by Tom Gaylord, The Godfather of Airguns™
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
Colt WWII Commemorative looks like it went through the war.
This report covers:
• Differences between 1911 and 1911A1
• Closer look at the Colt CO2 BB pistol
• No, you can’t disassemble it
• Why call them 1911s?
Today I have something special for you. I’m reviewing the Colt WWII Commemorative from Umarex that was sold at the 2014 SHOT Show. Only 500 of them were made and they all sold at the show. They’re all gone, and you can only find one on the used market now; but you can buy the very similar Colt Limited Edition NRA 1911 BB Pistol that’s still available.
Here’s the funny thing. Neither of these pistols is a Colt 1911. Both are, in fact, 1911A1 pistols, so today I thought I’d explain the differences between these two closely related models.
Differences between 1911 and 1911A1
Right after the 1911 pistol was accepted by the Army, the world was plunged into war — and hundreds of thousands of new soldiers had to be trained to shoot the new service pistol. During and after the war, the Army discovered several things they felt they needed to change on the basic handgun, though the reliability and man-stopping power were exactly what they wanted. These changes were adopted in 1926, and the 1911A1 was born. It consisted of several changes.
This is a Colt 1911 firearm.
The pistol shot too low for some soldiers, so an arched mainspring housing replaced the flat mainspring housing. This pushed the pistol up in the hand.
The arched mainspring housing on the left is a 1911A1 feature. The 1911 (right) has a flat housing.
The sights were too fine for most shooters. So the front sight was widened and the rear sight notch was opened to accommodate it.
The 1911 front sight (right) was too thin to be of use. The 1911A1 changes widened it.
The 1911 rear sight notch (left) is narrow because of the narrow front sight blade. In the 1911A1, the notch was widened to work with the wider front sight blade.
Shooters with small hands complained the trigger was too far forward — so a new, shorter blade was installed. Also, two scallops — one on either side of the gun — were machined out of the frame behind the trigger, to give the trigger finger greater reach.
The 1911A1 trigger (left) was shorter and has scallops cut on either side of the frame for better finger clearance.
A new hammer and grip safety were also installed. They protected shooters with large hands from getting pinched between these two parts when the slide came back to cock the gun. The grip frame was also made a little longer, but the spur on the grip safety sticks so far past it that it really makes little difference. It’s a slight difference that only a collector will notice.
Here you can see the 1911 frame (left) doesn’t extend out as far as the 1911A1 frame on the right. Both pistols have a 1911A1 grip safety installed, which was an Army expedient to keep the 1911s operating in the field.
But here’s the important part. Most of these changes are parts that can be swapped by soldiers in the field, with the exception of the sights, which require some machine work to change. Only two changes are permanent and mark the absolute difference between the two models. The scallops in the frame behind the trigger and the extended grip frame (where the grip safety spur extends) are found only on 1911A1s, while 1911s do not have them.
Closer look at the Colt CO2 BB pistol
The airgun I’m reviewing for you is marked “Model of 1911 U.S. Army” though you can now see the frame scallops and know it’s really a 1911A1. It also has the arched mainspring housing and wide sights of the A1. So the labeling is misleading, though I suppose only a collector would notice.
Let’s not worry about that for now, because this is a very cool BB pistol and so is the NRA Special Edition that’s still available. Instead of producing a shiny new air pistol, Umarex has taken a page from the Cowboy Action Shooter’s book and produced a gun that appears to have suffered the ravages of war. I’ve had thousands of 1911 and 1911A1 firearms in my hands (Army service), and these two air pistols do justice to the distressed, yet completely functional look the sidearms have.
I’ll tell you how taken I am with the gun. When I saw it at the SHOT Show this past January, I didn’t need to think about it. It’s a BB pistol that’s also a connection with the history of our country. I have many lookalike airguns, but this is one of the most realistic.
This gun is a CO2-powered BB repeater. The cartridge fits in what would be the magazine on a firearm, and the BBs are in a single stack in the front of that magazine. Up to 18 BBs can be loaded at one time.
