There was a Retro Sidearms thread running a while back that I really enjoyed viewing, but it's fallen into the archives. Could we possibly start a new one? If so, please post your pictures here!

1969 Browning:

1913 Colt 45 ACP Marked United States Property



1917 Smith & Wesson 45 Auto rim or 45 ACP on half moon clips, Marked United States Property

I guess I need to start assembling period-appropriate accessories.  Some of the gun pr0n around here make me feel inadequate...  

My favorite .45...
1918 production with JMG monogram, re-arsenaled at Rock Island Armory (inspected by Frank Krack). "United States Property" marked on left side of the frame.

I will add my 1911A1 VC converted to 7.62 Tok.

Just out of curiosity, have you ever fired that thing?  
What a great piece of history.

No I am not much of a shooter. The Vet I got it from said he used to shoot it and it functioned fine. He traded a camera plus $20 for it and brought it back in a training mine he was EOD

Didn't I see a magazine article about one of these conversions a while back? Maybe in SAR?

I want a 1944 Parked S& W Victory .

Made in 1919.  Just in time for prohibition.

Excellent photos, fellas!

Hal and jtb, I love the Colt Automatics!

Particularly special to me, as my kids gave it to me for Fathers Day a couple of years ago.
It had a cheap set of Magna grips on it when they gave it to me, I refinished the Victorys that are on it now:

anymore history on this piece? was this a common practice?

Just as a bump for the thread, here's the latest shooter in the stable.  It's a gun show find from weekend before last.
Since we all appreciate "clones" around here, I don't feel too embarrassed to admit that this one is built on an Essex frame.  
Other than that, though, it's all GI.  Ithaca slide, High Standard barrel, milled checkered short trigger, 8-rib MSH...
I haven't identified the grip safety yet, though.  The tang has a weird profile.

It still needs tuned, and since it's a mix-master with little collector value, I may refinish it (I like the DuLite finish on early Remington Rands. It might not be strictly accurate with this slide, but hey––it's all in good fun!).  
In the end, I just wanted another field gun with a good retro appearance.

A Springfield GI replica with some real GI grips makes for a great retro sidearm.
Moon

Put a GI slide on one and I'd be happy with it!

I like the Springfields (although like you say, the factory grips must go).  I just wish modern manufacturers were a little less proud of their logos.  If they want me to advertise their products, they can give me a tee-shirt when I buy one of their guns. But minimize the size of their name on the piece itself!
At least SA isn't as truly offensive with the billboard as Rock Island––or as "pretty" as Kimber.  I love my Pro-Carry, but the flowing, girly-script logo on the slide is kinda embarrassing!  I keep thinking it would look nice with pink grips.

To be honest, though, I have less in the GI parts gun above than a Springfield GI costs these days.  And with the parts gun, you get to build it yourself and really get familiar with JMB's design.

Damn, now I need a 1911 again.

Here is my 1917 Colt 1911 with all correct dated web gear. I replaced the mag. lock as orig had buggered up slot. Finish is not park but i thought Black Army was 1919 so i'm not really sure as looks as to have not been refinished.

Refinish it? You crazy? It's perfect as is. Well, with a commander style hammer maybe. Not sure why I like that style hammer. WTH is a Dulite finish anyway? Mark - I love that Victory model - very sweet. Nice job on the grips - they look like they came on it.

Looks good, OlGunner!

I absolutely love this one. I hope to own a Black Army one of these days. Knowing me, I'll probably have one by this time next year.

That is sweet!  Would love to see additional pics.
Does she have any interesting markings/stamps?

I know, its a new one... and I have some military black and brown plastic grips but I really like stag

Old son, sometimes it just amazes me we've remained best friends for so many years...



It was ('is", I think) a trademarked name for a blued finish over lightly sandblasted steel.  Not polished and prone to fingerprints like standard blued guns, but slightly more refined than parkerizing.
Among some others, RR used it on their early pistols and if you ever see a nice original example, you'll remember it.  (Not sure, but it may have been done on some M1 Carbines, too.)

It's hard to photograph well, but here's a shot snagged off the interweb...

Du-Lite was also used by Winchester to color the Gas Cylinders on their M1 Garands. They were Stainless, and as such, wouldn't take either Parker or Blue.

Here is my Colt, and old 'Pike' style holster I picked up many years ago. Holster I think is one of a kind hand made. dont know when....

