Old vintage Colt 1911 - Which mags?

[pj150]

So I stepped into the 1911 foray with a old 1919 WWI Colt 1911 that was made for the British RAF. The mag it came with is a .455 Eley (webley) that I believe the regular 45 acp should fit.

I did read that the mag well on this gun is slightly larger to accept the .455 mag in which regular 1911 mags will wobble a bit.

Does anyone know of any manufacturer that makes snug fit mags for the regular 1911 that may fit better than a regular USGI? Does it matter if it's a 7 or 8 rd mag?

I'm going to do a full strip and inspection before I fire this thing.

http://northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=74305

 

[one-eyed Jack]

What cal. is the gun chambered for? Jack.

 

[one-eyed Jack]

What I would do is take the gun apart, slug the bore and measure the the chamber to see what I actually had for a bbl. With those old Colts you never know what has been doe to them. Jack.

 

[45collector]

You did say that USGI barrel was installed in this gun at some point, correct? I took that to mean that a .45 acp-chambered barrel was installed, and not a .455 Webley barrel. As far as the magwell being a tad larger, I wasn't aware that the original .455-chambered guns had a larger magwell. It makes sense though, seeing as the .455 cartridge was larger.

I'll keep an eye out for you, as to if any magazines for the .45 acp were made to take up the slack in the .455 Webley guns.

 

[pj150]

You did say that USGI barrel was installed in this gun at some point, correct? I took that to mean that a .45 acp-chambered barrel was installed, and not a .455 Webley barrel. As far as the magwell being a tad larger, I wasn't aware that the original .455-chambered guns had a larger magwell. It makes sense though, seeing as the .455 cartridge was larger.

I'll keep an eye out for you, as to if any magazines for the .45 acp were made to take up the slack in the .455 Webley guns.

What cal. is the gun chambered for? Jack.

That is what I have been told. A USGI 45 ACP barrel replaced the 455 webley it originally had. I only have the the mag it came with and the serial on the mag does not match the frame. I actually don't even have a regular 1911 mag to insert but I have read that it should work abeit a bit wobbly/loose.

I will be taking this apart and looking to see what kind of barrel it has. I've already did a field strip and it looks like the internals were nickeled as well and most look original but I wouldn't know for sure. I'll take a few photos and perhaps you 1911 gurus can tell me what I got. I'm a real newbie to 1911 so I will have lots of questions. More photos to come.

 

[drumenigma]

I don't know about any "snug" mags out there however I currently use Wilson 8rd mags in an old 1911 and the fit is perfect and they cycle fine. YYMV but it's a start.

 

[Knob Creek]

According to Wilson and Sutherland, in their Book of Colt Firearms, the British contract was let in 1915, and a total of 11,000 pistols was produced by 1916. They had their own serial number range, beginning at W10001. Special markings included:
CALIBRE 455 on R side of the slide, GOVERNMENT MODEL on R side of frame above the special serial number, and upon inspection in the US by British government inspectors, the broad arrow was stamped on each pistol. They were issued to the Royal Navy and to the British and Canadian Armies. Considering the horrors of trench warfare and the stunning losses of company-grade officers, a huge number of these handguns were lost forever, contributing to their relative rarity.

Following the Great War, the surviving pistols were reissued to the Royal Air Force and were marked RAF or R.A.F. on the L side of frame, above the front bow of the triggerguard.

Colt .455 barrels:
These pistols are commercial production and not USGI, however some were used by British military. Colt barrels in .455 calibre have a E for English or W for Webley stamp forward of the lugs on the barrel for identification. These were normally found only in commercial pistols with slides marked “Calibre .455”. These pistols had a slightly larger magazine well that would accept the special .455 magazines required for proper feeding of the .455 cartridges. These magazines will normally not fit into a .45 1911 pistol. A .455 barrel installed in a 1911 would possibly function, but would not headspace properly and create a dangerous situation. A .45 barrel installed in a .455 pistol would probably function so long as .45 cartridges were used.

http://www.coolgunsite.com/pistols/barrels.htm

http://www.coolgunsite.com/pistols/1911/1916455.htm

 

[gerrycaruso]

I've read that the .455 cartridge case is slightly longer than the .45acp. I saw a .455 magazine for sale on Gunbroker today. The magazine was very expensive, I think it was over $100.00. I'd borrow a mag from a .45acp and try that before I'd spend that much on a used magazine that might not work.

 

[vellnueve]

Just try wrapping a thin layer of packing tape or something around the body of the mag. Repeat until snug. With a conversion barrel, I doubt you're planning on using this gun as a personal protection firearm anyway.