The trigger is single-action, only. In the firearm, the hammer is cocked by the slide recoiling rearward to eject the spent cartridge. Of course, the shooter has to cock the hammer the first time.
The air pistol has blowback action, meaning that the slide comes back with each shot. So, the hammer gets cocked this way and the trigger retains a light, crisp single-action pull.
The velocity is given as 325 f.p.s., but of course we’ll test this. Since some of the gas is used to operate the blowback action, I find this number reasonable.
The pistol is all metal outside and feels like the genuine firearm. The grip panels are interchangeable with those from a firearm. All the controls work exactly as they do on the firearm, which weighs 38 oz. empty. The air pistol weighs 33 oz. without CO2 or BBs.
So, to recap, this air pistol is really a model 1911A1. It has the A1 frame, sights, trigger, grip safety, and high arched mainspring housing. But it does have the 1911-style hammer with the wide beavertail thumb piece.
No, you can’t disassemble it
I looked at the possibility of disassembling this pistol, like the firearm, but it appears not to be made for that. Yes, it comes apart, but you probably don’t want to try it.
Why call them 1911s?
The model number 1911 has become a more generic term for the entire class of pistol. This is similar to the AK47 title being used incorrectly on the far more numerous AKM rifles that number in the tens of millions. People still call them all AK47s, despite the fact that the true AK47 is a very specialized early design made from all milled parts and is rather rare.
I guess we have to live with the term, knowing that it isn’t entirely accurate; and we may need to switch gears when the conversation becomes more technical and specific.
BB
That’s a very informative review and it also told me the differences between a 1911 and an 1911A1. The reason for my interest is that I own a model 1911 that was a service pistol that was picked up in WW1 by a friend father and when his father passed away I was able to buy the gun from his mother. I have looked up the serial number on the frame and I at least know that the frame is a Springfield armory from the 1914 to 15 year range with only 5000 made at that time. I now know what else to look at on the gun to verify that it is all 1911 and has or has not gone thru any type of refurbishment by the gov’t before it was acquired by my friend father. it is still in it original patina and very much resemble the photos of the guns in this review. I also have the original Calvary holster with it flap over the pistol design with the words stamped in the leather on the back side ” Campbell, Perkins” and underneath those words is the year ” 1917″.
Buldawg
You have a real gem there. I used to have a Springfield A1. Is the ejection port on your slide small like the one on the Colt or is it larger? Mine was considerably larger.
Buldawg,
One of the rarest things is the 1911 short grip safety spur that the Army replaced when the 1911A1 came out.
Also, I’m pretty sure there were no 1911s at Calvary. I think they were all cavalry guns. 😉
B.B.
Now that’s funny!
Calvary. Golgotha.
In continuing the latin lessons on this blog…..Calvary is rooted in the latin Calvaria. Calvaria is also related to calvus “bald”.
kevin
RR and BB
I will have to check the ejection port and see if it matches the one in the picture and that is why I said I know it has a 1911 frame because the serial number states it was built in the 14/15 year range. I just went and check it out closer and it does have the small ejection port, thin sights, flat mainspring housing, no scallops at the trigger and short grip spur so it is all 1911 era. on the Calvary holster I was not meaning that there was a Calvary in WW1 but instead referencing the style of holster as I know them to resemble the holster that were used by the Calvary in the early wars as I am now history buff by no means. the holster in one that the guns fits completely down in and then has the top of it as a large flap that covers over the gun completely and fastens with a brass knob of sort with a stem and large ball on the end that passes thru a corresponding hole in the flap of the holster. I also got some military full copper jacketed ammo with it , two 50 round boxes to be exact. I am just glad to know a little more about the distinguishing features of a true 1911 colt.
Buldawg
Yes, my generation forgets that youngsters born in the ’50’s may not know some of this stuff..and very happy that it is covered in blogs, magazines, every where….Our generation bought these Remington Rand ( re: typewriter company) war surplus for $35.00, new, mint, at Golden State Arms in 1952, Pasadena, California…walk in, walk out 1911A1 with pistol….But the dollar was worth about 12 times more..as you know.
