Transition M1911A1 Salvaged at Pearl Harbor

We've been able to examine a pistol SN (708117) slavaged from the USS Shaw at Pearl Harbor after the December 7, 1941 attack.  Here are the points of authenticity one of our experts has found with the pistol.  There will be more to follow.

Points of Authenticity/Verification: The following points lead to the authentication and verification of M1911A1 pistol SN 708117 as a weapon recovered from the USS Shaw after the Pearl Harbor attack.

1.       The story of the recovery of the pistol. A 1911A1 Colt Army .45 caliber pistol SN 708117, was purchased in 1984 at an estate auction in New Franklin, MO. After the sale, the previous owner provided some history on this gun. He stated he personally recovered the gun from the USS Shaw, a Navy destroyer, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in December 1941. He said he took the gun to an armorer and had all of the working parts replaced.

 

2.       The serial number and model.  Research was done on the serial number (708117) and determined that the gun was manufactured for the U.S. Government in 1924. This production run of pistols were originally designated as Improved Model 1911 pistols, and later designated as model 1911A1 pistols.

 

3.       Damage to the pistol. The pistol shows three kinds of damage. First, overall the weapon is pitted from exposure to water or seawater. Very little of the original finish remains, most of the pistol is bare metal or thin blue/brown. Second, there is evidence of small impacts on the slide, this is consistent with damage caused by spall or metal fragments. Third, the weapon sustained an impact, which damaged the front of the slide and presumably the original barrel and bushing. The weapon exhibits period repairs and is currently in operable condition.

 

4.       Manner of repair. The parts used to repair the pistol are all of pre 1941 vintage. By 1941 standards, the long 1911 trigger and wood double diamond grips were obsolescent. The barrel appears to be a discarded match barrel, manufactured after 1937, which no longer met match specifications. The barrel bushing, extractor, magazine catch, and mainspring housing are a blue Colt parts and are consistent with pre 1942 repair or spare parts.

 

5.       Similar pistol in the museum. Colt transition model 1911A1 pistol SN 708104, in similar condition to 708117, was recovered in the YFD2 Drydock where the USS Shaw was berthed. It is now on display at the Museum near the USS Arizona Memorial.

6.       Practice of Navy personnel keeping salvaged pistols. It is a well know fact and documented in the book “Decent Into Darkness" by Edward C. Raymer (USN RET). CDR Raymer relates the story of 1911 pistols salvaged from the USS Arizona and kept by the divers. These salvaged pistols needed the small parts replaced, but the frames and slides were serviceable. The same manner of repair used in pistol SN 708117. The USS Shaw was one of the first ships salvaged and repaired after the December 7, 1941 attack. The USS Shaw was able to sail, under her own power, to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard on the West Coast for permanent repairs in February 1942. The USS Arizona was salvaged for usable equipment and human remains until the middle of 1943. The practice of allowing salvage personnel to keep weapons from the ship, was stopped by the Navy during the salvage efforts on the USS Arizona.

 

A fateful meeting at Pearl Harbor

A fateful meeting at Pearl Harbor

Two weeks before the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, my Grandfather a Colonel in the US Army Medical Corps, had lunch on board the USS Arizona with Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, the Commander of Battleship Division One. My Grandfather and RADM Kidd were old friends having served together in the Panama Canal Zone in the late 1920s and early 1930s. My Grandfather was traveling from Manila in the Philippines, where he was chief of surgery at Sternberg Army Hospital. He was in the states when the attack occurred on December 7^th.

My Grandfather in 1940, an Army Doctor in the Philippines

RADM Kidd was on the USS Arizona, his flagship, during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The other ships in the Division were the USS Pennsylvania and the USS Nevada. RADM Kidd directed the defenses of the ships until a Japanese bomb penetrated the deck and exploded in the forward magazine, detonating over one million pounds of explosives. The explosion ruined the ship and killed over 1000 men including RADM Kidd. His remains were never found, only his Naval Academy ring welded to a bulkhead by the heat of the blast. Divers later found a trunk of his belongings, which were returned to his family and now are in the USS Arizona memorial museum.

