[sksguide]

Springfield only made 25,000 ,model 1911s and this one has seen considerable service and reworking. The AA for Augusta arsenal reworking pre WW II is on the left side of the frame, as pictured. Because it has seen so much use, folks kind of value it not so much. However reserach and a letter and a copy of the actual document from the Springfield Research Service shows this 1911 was used during the mexican punitive expedition with pershing in 1916. The list of guns actually proven to be with the apx 10,000 troops is less than a couple hundred on the document. Some folks would not care, but this is one of my favorite pieces because it is so well docume

nted to an infamous historical event.

 

[cpw]

Nice piece & history.

 

[Richard in NY*]

Nice piece & history.

Big +1

 

[TA6319]

nice to get the history

 

[jetmek]

Do you by chance have a list of the colts that were in that grouping? I have s/n 72683 also rebuilt at Augusta and parkerized. It would be kinda cool to know if it as used there

 

[Lyman1903]

Lovely pistol!!

 

[vmtz]

A really nice pistol. Thanks for sharing.

Vince

 

[fourbore]

... snip... Some folks would not care, but this is one of my favorite pieces because it is so well documented ...snip...

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Any scrap of provenance is high valued by one and all. It would be an extremely small minority (no one on this forum) to dismiss the known verifiable history of a piece. So much so; that we live in a world of made up stories to boost the values. People do care. You are very fortunate to have a bit of verifiable history!

Do you by chance have a list of the colts that were in that grouping? I have s/n 72683 also rebuilt at Augusta and parkerized. It would be kinda cool to know if it as used there

That would be interesting and the greater question, can a pistol like this, be traced as having be in S Korea and/or later in S Vietnam. I suspect very few sat idle in storage during major conflicts. Not to say who carried it and when, but; trace the movements. Anyway, it seems this information came from the Springfield Research Service. If yours is a SA then go there, pay the fees and find out. Seems highly likely being just a few numbers off. These days the paper is a must.

 

[sksguide]

Do you by chance have a list of the colts that were in that grouping? I have s/n 72683 also rebuilt at Augusta and parkerized. It would be kinda cool to know if it as used there

The 4 volumes of the springfield research service books do not have a listing for your serial number 72683. Sorry. A hit in their database is uncomon and yet well worth the serach.
Membership in the SRS allows you to ask if your number has since been found since the 4 volumes were published as they continue to research.

 

[varifleman]

Excellent 1911 with great history; thanks for posting!

 

[sksguide]

For your information my Springfield 1911 , the subject of this post, was with the 11th cavalry during the mexican punitive expedition. On May 5, 1916 the 2en squardon of the 11th cavalry engaged a force of Villa troops engaging them with their handguns, in the last mounted cavalry charge in US military history, in which 42 villa supporters were killed and no casualties to the 11th.
Since Augusta Arsenal did reworking in the 30s ( as I recall) then this gun must have remained in service through WW I and after AA rework WW II and whatever. How it came to be in private hands is unknown. But, it no doubt would have some stories to tell if it could talk.

 

[Highpower3006]

I have a Springfield 1911 serial number 81706 that is just four numbers away (81710) from a 1911 that was issued to the 7th Calvary for the Mexican Expedition. While mine is in somewhat worse condition than yours, it is one of my favorite guns and I will never sell it.

 

[MG-70]

Outstanding pistol, even without the documented history, and even better with it! Congrats on the find and on the research!

 

[David Murvihill]

I thought the last US cavalry charge was in the Philippines in WW2?

 

[Jeb111]

Love your pistols history! I often wonder the history of my old collectibles. If I had your 1911 I would take it to the grave.

 

[sksguide]

I thought the last US cavalry charge was in the Philippines in WW2?

According to the offical history of the 11 th cavalry and other sources the last US cavalry charge was as described in the Mexican punitive expedition.