Pete
Orcutt, California
Youngster?! I wish. I am too young to have been able to get in on that deal, but after I fired one in boot camp, I had to have one of my own. I ended up buying a “kit” from Springfield and assembling it myself. That thing was sweet.
Pete,
You will appreciate, then, that the 1911 shown above is an NRA sales gun that was sold to the public for $20. I have the cardboard shipping box it was sent in, too.
B.B.
BB
I paid 100 bucks for mine back in 1978 for the gun, holster, 100 rounds of military ammo and an extra new barrel which is in the gun now due it not liking the original barrel when I first shot it and one of the bullets tried to take the barrel with it because there was no rifling left in the barrel and that is why it has the NOS barrel in it and has never been shot since.
Buldawg
buldawg
We was talking about scopes over on the article about the big bore airguns and the reply button was missing so I didn’t reply over there.
You mentioned that Leupold scope and the different features it has and the price that you have. And it sounds like a nice scope. Then we was talking about the Hawke scope with the 1/2 mildot reticle. How the reticle lines are real fine and the1/2 mildot gives more precise aiming points. But the Hawke scopes were more expensive.
The price of the Hawke scope I think is fair for the quality and features of the scope well this particular model anyway. And its the one I use and the one I think you ended up getting if I remember right.
/product/hawke-optics-2-5-10×44-ao-varmint-rifle-scope-1-2-mil-dot-reticle-1-4?a=4430
If you get a chance or have seen any scopes that have that same fine line 1/2 mildot reticle let me know. It doesn’t have to be a adjustable parallax even. But I would like maybe the power to be adjustable from 3-9 or a fixed 6 power. I have been looking for a cheaper scope with the features I just listed and ain’t found anything. But maybe I ain’t looking hard enough either. The main thing I’m trying to find is the fine line 1/2 mildot reticle.
Here’s one that I remember BB talking about in the past with the bubble level in it. If the link will work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPCIo4W_hwE
Gunfun
here is the scope I got for 49.99 shipped and it has a picture of the reticle.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Riflescope-M1-3-5-10×40-R-G-Long-Range-Illuminated-Mil-dot-Optics-Rifle-Scope-/261158758839?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cce4669b7
Here is another one that has a bubble level in it, but neither ones have the half mil dot.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-9×40-E-Mil-Dot-Blue-illuminate-Rifle-Scope-Tactical-Optics-Scopes-Level-Gauge-/271603284395?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f3cd139ab
There are not exactly what you are wanting but for the price they have some good features.
Buldawg
Gunfun
Got to go get meds right now so I will get back to later when we get back. check out the links and let me know what you think.
Later Buldawg
buldawg
Yep they look like nice scopes for the price.
But I’m still hooked on the half mildot reticle.
I usually zero at 50 yards and on 6x. If I shoot at 20 to 50 yards I can pretty well stay at holding no more than a a half mildot under. Same setup is good out to around 65 yards and only having to hold over a half mildot. If I start going out past the 65 yards the pellet starts falling of faster. So of course I have to start putting more hold over in. I hardly ever make any shots that I have to use the lines below the zero reticle line. I’m talking target practicing not hunting also.
Gunfun
I agree that I would rather have the Hawke scopes and definitely like the half mil dot best also. I just don’t have the funds to get as many as I need for my guns. So some compromises are required and as time progress and my disability is approved I will be able to upgrade my guns. I may find that for the hunter class the Hawke is the best choice and if so it will be moved to the gun it needs to be on, but at least I can be able to see good enough with all my guns to enjoy them and that is the main goal.
I just hope the ones I got do work close to as good as the Hawke and if so then they will be worth the money. The hunter class only allows for a maximum of 12 power scopes so that is why I have not ordered any higher power ones. I still have the 10×40 by 50mm to find a home for as I got it for my AR but I just think it is going to look out of place on it but I will just have to see this fall when I go to hunt the turkeys for T-giving dinner, Right now the ground is to warm and the chiggers and ticks are in full swing preparing for winter and I do not plan to feed them.
