We have no doubt that this Ithaca would function just as well today as the day it left the factory 76 years ago. All of the controls on this Ithaca are in perfect working order, and the action is slick and locks into battery with authority. This Ithaca 1911A1 comes with one original WW2 contract magazine made by M.S. The checkered brown plastic grips are the original correct Keyes Fiber Co.

The slide stop and safety are the correct early checkered types, and the mainspring housing is the correct coarse-checkered model. The rifling is still strong but shows some frosting in the grooves. The barrel is High Standard and retains it's original factory blue with an average to good bore. The receiver is marked inside in the channel ahead of the triggerwith Ithaca'a flaming bomb proof, as is the slide at the rear behind the firing pin stop. We have stripped it down to check all of the parts and they are all correct for an early Ithaca. This particular Ithaca example is serial number 865882, and it appears to be built on either an Ithaca or Colt produced receiver.

These Colt pieces ended up mostly in the serial number range below 870000 mixed with the early Ithaca-produced receivers. In addition to this, prior to March of 1943 Ithaca purchased over 7,000 new receivers and 2,200 new slides directly from Colt to use in their 1911A1 production. Ithaca took these and finished/reworked them to incorporate them into their 1911A1 production, numbering them in the 856405 to about 870000 serial range. Most of them were unfinished Colt peices but there were also refurbished receivers as well. These were Ordnance Salvage Board reclaimed receivers from WW1 production that was terminated in 1919. In order to help Ithaca along Springfield Armory shipped 6,200 surplus 1911 receivers to Ithaca in December of 1942. Ithaca had a lot of problems in the beginning of their 1911A1 government contract as they did not have the proper facilities or trained personel to produce the 13,000 pistols a month they had promised.

It appears to be an old refinish and would be the perfect choice for someone looking for a representative piece or shooter. This Ithaca 1911A1 is an early-production gun assembled in 1943 when Ithaca was just getting production up and running. 45 ACP Pistol** Very Early Production ** SOLD

Ithaca ww2 1911 serial numbers