These 'new' WWI Colts are exactly what they're supposed to be - 'and' they're far stronger than any of the originals.
Thanks to modern metallurgy, their frames and slides won't wear like the earlier weapons would, and for a shooter - that's important.
I had had a WWI rebuild at one time - built in 1917, re-built and marked to M1911A1 specifications in 1926, it went on to serve in WWII, Korea and Vietnam, where it got new springs and a chrome-lined barrel.
'Then' I got it.
Most Service Pistols are 'carried much and shot little' and this one was no exception, so it became a 'hardball' gun and served me well for a couple of years' worth of Army matches.
One summer though, was a very busy season - I put 5000 rounds through it.
One afternoon - I was just shooting for fun, when I saw the slide stop backing out of the frame.
I pushed it back in and continued - but it kept doing it.
At that time, I had a 'lot' of GI .45 parts, so I swapped it out and it kept doing it, so I took it to our Armorer, and got out the copy of 'Rebuild Standards for Small Arms' and we found that I'd ovalled-out 'all' of the pin holes in the frame - 'all' of them...
WWI .45's were 'soft' - the Great War showed that to the Services, and certain parts would be flame-hardened, like the slide stop and muzzle - and even the slide serrations.
This shows up today, as darker areas in the original finish of WWII-issue weapons.
WWII .45's are far harder, overall - and with modern metallurgy - new guns are harder still - at least the Colts are...
If one 'really' wants to reenact the Mexican Border period and WWI - there are now 'correct' pistols available and some fairly decent-looking leather, as well, and no originals will suffer the fate that mine did, from extensive shooting of full-patch loads.
Vaya,
Scouts Out!