Searching for a 1911

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Hello,

I'm making a stab in the dark/needle in a haystack search. I had a 1911 .45 back in the 1971, which I got while stationed in Germany ('71-'74). I was curious if there a way to track this weapon down. I sold it in 1978 to a dealer in Lynn, MA who has long since passed away. I have the serial number, 7790314, and was wondering if by some freak chance anyone may have it or be aware of it, and if so, be willing to sell.

Thanks in advance!
 
It's on row 21912 here, assuming it was a Colt https://www.mass.gov/doc/personal-transfers-and-registrations-010104-123122rev-feb-2023/download. Someone in Plymouth registered it in 2013.

May have also been transacted again in row 266588 in 2020, but that just might be a different gun with the same serial. This one is an "Essex" 1911a1, which may have been an Essex frame with a Colt slide.

If yours is the Essex you might be able to just buy it here - same gun if you zoom in on the serial: ESSEX ARMS 1911A1 - C53671
 
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It's on row 21912 here, assuming it was a Colt https://www.mass.gov/doc/personal-transfers-and-registrations-010104-123122rev-feb-2023/download. Someone in Plymouth registered it in 2013.

May have also been transacted again in row 266588 in 2020, but that just might be a different gun with the same serial. This one is an "Essex" 1911a1, which may have been an Essex frame with a Colt slide.

If yours is the Essex you might be able to just buy it here - same gun if you zoom in on the serial: ESSEX ARMS 1911A1 - C53671

On the one hand, using that info ain't cool.

On the other hand, it's cool if it helps the OP.

I'm conflicted!
 
bad news OP - 7790314 isn't the serial number.


What you have is a Custom 1911 built to National Match specs, depending on the bottom end. If there is little or no trigger creep, you may have a very accurate 1911A1 series 70.
Any time you see a 1911 with no markings and it has the number 7790314 on the slide it means it's a Colt National Match, Hard slide.
Years ago the Air Force gave Colt a order for 1911 parts for it's marksman teams. The contract specifications were very stringent and made sure they were all specially hardened, the requirements were that they meet and exceed the regular Colt slides. They were all parkerized and had to meet a 5 dot Rockwell test. That's how they got the name hard slide.
Those contract slides were marked, NO.7790314. The rest of the Armed services wanted the same parts and those parts in their contract were marked just 7790314. All 1911 parts made with the number stating with 799 were part of these contracts. The barrel is stamped:.45 AUTO -7791193
 
On the one hand, using that info ain't cool.

On the other hand, it's cool if it helps the OP.

I'm conflicted!
Still not cool.

It is like the "if it saves one life" ... "if it helps one person find a gun" ... no, thanks.

I really hope the OP can find his gun, but I am against this list.
 
Not to re-hash an old discussion (that I didn't pay enough attention to the first time), but what's the issue with pointing back to the list for stuff like this? It's publicly posted. Is it that we want to sort of pretend it doesn't exist in the hope that it gets forgotten about? The fewer who know about it the better sort of thing?
 
Which likely means someone (likely a dealer) mistook it for a serial number when entering it into MIRCS and likely on the 4473,

Like all the Ballester-Molinas that end up getting FA-10d. I'm sure a number of owners over the decades have assumed the rack number is the S/N, since it looks like an S/N and is engraved in a million places. The actual serial, by contrast, is in little tiny font in an inconspicuous location.
 
Like all the Ballester-Molinas that end up getting FA-10d. I'm sure a number of owners over the decades have assumed the rack number is the S/N, since it looks like an S/N and is engraved in a million places. The actual serial, by contrast, is in little tiny font in an inconspicuous location.
I didn't know this.
 
The
Not to re-hash an old discussion (that I didn't pay enough attention to the first time), but what's the issue with pointing back to the list for stuff like this? It's publicly posted. Is it that we want to sort of pretend it doesn't exist in the hope that it gets forgotten about? The fewer who know about it the better sort of thing?
issue is if you know even a little bit about your buddies collection and where he buys from you can figure out his whole collection and transaction history.
You can extract whatever information from that you want but it ultimately boils down to a privacy issue that the state violated by making it public. Especially since they half asses hiding user ids…
 
The

issue is if you know even a little bit about your buddies collection and where he buys from you can figure out his whole collection and transaction history.
You can extract whatever information from that you want but it ultimately boils down to a privacy issue that the state violated by making it public. Especially since they half asses hiding user ids…

I certainly understand why the list sucks, I just don't get why we're supposed to pretend it doesn't exist.
 
I certainly understand why the list sucks, I just don't get why we're supposed to pretend it doesn't exist.
It is not pretending it doesn't exist, it is stop spreading its existence.

Most people wouldn't know where to find this.

Now the OP has a list of registered guns, which he shares with his friend, his friend posts it in some other forum ... some other new person sees your post, does the same and so on ...

See how that works?

Most of NES, including myself, wouldn't know this existed if a thread wasn't started.
 
It is not pretending it doesn't exist, it is stop spreading its existence.

Most people wouldn't know where to find this.

Now the OP has a list of registered guns, which he shares with his friend, his friend posts it in some other forum ... some other new person sees your post, does the same and so on ...

See how that works?

Most of NES, including myself, wouldn't know this existed if a thread wasn't started.

Sure, but what's more likely, that a fellow gun enthusiast will use it for wrong or that more people will see it and be outraged by it? And in the end does it matter at all, or is it a principled stance?
 
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