ACP shoot-off test against S&W M&P, a couple of Kimbers and a Bersa. So, this week I was telling a fella that my free to me parts built 1911 was working fine but had no sight and I was not going to buy a staking tool and get another sight if I didn't have to. Someone sometimes looks out for fools. This fellow produces a slide from a 1942 Colt, along with it were grips, grip screws, slide, barrel, extractor, slide stop, firing pin with spring and firing pin stop. The exterior of the slide is excruciatingly pitted but the inside was perfect. Someone had actually refinished the slide over the pitting so my job was done. I slapped it all on my poorly finished Essex frame and it is the tightest smoothest fitting 1911 I have owned out of 10 or 12 including a Springfield Loaded and Dan Wesson Pointman. Why all this bother? First I have more than several 1911 fan boy friends ranging in age from mid-20s to mid-80s, trouble is I know more about how they work than they do. I also like to thumb my nose at them with my never fail 9mm Glocks. However, two of these friends were members of the Army Marksmanship Unit, one back in the 60s after returning from SF duties in Viet Nam, another was a more recent AMU gunsmith. Both have told me that a perfectly serviceable and sometimes outstanding 1911 can be had if parts are chosen well. In my case the parts are choosing me, be that as it may this thing may be a real shooter. Range report next Saturday. I call this a Damascus slide, wouldn't you?

[LngRngShtr]

I wouldn't say Damascus,.. I would say

"Natural Engraved / Enhanced"

John

[gunrunner32]

I would have had to guess you found it when you were mowing your grass. None the less, as long as she runs smooth good on ya. I'm helping a friend rebuild a Colt on a Fosters frame from parts that have found him as well. I'll have to post pictures of it when we get done, or and he chose the finish...not me. It'll be a custom mixed Black and Blue Titanium slide (3 parts black to 1.5 parts Blue Titanium) and small parts and just Blue Titanium frame. I just need to get back in town first.

Oh and if you ever need another original GI spec rear sight let me know there's one sitting on my work bench.

[PirateQui]

Does that mean you have a perfectly good slide you wanna put in the mail for free as a result of our deep DEEP friendship? (A deep friendship can happen spontaneously, trust me)

[graycrait]

I have a spare Braziliero Excercito 1911 slide with a front sight missing if that is what you mean. I think I'll hang on to it for the time being to see if the old Colt slide holds up.

Craig in Clarksville

[ZoidMeister]

Resurrecting a zombie thread I know, but I just joined to get a better look at this beauty.  Saw it's image in a Google search, and had to see more.

I think I have its father - Luke . . . . .

Edited February 9, 2017 by ZoidMeister
I type faster than I think sometimes . . . . added thought