RADM Kidd was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions on December 7, 1941

Colt Transition Model

Analysis of Colt Transition Model 1911A1 Serial number 708117 salvaged from the USS Shaw after the December 7, 1941 attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaiian Islands.

On 7 December, the USS Shaw was dry-docked, receiving adjustments to her depth charge mechanisms. During the attack, she took three hits: two bombs through the forward machine gun platform, and one through the port wing of the bridge. Fires spread through the ship. By 0925, all fire-fighting facilities were exhausted, and the order to abandon ship was given. Efforts to flood the dock were only partially successful; and, shortly after 0930, her forward magazine exploded.

Overall condition: The pistol shows evidence and damage of a traumatic event. The pistol shows three kinds of damage. First, overall the weapon is pitted from exposure to water or seawater. Very little of the original finish remains, most of the pistol is bare metal or thin blue/brown. Second, there is evidence of small impacts on the slide, this is consistent with damage caused by metal spall or fragments. Third, the weapon sustained an impact, which damaged the front of the slide and presumably the original barrel and bushing. The weapon exhibits period repairs and is currently in operable condition.

Receiver:  The pistols’ receiver, with three exceptions, contains parts consistent with and congruent to known original examples of M1911A1 Transition model Colt pistols. The two replaced parts are the trigger and magazine catch. The trigger was replaced with a Model 1911 long trigger and the magazine catch is blue 1911 or early 1911A1 type. The grips are a mismatched pair of World War I vintage double diamond wood grips. The right side grip is oil soaked and has considerably more wear, consistent with holster carry. The front part of the frame shows some distortion.

Slide: The slide is complete and consistent with known Colt Transition model 1911A1s. The replaced parts are the barrel and bushing. The barrel is a pre war Colt Match Barrel and is marked COLT 45 AUTO MATCH with a circled MB mark. The rifling is strong, however the groves exhibit light pitting consistent with firing corrosive ammunition. The recoil spring, plug, and guide are consistent with known Colt Transition model 1911A1s. The recoil spring has 33 ¾ coils, original to the 1911 and 1911A1 Transition models.

 

Character of the replaced parts: The parts used to repair the pistol are all of pre 1941 vintage. By 1941 standards the long 1911 trigger, and wood double diamond grips were obsolescent. The barrel may have been a discarded match barrel, which no longer met match specifications. The barrel bushing is a blue replacement and is consistent with pre 1942 repair or spare parts.

Blast Damage:  The slide shows damage from metal spall or fragments. Clearly, the area above the “E” in PATENTED shows a high-speed impact. This is consistent with an explosion generating spall or fragments.

The muzzle of the weapon shows another type of impact damage. The impact of the muzzle against a very hard surface deformed the slide. This impact severely damaged the end of the original barrel and the bushing. The end of the slide is trimmed, probably to remove the damaged barrel and bushing. The recoil spring and plug appear original and were protected from the impact by the ability to compress inside the slide during the impact.

This pistol received damage in a blast and during an impact on a hard surface. The slide stop and safety show evidence of having to be driven out by a steel punch during repair. Either the surface rust or blast trauma effectively “locked the pistol” necessitating the harsh techniques used during disassembly. The replacement parts used on the pistol and the manner of repair used on the muzzle support the history of the pistol. All replacement parts are pre-1942, and while serviceable, appear to be discarded or obsolescent parts.   

It Ain’t What It Used To Be.

 

The service rifle match has changed drastically. 20 years ago, the M1A ruled the range. This civilian version of the military M14 rifle was the weapon of choice. Its powerful 7.62 NATO cartridge was refined into an excellent match round. Match bullets and consistent powder charges made this an unbeatable combination of rifle and ammo, or so we thought.

The AR-15 is the king now. The same AR-15 that every corrupt politician wants to ban, it the king of the target range.  Overlooked for many years, the AR-15 is an excellent design. Its modularity has made it a platform which can easily perform an number of tasks from close quarters combat to precision long range shooting. The AR is the best rifle available today, and maybe the best rifle ever designed.