Need Colt 1911A1 Help

George R · October 8, 2009, 02:07 PM

Have a Colt 1911A1, 741XXX,made just after Colt switched from blueing to parkerizing. The bbl is Colt 45 marked. Were the bbls and mags blued, or also parked? Any help will be really appreciated. Thanks.

James K · October 9, 2009, 08:19 PM

All barrels and magazines of that era were blued. A parkerized barrel or magazine was either made or refinished in the post-war period. The barrel marking "Colt 45 Auto" should be at the bottom left, not visible through the ejection port, and the letter P on the bottom lug indicates the barrel passed the proof test (as a barrel in a test fixture, not on a gun).

Jim

George R · October 10, 2009, 07:06 AM

Thanks, Jim. I appreciate the help. How about the "two toned" magazines of that era that have two different shades of blueing? Any info on that?

RickB · October 14, 2009, 11:33 AM

The mags were dipped - top half - in some sort of boiling acid to temper the feedlips, and it removed the bluing in the process. Most WWII-era mags, those made during the U.S. involvement, are not two-tone.

James K · October 14, 2009, 08:35 PM

IIRC, the tempering was done in oil, not acid. The flame heating removed the blue. It could not have been done the other way at the time, since the oven bluing process then in use would have taken the temper back out of the feed lips.

Later, the bluing process was changed and the bluing was done after tempering, giving a uniform color.

Jim

October 8, 2009, 02:07 PM	#1
George R Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 151	Need Colt 1911A1 Help Have a Colt 1911A1, 741XXX,made just after Colt switched from blueing to parkerizing. The bbl is Colt 45 marked. Were the bbls and mags blued, or also parked? Any help will be really appreciated. Thanks. __________________ http://www.gunblue.homestead.com

October 10, 2009, 07:06 AM	#3
George R Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 151	Parked or Blued? Thanks, Jim. I appreciate the help. How about the "two toned" magazines of that era that have two different shades of blueing? Any info on that? __________________ http://www.gunblue.homestead.com

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October 9, 2009, 08:19 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	All barrels and magazines of that era were blued. A parkerized barrel or magazine was either made or refinished in the post-war period. The barrel marking "Colt 45 Auto" should be at the bottom left, not visible through the ejection port, and the letter P on the bottom lug indicates the barrel passed the proof test (as a barrel in a test fixture, not on a gun). Jim

October 14, 2009, 11:33 AM	#4
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	The mags were dipped - top half - in some sort of boiling acid to temper the feedlips, and it removed the bluing in the process. Most WWII-era mags, those made during the U.S. involvement, are not two-tone.

October 14, 2009, 08:35 PM	#5
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	IIRC, the tempering was done in oil, not acid. The flame heating removed the blue. It could not have been done the other way at the time, since the oven bluing process then in use would have taken the temper back out of the feed lips. Later, the bluing process was changed and the bluing was done after tempering, giving a uniform color. Jim