Buldawg
buldawg
I did the big scope magnification thing for a while. Then found that the 12 power setting was plenty good to focus with when range finding. Then I went down to the 10 power Hawke scopes and they will focus as good on the lower 10 power setting as some of the higher power scopes. The Hawke scopes stay sharp and true all the way out to the edge of the eyepiece.
Gunfun
I have not actually tried the 10×40 one yet other than look through it holding in the hand and that is just not the same as on a rifle so I cannot really comment on whether it is a plus or not, I just figured that the AR would definitely be able to reach 100 plus yards easily so for my tired old eyes I would need as much help seeing that far as possible. I will know more when I mount it and get to sight it out that far, I just have the AR for when the time comes that the SHTF scenario comes to about to be able to defend what is mine and keep my family safe and also to just to allow me to have a false sense of security in what may be a losing battle. And of course to have the pride in knowing that I built it myself.
Time will tell and if the extra magnification is of no help then I will know better in the future.
Buldawg
buldawg
I replied here so I don’t know if it will end up in the right place.
And I’m with you on what you said. I think the AR will be a good tool to have that’s for sure. But hope I don’t have somebody get that close to me in that shtf senerio. I hope that I can see them more than a hundred yards away.
Like that one Mad Max movie and they have their complex built out in the middle of the open desert.
How’s that song go.” I can see for miles and miles and miles.”
Gunfun
We are on the same page there as if they get closer than 100 yards then I am not paying attention and that is not going to happen if I can help it and in my small neighborhood we all will be covering each others back so with where I am at it is somewhat like Mad Max in that all corners are covered and it will be hard to get within 100 yards without someone knowing you are coming.
if they do get that close I have plenty of other guns and weapons for self defense to keep them back until another neighbor takes them out.
Yep “I can see for miles and miles and miles” also. I truly hope it does not get to that point, but on the same hand I will be prepared if it does and “They can have all my guns when they pry my cold dead fingers from around them”
Buldawg
I’m sure I’d like the one with the built in level but no pics including it.
I can see how it would be easy to accidentally buy the wrong one instead of the one you’ve been checking out.
Reb
Check the links in the post of mine and GF1s above for pics and descriptions on the scopes with the bubble level in the eye piece.
buldawg
Reb
Check out the last picture in this link of the scope with the level in it , it is in the lower right corner of the fourth pic.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-9×40-E-Mil-Dot-Blue-illuminate-Rifle-Scope-Tactical-Optics-Scopes-Level-Gauge-/271204559378?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f250d2a12
Buldawg
Cool! $45 eh?
Gunfun
I forgot to tell you the link I sent you for the Leupold scope from ebay is the same scope listing I bought the first Leupold from, but the second scope I received is not a Leupold, but has the stamping in the same place that says ” CV Life” instead of Leupold. They are identical in every way other than the name on them and the price as the Leupold was 50.34 and the second one I just got was 49.99. I was honestly expecting it to be a Leupold also, but it is not labeled as such but if it works good then what difference does it really make.
If you check the link ( see sellers other items) on one of the links I sent you it will show you all the scopes they have for sale under the sporting goods heading. they have a couple of ones with big side wheels that are 125 bucks but none with a half mil dot reticle. Just check them out when you get a chance.
Buldawg
Gunfun
I am going to my buddies tomorrow to get the hipac tubes machined and the 853 barrel machined to fit in the crosman breech so I should have them both up and running by Sunday and can get to the range next week and get them all done and be able to enjoy them, my only problem will be which one I want to shoot first or the mast. That is a good problem though not a bad one.
I will let you know how it all goes and keep you updated as I get thing completed.
Buldawg
Gunfun
Yea I have that scope you gave me the link to as it is the one you recommended to me and I do like the half mil dot reticle also. I just cannot afford to get those for all my guns and I have not found any with that half mil dot cheaper myself either, but like you I have not really been looking specifically for that reticle so I will do some more checking as the ebay vendor I got the Leupold from has several different scopes for sale at anywhere from 30 bucks up to 60 so they may have a half mil dot and I just overlooked it. I will do some more digging and see what I find and let you know.