My Ithaca,

2nd

Hey, can I help it that my big, manly hands get caught in the hammer? You've come up with some (ahem) interesting ideas over the years yourself - but a Commander style hammer is a travesty? I wouldn't do that to your real Colt by any means, but then neither would I refinish that Essex. I would probably leave it as is but run it with a flat mainspring housing. Got a problem with that? Huh? Do ya? Well do ya? (Puts on boxing gloves.)

Gotta say, I like the look of those Stag grips too. Funny, I bought a custom pair of wooden burled grips for a 1911 a few years ago, along with some other parts, but also bought a set of USGI plastic grip panels, which would have been correct for Vietnam. I'm thinking at some point I may end up with two 1911's - one absolutely bone stock with plastic grip panels as a companion piece to my XM16E1, and one with a few mild modifications. Damn it, and I though I was pretty much done lusting after guns for awhile. This thread is bad for me to be reading. Thanks guys.

A pair of Classic Colts - 1905 Peacemaker in .44-40, and a May 1941 produced 1911A1.

Colt 1911 "Black Army" Re-Issue with original inspectors' stamps and retro-Hogue 1911 grips.
Runs like a swiss watch.

But for everyday range use:



Springfield GI Repro, highly modified including Colt WW-II Wide Ring Grips.

Nice couple together:

Very envious of you! I believe that my next two 1911 purchases will be an original Black Army and a repro Black Army.

I just remembered that I started this thing, but have yet to contribute.

Here's my Remington 1911 (not retro, but it definitely has the retro look) and my XM16E1.

No S&W 39's or High-Standards ?

87' 92F






70's Brazilian contract 1st gen Beretta 92

Hey, nice Beretta, but no offense, that's about as retro as my SIG.

Colt is offering a 100 year anniversary special in 2 models.
http://www.coltsmfg.com/Portals/0/panels/Colt-100.pdf
The pimped up gold model is $2500 but the standard grade is $1150....has some special engraving, but looks like the Retro 1911 "Black Army" they issued several years ago.

Since the re-issues go for over $1000, the price for the anniversary model is NOT out of line, IMHO.

I hate to admit it but the 80's is vintage even for my generation. I don't know about guns but a 25 year old car is considered an antique. My 92F is only two years older than the  1985 adoption by the US Military and back then it was the closest thing a civilian could get to a real M9. It even came with straight 8,2 dot, combat sights,chrome bore,and rust resistant finish thanks to the M9. The Brazilian made Berettas were also part of a military contract before Taurus took over the factory in 1980 making it almost 40 years ago that they were introduced in 1974, before the war ended. I know they are not Vietnam era but they are as much related to an over 30 year old, European made, military issued sidearm as the BHP. You guys are just getting old I know the Sig is in wide use by police and special forces but I wasn't aware of any contracts for the more modern 226 to supply a whole standing army prior to 1985. Maybe the 220. They are fine pistols and I would like to get a P228 to go with my 1981'  P6. I would post a pic of my 21 year old Glock but that is just pushing it.

Auto-Ord WWI/II blueprint repro. and 1969 S&W 10-5 (previously known as the  Military & Police)

Oooooohhhh soo close on the Beretta facts!

The 92 wasn't produced in any number until 1977 although very limited production supposedly started in 1976. I do believe the Sig 220 may have been picked up by the Swiss in limited numbers in the late 70's also but I'm not really a Sig guy so I can't say 100%.

Nice Brazilian score though, I have one just like it almost 100% NIB (with the yellow box) but for 15 rounds my buddy shot through it before I could buy it from him. I also have a 1979-80 Taurus that aside from the roll marks is virtually identical to the Beretta in every way; fit, finish, quality in general are all the same. It's a sweet little gun.

I meant they were engineering it or designed in 74/75 but supposedly the Brazilian factory opened  earlier than the Italian one but there are no records really.

""Beretta had won a huge contract in 1974 to produce small arms for the army of Brazil... When the contract ran out in 1980, Beretta sold the plant, literally "lock, stock and barrel," to Taurus ""

Not to completely thread-jack but the working prototype wasn't even done until late '75. Italy produced first guns and most of the early production 92's in late 75 and into 76 went to the Carabinieri and Chicago PD. Most, if not all of those first 5000 guns were the “step slides”.  The Brazil 92 contract was awarded in (I’m about 99%) 1977 and it was about this time that the step slide was dropped. I’ve never been able to find evidence of the step slides being made at all in Brazil. After the initial contract was filled, Beretta decided to liquidate the Brazilian plant and it was sold off (to Taurus in 1980). There may have been another Beretta contract in Brazil prior to 1977 (as Brazil also used the PM-12) but it almost certainly wouldn’t have been for 92’s.

