# Ithaca 1911 45 What in the world?



## travbrown97

My Ithaca Model 1911 confuses me. I have gone to many websites trying to figure out when it was made and what all the markings on it mean, but im stumped, can anyone help me out?























































Thanks, any replys will be helpful.


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## curty

I see in the classifieds you have it for sale. What is your asking price?


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## travbrown97

Yes i do, but I'm not sure what its worth, so thats why i have it in here so that someone can tell me about it. Like how old it is and if it might be unique. Just waiting for someone to tell me.

Thanks


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## Horsager

Most likely built during WWII (everyone with machining capabilities built 1911's back then). Obviously not orginal grips, sights look to have been replaced, looks to have been re-blued (although tough to tell with pics). It's value is as a shooter or wall hanger for someone who likes WWII relics. Blue Book of Gun Values can give you an accurate valuation. Look under Springfield 1911 and there is a section for all the wartime guns that were made by other manufacturers. Based on the pics I'd say the gun is 60% or so, that's assuming it's been re-blued. Gun in hand may yeild different results. I don't have a blue book and never was much of a pistol guy, someone else may give you an acutal $ figure, I'm just telling you someplace you can look yourself.


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## HARRY2

I cant tell, you nee to take those grips off and see if it is stamped ARMY underneath.


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## Gohon

Ithaca (M1911-A1): 
Ithaca started production in December of 1942 and was the only established firearms company to produce 1911A1s other than Colt. The total number of pistols produced by Ithaca was 335,466. In early 1942 & 1943 Ithaca did not have all the equipment necessary to manufacture the components so they received parts from other contractors that included 6,200 WWI receivers that Springfield had in storage. These early Colt receivers (frames) can be quickly identified by the cut-outs under the stocks. Colt also supplied many of the small parts. Harry Howland of Ithaca designed a stamped trigger assembly that was approved by the Ordnance Department. This stamped trigger was fabricated by the Yawman Metal Products Co. of Rochester N.Y. and became known as the Yawman Trigger. The new trigger was adopted by all other pistol manufacturers by early 1943, except Colts who changed in April of 1944. Changing to the stamped trigger alone reduced the cost of the 1911A1 by about 5%. Later in the war Ithaca also designed a serrated Grooved hammer as a cost reduction but none of the other manufacturers adopted it. Ithaca pistols were probably the coarsest finished pistols of any 1911A1. This seems puzzling since they were previously a manufacturer of sporting shotguns and as such they must have appreciated the importance of cosmetic appearance.

http://www.coolgunsite.com/collectors_guide.htm


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## NDTerminator

Echo above. During WWII, 1911's were made by a number of manufacturers. Some are pretty odd.

When I was in the Army (1st MP Co, 1st Infantry Division) in the late 70's, I carried one of these WWII era 1911's which was made by "Remington Rand". These were joint products made by Remington and a typewriter company (Rand)!...

It was so shot loose that when you shook it, it sounded like a bag of nuts & bolts....

My Kimber Raptor II is light years beyond that old issue Rand, which was my first experience with the 1911 45 and began a lifelong love affair...


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## Tangohammerli

By the looks of your pics this opne has been polished and reblued. Even the older ones had sharper corners then this one. Too bad I clean original is getting harder to find and expensive. As listed above a shooter grade or wall hanger. The best value may be sentimental..


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