Posted: 1/5/2008 8:16:46 AM EDT
Just picked it up. Late 60's-early 70's Bobcat conversion built on a 1945 Ithaca GI 1911A1. Very happy. |
| The neat thing about this one is the "Bobcat conversion". Before there even existed an actual factory "Commander" length slide, Swenson would take a Gov't slide and cut an inch off the front, then cut a new bushing lug recess with a Woodruff cutter. The Gov't length bushing and barrel were also cut to fit. He also welded on new, more visible front sight. Today we just buy a Commander length slide, bushing and barrel, but this is the way it was done before there was such a thing as a Commander. |
Colt Commanders (light weight alloy frame) were first built in 1949 or 1950 long before Swenson made the "Bobcat" conversions. The Swenson "Bobcat" conversions were built to provide a steel Commander-size pistol as Colt did not make the all steel "Combat Commander" until 1970. |
That's cool. I didn't know if he put them the Bobcats or not. I've never seen Bobcat in "real life" and have actually only seen a couple of Swenson's up close. |
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From that photo the gun appears to be a nice find... I would be interested in seeing a picture of the top of the slide as well as the “second” barrel positioner and especially the “Armand Swenson“ stamp you mentioned on the LTW forum. Does the K-frame rear sight have the second lug added? If so is there a letter stamped into it? The Bobcat guns from Swenson were indeed originally to make up for the lack of a steel frame Commander at the time. Even after the Combat Commander made its appearance Swenson would still build a Bobcat should the customer desire... although he would also offer the logical option of just building on a Combat Commander. None the less, to the best of my knowledge Swenson was still willing to build these up until the time he stopped working. Judging by the thumb safety I would say that gun was built after about 1974... give or take a year. I would love to see more pictures... 
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Yeah, I put this up on the LTW forum, but didn't get a whole of interest. Thought I'd try here too. The barrel positioners are just two weld spots on the inside of the slide. I think he used a single monogrammed rivet later on. There is no lug on the K-sight, just front and rear screws. Wasn't the lug a later modification? The top of the slide is matted, but there is no French cut along the border. Wayne Novak thought this was interesting as he's never seen one without the border. He also said Armand would do the French cut in order to clean up any of the matting that reached over the side, but that this one might not have needed it and was thus left alone. My camera isn't that good, but I'll try to shot some pics of the slide. |