Remington Rand 1911

G

Gunfighter

New member
Here is the deal, I have a Remington Rand 1911 from WWII that is cherry except for the ramp being polished. My Pop gave it to me as my first handgun when I was 13. Here is the thing. I want to enhance into a carry gun. Does anyone have any experience with this. I can't afford more than say $300-$400 to work on it right now. Any suggestions.

------------------
When guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns.
 
How well does it shoot now?
How well do you shoot it?
Can you pretty much center a pie plate at 10yds?
My thinkin is to keep it as stock and cherry as possible.
For a defensive gun we are lookin for something that is stone reliable, then adequate accuracy and acceptable trigger pull.
Positive bbl lock up, may be ok now.
Paint stock sights to taste, maby little white dots on rear, easy remove to sell.
Trigger job by a real expert.
Mainspring housing to taste, just so it points well for YOU. Keep all old parts.

There is a good chance that if the gun and you like each other, you can have a good close combat weapon for 150.00 or less without changing it's cherry military condition.

With your budget parameters, I would be tempted to keep it as is, a very nice piece for the family museum/collection; and get a police trade in 4" Smith model 19, 686 or sumpin on that order. If you are hung on the big bore, a .44 or .45 wheelgun. and have money left over for practice ammo.

Sam...autoloaders for offence, wheelguns for defense; .25s excepted.
 
Just about every pistolsmith who was in business thirty years ago probably has extensive experience with this!
I also got a minty M1911A1 from my dad, and while I don't carry it, I shoot it more than my other guns combined, using it almost weekly in IPSC matches. Although selling your gun, and buying something less collectible to work on is my advice, I'll tell you what I did to mine, and how I would do it differently, in hindsight. First & foremost, the gun must be reliable, so I'd have the barrel throated and the extractor properly adjusted. A tighter bushing will help accuracy and reliability (measure your muzzle diameter, and get a drop-in bushing that is .001"-.002" larger, or pay to have one hand fitted). I shot my gun for years with the G.I. barrel and a fitted bushing; it was plenty accurate at practical distances. I have since installed a "pre-fit" barrel, and don't know if it is any more usably accurate or not. Get good, fixed sights. I put low-mount adjustable sights on my gun, and found that after settling on a load five years ago, I haven't moved them. A trigger job can be performed on the stock parts. I have my original G.I. hammer, sear, disconnector and sear spring in the gun, and the trigger job is still sharp after 10,000 rounds. The only external mod you'd have is the sights, and you can save the rear for re-installation later, if you want. I've had the slide fitted to the frame, added a lightweight trigger, ambi safety, rosewood grips, matte blue finish; but that is just nice-to-have stuff, not necessary, especially in a gun that will be heard and not seen.
 
Thanks guys, lots of good advice. The gun is parkerized and I will keep it that way. The thing is tight as can be. I want it for off duty. I carry a Glock 19 at work. I live next to Aberdeen Proving Ground and might be able to get the services of a Marine Pistol Team gunsmith for free. Should I forgo the nightsights? I did not use mine in my shooting.

------------------
When guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns.
 
I quickly scanned this thread, and I didn't see this question asked: Is this pistol better left alone as a collector's piece? If it's cherry, and still looks like it ought to be on the set of "Saving Private Ryan", then it might be best left alone. I realize money doesn't grow on trees, but the suggestion to get another carry piece might be the wisest. I had what I thought (and had been told) was a raggedy ol' USGI .45, my first, and I too was anxious to have it tricked out, especially the sights. Had an action job, MMC's, the ejection port relieved, etc. Problem was, it was an original 1911, not an A1. When I decided to swap it for a LWC, I found out what a dunderhead I was for monkeying with that piece of Colt history.
 
You say you're willing to spend $3-400 on you're Remington/Rand. I say wait till you get a little more money and just get a Springfield "Loaded" or a Kimber Custom Classic and leave your gun original. There are fewer and fewer original military 1911's out there....Think about it, once you have that Remington Rand customized you can't go back....
 
This falls into the same category as "sporterizing" military rifles. My definition of "sporterizing" is taking a $900 gun and spending $600 to make a $200 gun out of it.

I think you would be doing the same thing by having that R-R worked over.

Jim
 
Suggestion from a collector of 1911's and one who has had "customized" one or more of them. One of the WWII 1911A1's that I had abunch of work done one was about 98% original when I decided that I just had to have the work done. If the pistol was still original today I could get better than $1,000 for it. I would be lucky to get anything near that for it as it is now.

