Remington Rand 1911 45 ACP

[flatwater bill]

This pistol, according to the serial number, was made in 1944. I took it out of a package from the DCM well over 50 years ago. It was wrapped in brown waxed paper and smeared with cosmoline. I plan to sell it. I will attach a foto or two. I sent these fotos to a friend and perspective buyer and he asked "is it a type 3?" I know little of handguns in general. Any experts here comment before I put it on classified? Appreciate it.........FWB

 

[flatwater bill]

The far side...................FWB

 

[TTundra]

Looks like a type 2 slide

 

[John Wasmuth]

I carried a Remington Rand 1911A1 in the Marine Corps. Worked flawlessly and great accuracy.

 

[mdwest]

type 2 was short lived.. I think only about 85K type 2 pistols were made.. if its a type 2 I think it would bring a little more value than a type 3 (about 250K type 3's were made I think)....

one way to tell is to look at the hammer... the other is to look at the markings on the slide..

a type 1 or type 2 hammer rolls down to a sharp corner at the rear and has a square edge...

if its got a rounded rear edge on the hammer, its likely a type 3..

if its a type 1 slide, it will be marked REMINGTON RAND, INC. / SYRACUSE, NEW YORK (2 lines)

on a type 2 it will be marked REMINGTON RAND . SYRACUSE, N.Y. U.S.A (2 lines)...

on a type 3, the wording will be the same as the type two, but be reduced in size to only about 1" in width..

If youve got a mix (square hammer, but Syracuse NY USA in large or small type, etc)... it might be a parts gun..

hope this helps...

 

[flatwater bill]

It definitely has a rounded rear edge of the hammer. On the right side it says united states property, M1911 A1 U.S. Army, and on the left, Remington Rand Inc
Syracuse, NY USA

thanks guys............FWB

 

[mdwest]

now that Im back at my laptop and can increase the size of the pics you posted.. I am 99% certain you have a type 3 there..

type 2 serial numbers stopped somewhere a little over the 1,015,000 mark from the literature Ive seen on them..

with your serial number being just a little over the 2M mark, its likely one of the last ones to come off the Remington Rand line I believe (which coincides with your 1944 date above.. they closed down the line fairly early in 1945 I think)..

while RR churned out more 1911s than any other manufacturer during WWII, they also had a really good reputation for the quality of their pistol.. they dont draw the big bucks that the more rare war build 1911's can.. but I think most collectors would tell you that the RRs were among the best, if not the absolute best made 1911's from that time period..

Ive owned three war model 1911's... a remington rand, an ithaca, and what I thought was a very rare union switch gun that turned out to be a parts gun with only a union switch slide... of the three the remington rand was leaps bounds better than the other two in terms of fit and reliability..

 

[TTundra]

now that Im back at my laptop and can increase the size of the pics you posted.. I am 99% certain you have a type 3 there..

type 2 serial numbers stopped somewhere a little over the 1,015,000 mark from the literature Ive seen on them..

with your serial number being just a little over the 2M mark, its likely one of the last ones to come off the Remington Rand line I believe (which coincides with your 1944 date above.. they closed down the line fairly early in 1945 I think)..

I think you're right with a armory parts gun. The slide looks like the type 2, but frame is a type 3 serial #.

 

[flatwater bill]

So is it a parts gun or a type 3? I think the distinction would change the value quite a bit?....FWB

 

[TTundra]

So is it a parts gun or a type 3? I think the distinction would change the value quite a bit?....FWB

Definitely not a "parts" gun, but assembled at the arsenal from parts from various production runs.


Type 2 slide markings. Notice how the run the full length of the slide stop




Type 3 above, notice how it stops before the end of the slide stop


Type 2 slides stopped after 1,015,000. Type 3 started around 980,000 (overlap) and ran thru the end of production. Yours being a 44 dated serial # makes it a type 3 frame and type 2 slide, but this could just mean it went back into the arsenal for rework before being stored or possibly was built from the arsenal on a left over type 2 slide.

 

[flatwater bill]

Any ball park estimates on worth? Thanks for good photos........Bill

 

[TTundra]

Any ball park estimates on worth? Thanks for good photos........Bill

No less than $1800, but $2250-$2500 is fair asking price to start.

 

[mdwest]

CMP had a bunch of them for about $1250 a few years back I think… but prices have definitely gone up up… I think @TTundra is probably in the strike zone on todays value…

Makes my stomach turn every time I remember that I bought mine back in the early 90’s for I believe $250… and then sold it a few years later because someone offered my $400 and I thought I was “making money” on it lol…

 

[cajunchefray]

No less than $1800, but $2250-$2500 is fair asking price to start.

Definitely not a "parts" gun, but assembled at the arsenal from parts from various production runs.

View attachment 604239
Type 2 slide markings. Notice how the run the full length of the slide stop



View attachment 604240
Type 3 above, notice how it stops before the end of the slide stop


Type 2 slides stopped after 1,015,000. Type 3 started around 980,000 (overlap) and ran thru the end of production. Yours being a 44 dated serial # makes it a type 3 frame and type 2 slide, but this could just mean it went back into the arsenal for rework before being stored or possibly was built from the arsenal on a left over type 2 slide.

I always learn something about firearms, and hunting on AH. Appreciate the expertise.

I have a soft spot for 1911s. Have owned a few.
A special one I have handled, a 1914 era Colt 1911, carried by a pilot of the Lafayette Escadrille 1916. Shot down over Verdun.
His surviving brother had it, and his grandson, my buddy has it in his safe.

So much history with great firearms.

@FlatwaterBill, GLWS.

 

[cash_tx]

My late father used to traffic in early 1911's and German Lugers back in the 1970's, and I still have his Buy/Sell journal from those days. I'll do everyone the favor of not posting the two and low-three digit prices he paid for those things.

 

[flatwater bill]

My father-in-law told me he paid $7 for this pistol.....but he told me that more than 50 years ago and his memory had already faded a bit........FW Bill