In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

Trying to identify a 1911 maker

injuninjun Member Posts: 22 ✭✭
edited February 2008 in Ask the Experts
Can anyone help me with this one? I recently purchased a 1911 and I'm trying to identify it's maker and it's history. The gun is a 1911 .45acp "long slide." The weapon is FULLY ingraved on the slide and frame, in a vine pattern. The long main runners on all of the vines is silver inlaid. The grips are sterling silver, and of different thicknesses, suggesting a custom fit. They are also engraved, with gold leaves. Inside the left grip is inscribed "General Moreno" and inside the right grip is "1947". The slide has no manufacturer's marks or name. The frame has the serial number 237XXX (it has the full serial number, I'm just not giving it out.) The only marks that I can find are on the frame, inside, just forward of the hammer. They are a small "&" stamp, a larger "G" and a "6" just to the right of the hammer notch.
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • p3skykingp3skyking Member Posts: 23,916 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Colt is the maker of the frame, the rest is lost to history. I would google General Moreno and go from there.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • injuninjun Member Posts: 22 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    p3skyking: Thank you for the info. Can you tell me some more about how you were able to identify the frame?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • injuninjun Member Posts: 22 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    p3skyking: Can you (or anyone else with the information) tell me about possible dates of manufacture on this frame? Is this an American Colt or possibly an Argentine? Any other info would also be helpful. Thank you.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Colt made 1945 frame. One Question when you say long-slide lets make sure we are talking about the same thing. During 1945 ALL 1911 type pistols had a slide and barrel combination that were the same this took a 5 inch barrel . today we have 1911 type pistols that run from 3inches up so a 5 inch barrel could be called LONG in comparison. However a Long-Slide is a 1911 pistol with a spliced of made slide that allows for a 6 inch barrel or longer . Clark and some of the old masters were the first to make such pistols and this was much later then the date your pistol was made. If the barrel is 5 inches then . IMHO it sounds like your pistol was most likely Engraved from a standard G.I. pistol in Germany shortly after WW II for a GENERAL MORENO that was stationed in Germany at the 1947 time frame. If it is truly a long-slide 6 inch barrel then all bets are off and most likely engraved in the U.S. after the early 1960's.

    EDIT B.T.W we are fairly sure that this is a COLT frame made in 1945 Reason is that even before the 1960's many different companies made 1911's each was given a block of serial numbers to use 2244804-2380013 should all be Military COLT no one else Kimber S&W etc either made pistols with that high of a number or were even making 1911 type pistols

    Edit take 2 Yes it does sound like German type engraving Look on this site at some of the Drillings all most all of these type guns were made in Europe and compare your engraving with what is on European Drillings . After WW II and up until today we had/have occupational troops in both Germany and Japan and these G.I.'s had more money then the average local so they had their pick of the best Gun-Smiths /Engravers most guns engraved in Japan had Dragons some where. either 3 toes or 4 toes depending on China or Japan. The Lanyard ring is part of the Mainspring Housing on some 1911 type military pistols and is a very easy part to change so on a pistol worked over I would not be surprised to see it there or not there . sort of like what style of HUB CAP on a 50's vintage custom car.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • injuninjun Member Posts: 22 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Perry Shooter and Editor: Thank you so much. All of this is great information, and just what i was looking for. Perry: You are correct. My bad. This is the 5-inch barrel, and not the later, true "long-slide". One more question: you say that this was probably engraved in Germany. Is that from the type of scrollwork and the inlay? Or, what was the giveaway to it being German engraved? If all of this is correct, and I have no reason to doubt it, that would make this an all-American pistol, carried by an American soldier. This is great stuff!! Anyone know what the pistol might actually be worth?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • injuninjun Member Posts: 22 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Perry Shooter: I also want to mention that this pistol has what looks like a lanyard ring on the butt. Does this fit in with your 1945 manufacture?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Sign In or Register to comment.