The R/R you have was a gift from your Pop, a lot of family history involved there. Ask yourself if the pistol would have more sentimental value as is or altered? Would you rather pass it on to your kid when he/she is 13 as is or altered?

------------------
"If there be treachery, let there be jihad."
Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
 
Keep it cherry or sell it for more than a new loaded Springfield will cost. Would be a shame to ruin a piece of history. Just my 2 cents worth.
 
If memory serves me correctly, there were fewer Remington Rand 1911A1's made than any of the other contract pistols. They bring top $$.

I picked up an unfired RR 1911A1 in an arsenal box w/extra magazine still in its' wrapper. It looked as if the slide had not been worked but maybe a few times.

I traded it off in a deal, like a fool, about a year later. I never fired it and allowed no one to operate the slide. It was like the day it was put into the box.

Ity is one of the handguns that I got rid of that I really wish I had not.

Your RR 1911A1 came from your Dad. Put it away in its' present condition and remember where it came from.

The first .45 ACP 1911A1 that I ever fired, a Colt, (10 yrs. old) belonged to my Father. I got it when he passed away and will never let it go except to one of my sons. I've had control of that gun for the past 44 years!

------------------

Jim - NRA Life Member

The Second Amendment is in place in case they ignore the others.

www.geocities.com/jimc_07874/home.html
 
Well I made my decision this weekend. I had not shot the 1911 in about five years since I became a full time peace officer. I dedicated all my time and funds to shooting my service pistol a Glock 19. Took my 1911 to dad's this weekend and shot it. First I put all the stock parts back on it including the grips. Someone said to shoot it at 10 yards and see if I could keep em all in a pie plate. I did better than that, I shot one jagged clover leaf at 15 yards with some reloaded hardball about two inches high. Pop was tickled. I ran another 200 rounds through it on some steel plates. Here is my decision. I plan to put some better sights on it and lighten the trigger pull to 5 lbs. Thats it. I also plan to carry it off duty to add to the "family value" when my boy gets it. I love my Glock but that steel in my hand is like shaking hands with Mr. Browning. What does everyone think of my decision?

------------------
When guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns.
 
I have seen too many nice .45s converted to a 200 buck POS to vote for that idea. Saw a mint british army 1911 colt a bit ago in .455 auto that some boob put adjustable sights on. That was probably a 1000 buck set of 100 buck sites. If you put new sites in besure they fit in the dove tail and stake hole so it can be put back to original. Or replace the slide and hack the new one to whatever. :)
 
Go with radom's advise, Sights that you can change back to original or buy another slide to carve on. A new slide and new sights will still have you below the price range you were thinking of putting into the pistol.

------------------
"If there be treachery, let there be jihad."
Ne Conjuge Nobiscum

[This message has been edited by Jim V (edited October 09, 2000).]
 
OK, you guys win. The gun stays as is. Do you have any problem with me carrying it? Or should I just contiue to carry my Speed Six off duty.

------------------
When guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns.
 
All of the discussions of "collector value" assume that the gun will be sold, don't they? It's sort of like the "If the tree falls in the woods, and nobody hears it" deal, isn't it? If nobody knows I have a minty RR, then how is the world short one minty RR if I modify it? Remington Rands, by the way, are the most common of all M1911A1's; RR made as many as all of the other manufacturers combined. That said, they are also some the best-made of the G.I. pistols. My Colt might be worth $1000 now if I hadn't modified it, but it would be sitting in the locker, rarely fired, too. Now, I get maximum enjoyment out of it, and I can still give it to a descendent, with my history added to it.
 
go ahead and carry it, add to the family heirloom factor.
thats truly passing it on.
from what you have said its not going to be for sale anytime soon its going to be a family peice.
carry it, leave your makr on it. its a peice of history now and forever that way.
 
go ahead and carry it, add to the family heirloom factor.
thats truly passing it on.
from what you have said its not going to be for sale anytime soon its going to be a family peice.
carry it, leave your makr on it. its a peice of history now and forever that way.
 
I'd say keep it as is, save a little more money and buy something else (similar) to carry. I also have a WWII 1911, but have yet to take possession of it. It belonged to my dad (LCDR USNR, Commander LCT 457, Operation Overlord), but he loaned it to a friend. It was recently returned to my mom (Dad died in '86), complete with wooden case, but it hasn't been sent to me. She's in GA, I'm in CO.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top