I will also let you know how the range finders work, I think you would use them correctly by sighting them in at the closest distance you plan to shoot at and then use the range finder lines to hold under for distances farther than your sight in distance rather than any hold overs as with the half mil dot style. I guess I said that right, I mean that you sight in for 10 yards and then if you are shooting 50 yards you would sight off of one of the lines below the horizontal reticle line. I have to experiment some to determine what distance the lines represent or better yet read the direction with the scope LOL.
I will see what I can find and let you know.
Buldawg
There are some links in here if Ya’ll can get ’em to work.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/79537/thread/1172784105
Thanks Reb
Reb
Thanks for the links. look like some nice scopes and probably cost about as much as the Hawkes.
buldaswg
That’s the one Ya’ll were talking about a few months back, and got me wanting one! Tell me about this Leupold. And the Banners.
Reb
The Leupold that I got off of ebay is a 3.5×10 by 40mm with a range finder reticle and red/green illuminated with a side focus. I bought two from the same vendor and the first one is a Leupold and I was expecting the second one to be a Leupold also as it is identical except for the price. the leupold was 50.34 buck and the one I just got is a CV Life scope identical to the first Leupold but was only 49.99. So I have not used either one yet but as I said they appear identical. and for the price if they work good I cannot complain. I would like to have the 150 buck hawke’s on all my guns but just cannot afford that cost at this time, so I have to make some compromise’s. Check the links above I left for GF1 in a reply to him, the second one has a bubble level in the eyepiece of the scope, the only thing I don’t like about it is the blue illumination.
Buldawg
There are some links in here if you can get them to work:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/79537/thread/1172784105
I think from that era you could buy a Tommy gun from a hardware store for $50 but sales suffered because of the high price…
Matt61
Yes, indeed ! In the real days of our great nation, you could buy firearms sending your money order to Kliens, for example, and Buy a Carcano, 1917 Enfield, 1911a1….or at your local hardware or gun shop.
None of this DROS forms, waiting period stuff ( i.e. BS )….And a CCW permit ? Heck, who needed that..?
When I was stationed at Kelly Airforce Base for our Air Police training near San Antonio, TX (1951)…I went to town to one of their fantastic gun shops, walked out with an M&P 2″, yes, the .38 Special ( now called the Model 10..) square butt Classic. Carried it in Fr.Morocco for near two years.
Pete
Orcutt, California
What I find amazing is that we continue to send our youth into Harm’s Way and give them Mattelomatics and pop guns to fight with. I know, I know, the 5.56mm and the 9mm is cheaper than 30-06, 308 and 45ACP, and aluminum and plastic is cheaper than steel.
They did not start teaching double tap until the Beretta became standard issue. It wasn’t necessary.
Tom,
Just a small continuation of one of the other day’s small side discussions, regarding medieval armor plates, Hamlet’s Soliloquy, Agincourt, and Bodkin tips on blades and arrowheads.
Gamo has come to the rescue of those who are vexed by varmints wearing plate armor. Gamo’s new Luxor Cu Hunting Pellets, which feature a copper plated Bodkin tip, are surely the answer! Check ’em out on the Pyramyd AIR website. Available in .177 and .22 so one “might [a squirrel’s] quietus make / With a bare bodkin.”
Michael
Michael,
I wonder if they are accurate? They sure are light!
B.B.
Tom,
I just perused all of P.yramyd’s .177 and .174 ammo, and except for Crosman’s High Velocity Super Sonic Pellets in hollowpoint and in pointed, and Gamo’s Platinum PBA and Lead-Free Match, they are the lightest metal ammo Pyramyd AIR carries.
They do look cool, too, I must admit, even though I know it makes me look bad around here to admit that I pay attention to such stuff.
Michael
Michael,
Just be quiet and drink the Kool Aid. 😉
B.B.
Methinks I shalt looseth myne cookies.