BERETTA 92's AIN'T RETRO!!





 Sorry. Had to be said!

I remember being issued my 92 in the 80's. Wasn't happy to give up my 1911A1 but wanted to give the peashooter a fair shot.  Didn't really like the grip shape, but that's a personal thing colored by years of working the .45.
The 92 was a decent shooter––good accuracy. Nice range gun. And it was fun having the high-cap mag.  I worked it enough to accept (not like, but accept) the DA first shot and even learned to trust the decocker.
But it turned into too darn much work to keep them running. Tolerances were tight for a military weapon and coupled with low-bid ammo, hard-to-clear jams were common. Even on the training range, they had to be kept scrupulously cleaned and lubed.  Would have hated to rely on them in a field environment. (Disclaimer––this may have changed by now. Ours were among the earliest M9s delivered.)

The real problem, though, was the slide destruction. when I left the armory, I had 11 (or 13?) case files on my desk of slide separation. The propaganda of the day said there were only one or two incidents, among the SEAL teams, when they were using special-purpose ammo.  Well, I can tell you that was BS.  The problem was the metallurgy and slide design. The slide recesses for the locking lug block simply made the sidewalls too thin.
The temporary "fix" at the time I left was a JCS instruction to replace the slides every 1,000 rounds. (Yep, one thousand rounds––I'm not missing a digit there.)  Considering we had 110 M9s (iirc) and would put 5k-10k through each during a full training program, that was a ridiculous solution, even n a temporary basis.  We did it, of course (I had to scramble all over to find enough replacement slides to keep us going), and upon inspection, found an unacceptably high percentage of cracked slides.  I always wondered how long they would have lasted without the slide replacements.
Of course, then there was the longer-term groove & pin "fix".  It wouldn't stop the breakage, but was supposed to stop the rear of the slide from hitting you in the face when it came apart.  Real reassuring in a life-and-death situation.

Like I said, I'm sure they've improved the metallurgy significantly since then, and maybe loosened the tolerances (or improved the ammo), so they're probably a much better service pistol now than they were originally.  But back then, I put mine back in the vault and retrieved my 1911A1.
...Which, tragically, I have no photos of–– but in the interest of getting back to the topic of the forum, I can tell you it was a WWII-era Union Switch & Signal like the one in the pic below (lifted from the web), except mine wasn't nearly as pretty as this one...
Mine was tuned and refinished (parked), so it wouldn't have the collector value it once did, but it was a good pistol.  Sure wish I owned it now.

Incidentally, the other Gunners at the armory who opted to keep .45s fought over Colts.  I was the only one who wanted the USS.  I'd like to say it was because I was retro, even back then...but to be honest, I just liked the USS logo.  

Very nice read, OlGunner! I've never heard of USS until now, and I love the look of the one in the picture you posted!

To keep from derailing this thread any more than I already have I will not debate you on the M9's suffice to say that yes they are much better now.

That said, I MUST have a USS 1911. RR's have (IMHO) more intersting history but I'm originally from the Pittsburgh area so I think a USS is only right.

The first M1911 the army handed me was a Switch & Signal.  I remember thinking at the time, that was supposed to be one of the lesser manufacturers.  Shot darn good and it was always on my list to get one.  But with the price accelleration of WWII stuff, they're kinda out of my financial comfort zone.  At least until my wife hits the lottery.

Hope she buys a ticket one of these days.

I carried a Remington Rand in Veet Nom and did manage to get one of those before prices got rediculous.

Here's My 1944 Remington Rand.
Matching Holster and Ammo.

I wanted a Remington Rand because they were made in Syracuse, where I'm from, but I've recently been looking at Ithacas. Damn but they are getting expensive! I'll probably end up with an Auto Ordnance or Springfield. Olgunner should tell the story about the time a Colonel found an old 1000 pounder in his basement, and brought it in to the base in the trunk of his car.

Nice little collection right there!
Would make an awfully nice wall display.

Good looking little piece.  .25 cal?