Remington Rand M1911A1 Grail Gun

lamarw · December 10, 2018, 12:52 PM

This one has been on my want list ever since I acquired a Colt M1911 years back. I carried a Remington Rand M1911A1 in Nam along with a number of other M1911A1's during my Army years of service. This one is in far better condition than any I ever carried.

Acquired it at an out of State auction I attended over the weekend. It should arrive at my FFL later this week. Attached are some picture from the auction listing.

I also scored a S&W Model 29 (no dash) and a K-38 (Pre-Model 14) at the same auction, but I will discuss them in the revolver section of the Forum.

It was a good weekend.

Bart Noir · December 10, 2018, 03:22 PM

And here I thought I was opening a thread about a 1911 with a rail.

It is very fine when you get something you long wanted.

Bart Noir

Pathfinder45 · December 10, 2018, 04:10 PM

Not rail, but grail, as in, Holy Grail, the legendary cup of the Last Supper, that was allegedly shared by Christ and the Apostles, and centuries later, inspired many a medieval quest.....
Was there perhaps a Marine named Jesus that might have carried this particular 1911 from Guadalcanal, and island hopping all the way to Okinawa? Maybe...... The pistol could have been there. If only it could tell it's story.....alas, we can only wonder.
Merry Christmas.

Reloadron · December 10, 2018, 06:12 PM

Enjoy it and thinking back I went through one when I was in Nam. I flew in country with it as a courier and ended up keeping it while I was there. I returned through MCAS Iwa Kuni and turned it in at the armory there. Try as I have I could never remember who made that one.

I hope the one you just got brings you many enjoyable hours be it shooting it or simply having it. Yeah, a very, very Merry Christmas indeed.

Ron

Drm50 · December 10, 2018, 06:23 PM

I have always regretted loosing the 45 I had in RVn. It disappeared just a few weeks before I DEROSed. It was a Remington Rand also.

Pathfinder45 · December 11, 2018, 04:00 AM

Well, if we can rely upon Wikipedia, then it would seem that Remington Rand made more model 1911 A1 pistols during WWII than any other manufacturer, some 900,000, or so, more than twice as many as Colt. So they are out there. Anybody got a Singer?

lamarw · December 11, 2018, 10:00 AM

In Clawson's book "Collector's Guide to Colt .45 Service Pistols Models of 1911 and 1911A1", he states:

"In summary, Remington Rand became the low-cost, high-quality producer of World War II Model 1911A1 service pistols. Their achievements exceeded all of the other pistol manufacturers."

"Ordnance procurement records reveal that Remington Rand produced a total of 877,751 pistols, almost twice as many as Colt and Ithaca combined."

One achievement of Remington Rand:

"The most important achievement was developing the Austempering method of heat treating gun parts. It was perfected in fall of 1944, and today over 50 years later, it is still a standard method of heat treating many gun parts."

highpower3006 · December 11, 2018, 11:14 AM

Nice catch! I have the "big three" of WWII, Colt, Ithaca and Remington-Rand and the R-R is at least as nicely made as the Colt and seems a little better made than the Ithaca.

PS, I also have a no dash M29 and a early K38. Both are outstanding guns and congratulations for picking them all up at the same time.

lamarw · December 11, 2018, 11:30 AM

highpower3006, I admire your taste.

December 10, 2018, 03:22 PM	#2
Bart Noir Senior Member Join Date: August 5, 2000 Location: Puget Sound, USA Posts: 2,215	And here I thought I was opening a thread about a 1911 with a rail. It is very fine when you get something you long wanted. Bart Noir __________________ Be of good cheer and mindful of your gun muzzle!

December 10, 2018, 04:10 PM	#3
Pathfinder45 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2008 Posts: 3,224	Not rail, but grail, as in, Holy Grail, the legendary cup of the Last Supper, that was allegedly shared by Christ and the Apostles, and centuries later, inspired many a medieval quest..... Was there perhaps a Marine named Jesus that might have carried this particular 1911 from Guadalcanal, and island hopping all the way to Okinawa? Maybe...... The pistol could have been there. If only it could tell it's story.....alas, we can only wonder. Merry Christmas.

December 10, 2018, 06:12 PM	#4
Reloadron Senior Member Join Date: June 8, 2016 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Suburbs Posts: 1,750	Enjoy it and thinking back I went through one when I was in Nam. I flew in country with it as a courier and ended up keeping it while I was there. I returned through MCAS Iwa Kuni and turned it in at the armory there. Try as I have I could never remember who made that one. I hope the one you just got brings you many enjoyable hours be it shooting it or simply having it. Yeah, a very, very Merry Christmas indeed. Ron

December 10, 2018, 06:23 PM	#5
Drm50 Senior Member Join Date: November 10, 2014 Posts: 1,380	I have always regretted loosing the 45 I had in RVn. It disappeared just a few weeks before I DEROSed. It was a Remington Rand also.

December 11, 2018, 04:00 AM	#6
Pathfinder45 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2008 Posts: 3,224	Well, if we can rely upon Wikipedia, then it would seem that Remington Rand made more model 1911 A1 pistols during WWII than any other manufacturer, some 900,000, or so, more than twice as many as Colt. So they are out there. Anybody got a Singer?

December 11, 2018, 10:00 AM	#7
lamarw Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2010 Location: Lake Martin, AL Posts: 3,311	In Clawson's book "Collector's Guide to Colt .45 Service Pistols Models of 1911 and 1911A1", he states: "In summary, Remington Rand became the low-cost, high-quality producer of World War II Model 1911A1 service pistols. Their achievements exceeded all of the other pistol manufacturers." "Ordnance procurement records reveal that Remington Rand produced a total of 877,751 pistols, almost twice as many as Colt and Ithaca combined." One achievement of Remington Rand: "The most important achievement was developing the Austempering method of heat treating gun parts. It was perfected in fall of 1944, and today over 50 years later, it is still a standard method of heat treating many gun parts."

December 11, 2018, 11:14 AM	#8
highpower3006 Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2011 Location: Savannah TN Posts: 1,220	Nice catch! I have the "big three" of WWII, Colt, Ithaca and Remington-Rand and the R-R is at least as nicely made as the Colt and seems a little better made than the Ithaca. PS, I also have a no dash M29 and a early K38. Both are outstanding guns and congratulations for picking them all up at the same time.

December 11, 2018, 11:30 AM	#9
lamarw Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2010 Location: Lake Martin, AL Posts: 3,311	highpower3006, I admire your taste.