This kind of reminds me of fishing lures. They are mostly designed to catch the eye of the fisherman, not the fish. Camo is the same way. What is this week’s pattern? Which sproinger shoots the fastest today?
Ha ha. That is hysterical. The twists and turns of history are too funny. As a matter of fact, Hamlet addresses this too. At one point, he talks about how a king might die, get recycled in the food chain and end up making “progress through the guts of a beggar.” His friend tells him that he is getting carried away and to knock it off. So Hamlet is being recycled by Gamo. That is a good question of just what Gamo is trying to prove here.
Hey, if enough people will buy it, and at THAT price . . . .
Of course, if they end up being accurate in some guns, then the joke would be on us. If accuracy, penetration, and expansion are critical, but hydrostatic shock isn’t a factor, a trick pellet might DO the trick.
What if one of these in, gasp, just .22 caliber, flew at 1000 fps. hit a RACOON, expanded to a 1/3 of an inch and ripped though its left lung, a major blood vessel, two heart chambers, and the right lung, exiting the racoon at a whopping 1/2 inch in diameter? (Lots of “ifs” here, I know.)
That would be one heckuva trick.
Michael
Michael
I can tell you from first hand experience that a 22 caliber crosman 1400 pump pellet gun with whatever pellets were available back in 1968 and up to the late seventies was more than capable of killing a raccoon as I cannot count how many died at the shots from my 1400 at 8 to ten pumps. and the honest truth is that I killed way more raccoons with my 1400 pellet gun than I ever did with my 12 ga shotgun with 4, 5, 6 or 7 shot in it. The raccoons would drop over after being hit by the pellet gun, but would get up and run off after being hit with the 12 ga shotgun.
Buldawg
Absolutely wonderful discussion & pics of the differences between the 1911 & the 1911A!
I like that they are making these CO2 pistols with the clip that contains the cartridge and magazine as a replaceable unit. Much better idea than the thumb screw deal with the cart in the grip frame.
Robert,
I agree. Extra magazines cost quite a bit more that way, but swapping the whole thing, CO2 and all, every 20 shots, reduces the cooling effect on the pistol. Have three mags per gun and swap one out when empty of ammo, put a full and warm one, then another, then load them all up, and by then everything is nice and warm. With most of these pistols one can get three BB mag’s worth per CO2 cartridge. 180 shots per session, and very little cooling in the gun — it works for me!
Michael
BB,
What is your pick of 1911 options from frames, alloy or metal, and what accessories do you like.
My favorite is a 70 series Lightweight Combat Commander, arched mainspring, small beaver tail safety, polished feed ramp, long trigger, ambi saftey, long mag release, snag resistant night sights. I want mine to be a 45.
David Enoch
David,
I’ll hasve to give that some though. I do have a Commander that I love, but my full-sized Wilson Combat is my favorite, followed by a Taurus.
B.B.
Oh, forgot to ask. Wasn’t there one of those commemorative 1911s at the show? I think it was on Pyramyd’s table.
David Enoch
David,
Pyramyd had one and the one shown here was on my tables, along with the 1911 shown here.
B.B.
B.B,
In the PyramydAir website, how can I search for BB/pellet guns that have the look and feel of a real gun?
Joe,
Don’t you just look at the airguns and compare their specs to the firearms? That’s what I do.
B.B.
B.B.,
You are right, but it would mean that I have to look at a lot of airguns, and by doing so, I might end up seeing an airgun that I like a lot, BUT NOT what I’m looking for, I would buy that gun also, and thus drain more money out of my pocket.
Joe,
If you want to be able to handle the guns before buying the you need to find and attend a show
http://www.airgunhobbyist.com/events.php
Reb,
Thanks for the link.
Yep,
If you don’t find one near you let us know where you’re located.
I am located in the west coast.
Joe check out some of this guy’s reviews.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSsdgLUmris
Joe, that’s a good one! Probably should ask Pyramyd to create ability to search for replicas. I tried that search right now and it produced dismal results 🙂
ValG,
Thanks, and it seems that you’re the only one that got my sense of humor.
