1911 RAF

[Tascosa Joe]

Last night I was in my local Cabela's and they had 2 Colt 1911's with British Proof marks and RAF markings.  One was .45 ACP the other .455 Eley.  The guy said the .45 ACP had been rechambered from .455 Eley.  I never knew the 1911 was or could be chamber for .455 Eley.  i guess you learn something every day?

T-Joe

[St. George]

Not .455 Eley - but .455 Webley - a very similar-in-appearance round, differing slightly in size.

And not to the Royal Air Force - but to the Royal Flying Corps.

They also used the .455 Webley Automatic.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Tascosa Joe]

I did not get either of the pistols out of the case.  I will have to go back for a better look.

St George, I knew you would come up with better info, Thanks,

JR

[Fox Creek Kid]

Theoretically it could have been RAF since it was formed on 1 April, 1918 from the RFC and the war lasted until Nov., but most likely says RFC as the Colt contracts were fulfilled in the early part of the war.

FWIW, a couple of years back they auctioned off two 1911's carried by two of the top WWI Allied aces, Billy Bishop & W.G. Barker. Although the photos are no longer available you can read the descriptions:

http://www.joesalter.com/detail.php?f_qryitem=4587

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Theoretically it could have been RAF since it was formed on 1 April, 1918 from the RFC and the war lasted until Nov., but most likely says RFC as the Colt contracts were fulfilled in the early part of the war.

FWIW, a couple of years back they auctioned off two 1911's carried by two of the top WWI Allied aces, Billy Bishop & W.G. Barker. Although the photos are no longer available you can read the descriptions:

http://www.joesalter.com/detail.php?f_qryitem=4587

Both are Canadian.

[Fox Creek Kid]

Both are Canadian.

...who served in the RFC & RAF. Bishop shot down 72 planes, 2nd only to Rene Fonck in WWI on the Allied side. 

[Tascosa Joe]

I revisited the 2 British marked 1911's last night.  One is W1006XX it has the high polish blue similar to the Colt Commercial models of the era.  The slide is marked Caliber 455.  The barrel is also marked 455. It has British proof marks in lots of places.  The 2nd Pistol is W1035XX.  It is marked R.A.F. in front of the slide release and has most of the same British proof marks of the other pistol  The finish is not as high polished as the earlier pistol.  The slide is marked 455 but the barrel is not.

[St. George]

Finding a properly-marked M1911 barrel in .455 can be a daunting adventure - though it can be done.

I'd gotten a half-dozen or so, from a Brit, back when I was doing restorations - but they're all residing in their respective M1911s now.

Used to be, any of those Contract pistols weren't of much interest to American collectors - but that's not the case, today.

W1006XX went in a shipment of 200 to the British Ministry of Shipping on August 7, 1918.

W1035XX went in a shipment of 400 to the British Ministry of Shipping on August 21, 1918.

Both were originally .455.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Tascosa Joe]

The Earlier nicely finished pistol has a price of $4499 and the other is $2999.  Like St George says they seem to be highly collectable now.

[Fox Creek Kid]

Those marked RAF from the Great War are rare indeed as the RAF was formed on 1 April 1918.

St. George, were not the vast majority of .455 1911's bought for British usage not made in the early Great War years?

[St. George]

They were...

Vaya,

Scouts Out!