I have a Norwegian Model 1914. It is a 1911 produced there under license. The Norwegians never up dated the design to 1911 A1 and kept the original 1911 features. It is a bit different, the slide release is different being extended lower so it easier to reach with you right thumb. Also, all the major parts are numbered like a Luger.
Mike
Mike,
I like the extended slide release the Norwegians put on the gun. It puts the release at my thumb, instead of having to reach a bit.
B.B.
I’ll have to grab one to see how it fits my hand, I’ll bet it makes the grip feel less substantial. Sounds good to me!
Well, off topic a bit but still on military weapons. Got a chance, at last, to go to the local (1 hr away) rifle range and shoot my M1 Garand for the first time. At 50 yards and bench resting, I put 15 of 16 rounds into a 3 ” group. For a military weapon, I thought this was fairly good accuracy using iron sights. I’m sure others with better eyesight could have gotten a smaller group. Next week, 100 yards! Oh, eveyone I’ve been “retired”. Plenty of spare time on my hands now provided I don’t find another job to keep busy.
Fred DPRoNJ
Sorry Fred DPRoNJ, or congratulations on more shooting time!!!
Fred,
Glad you got to have some fun with the M1!
Have you learned anything about how yours came to have IIRC a brand-new barrel and stock? Could they have sent you the “CMP Special” (think that’s what they call it) by accident instead of a select grade?
-Jan
Jan, I ordered the H & R special grade because all other rifles were either sold out or had a 6 month delay between order and shipping at the time. Looks like it’s changed again since I ordered – http://www.thecmp.org/Sales/m1garand.htm
Fred DPRoNJ
Oh, *special* grade! I somehow convinced myself that you had ordered a *service* grade. Senility.
Have you had her out to the range again?
-Jan
BB,
A question about Diana air pistols. Other than the grips, are there any differences between the 6 M and the 10?
RR,
Yes, the trigger on the 10 is more refined than the trigger on the 6. I owned a 10 and found it to be every bit as good as, or even better than, the FWB 65, where the 6 is one terrain feature back.
B.B.
RR
Sounds like your on a mission. Did that picture from the Texas gun show of the Diana 10 get you going?
I had never believed I would ever know the difference between the 1911 and the 1911A1 and now I do! Fascinating. That arched mainspring housing shows that the interchangeable backstraps introduced by SW to improve the ergonomics of the M&P pistol were invented a long time ago. As an aside, I heard that the Texas Rangers in the 1930s actually tied down the grip safety of their 1911s with strips of rawhide. A different era when law enforcement could ambush accused criminals with BARs.
Edith, metaphors are simplifications in their nature that are designed for continual refinement. 🙂 It is surprising how the big man punching you comes up in discussions of shooting technique. Clint Fowler used the same analogy.
103David, that pic of your mom with the holstered .45 is really something. So much for the idea that the .45 was too much gun for a woman to handle.
Matt61
Matt,
As far as I know, she never touched another weapon after the war, nor used the word, “bastards” again. But early on in the war, word-of-mouth concerning the treatment of captured Nurses in the Philippines, and a bit later in the Aleutian campaign (in which she participated) generated quite the sub-rosa program in firearms instruction in the Medical Corps. While some of the “treatment” stories may not have been entirely factual, I know for a fact most were.
Being as the 1911 was available that would have been the weapon of availability, but there was an enormous alternate utilization of Smith & Wesson and Colt revolvers, mostly in .38 Special or .38 S & W.
How did they get into the supply chain?
Answer; The didn’t.
The came through in the mail, with people returning from leave, combat vets being rotated out and leaving their “midnight in the line foxhole insurance policy” with those that now needed them more. A lot of them got buried in the Philippines for the day the Japanese were thrown out. The day did and they were. (I know that, since Dad brought a resurrected one home with him. I have a photo of my Cousin John Dean pointing that, and a Nambu, while somehow including a Katana in the mix. Did I mention John Dean was about four when the pic was taken?)
The nature of this phenom is that of particulars not written down for the record, but that not making it any less true. Having attended a series of company reunions of my Dad’s, I recall a detailed account of one of these midnight foxhole encounters on Okinawa.
A sudden rush with a fixed bayonet by the rusher, a lightning response from the rushee from a Police Positive Special revolver,…repeat the sequence for rusher #2,…and a few very long seconds later, another repeat for rusher #3.
“It happened too fast to be scared,” he said, “and the third one may have got me if we didn’t know they always infiltrated in threes.” (At the reunion) several of the guys gathered around saying, “I remember that. That was the one where the last guy had the bullet sticking out of his back.” A shared detail that convinced me all they said was true.
Ken went on to say, “The only real problem with those .38’s was getting ammo for them. At that time I was using green-with-age ammunition that I’d talked out of a Honolulu cop. I was afraid they wouldn’t go off.”
I told Dad about Mom saying, “Bastards,” and he said, “I didn’t even know she knew the word.”
I opined back with, “Gee, Dad, after spending four years and the entire Second World in the Army, I think she may have heard the word once or twice.
Ah, the 1911! One of a handguns with charisma and record.
I used to shoot 1911A1 twice. One was from WWII era, I believe supplied as equipment for some lend-lease plane and the other was I believe Angola trophy. A very good weapon (well, like any other JB-designed thing), smooth shooting and quite compact for a gun of its size and stopping power. Despite it is not designed like Luger (the closest thing to competition gun IMO) it seats in hand perfectly and I noticed that it’s simply uncomfortable to take it incorrectly, once you take it right it becomes like a finger pointing towards target.
duskwight
duskwight,
That’s about it. Not nearly as pretty as the Luger, but it fits a feels right in the hand.
B.B.
As they say, Pretty is as Pretty does.
I just found another jewel to watch for:
Wait for it…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3Ih-93qXOA&src_vid=lf4cKQn_DXo&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_3020364461
BB,
That’s more realistic than many “real” a1s! What is the tiny plate behind the trigger? I always imagined it was related to the series 70 vs. 80 trigger/safety changes which is to me a topic too esoteric to fathom, but your 1911 has it. Sorry for the stupid question!
I always thought that plate was so the mag release could be used on either side(po’ man’s ambi).
BG_Farmer,
That’s the back side of the magazine release button on the left side of the frame.
B.B.
Doh! Thanks, I had thought of that when Reb replied. I don’t know why I didn’t figure it out…
B.B.
I had often wondered what the differences were between the standard 1911 and the 1911A1. Thanks for this report. Will you be doing a shot accuracy report on the Colt WWII Commemorative?
Charles,
Yes. This will be a typical test in all respects.
B.B.
Good. It’s not often now that you do a report on a CO2 rifle or pistol that I have, so when you do I’m eager to compare my accuracy to yours. For a novice who has been shooting airguns only casually for only a little over two years now, it’s a big confidence boost when I see that my accuracy results are almost as good as yours. Unfortunately, my skill with blowback pistols, either BB or pellet, is not good enough yet to get good groupings at 10 meters so I usually shoot them at 5 meters.
When I first saw the announcement for the Colt WWII Commemorative pistol, I thought that it’s a must have collector’s item. I was overjoyed when Pyramyd AIR put some up for sale and made sure I got one. I also got the NRA Limited Edition 1911. Without the markings, there is virtually no difference between them. I shot them both just enough to make sure everything works. I may never shoot them again in order to keep them in mint condition as collector’s items. I’ve got three other 1911 style pistols I can use for shooting practice. I’m probably kidding myself thinking a limited edition CO2 airgun will become more valuable over time, but who knows maybe they will.
Charles,
Yeah, I doubt these will ever be collector’s items, but the WWII was so realistic I just had to have it. It looks so good next to my 1911.
B.B.
I can tell the difference now! Never knew what to look for before.
This pistol can be disassembled and does so very much like the original with some minor differences. I was also surprised to find out that it actually has a locked breach. The operator’s manual shows nothing about how to take the 1911 apart, so go slow and watch how things fit together and you will not have any problem doing so. I love shooting mine.