Opinions and info?

[P95Carry]

Interesting gun here - a Randall! Now OK - my knowledge of every 1911 variant is still sadly lacking but I did get the impression this is both a pretty old gun and also not sure that they were made in huge quantities. No SN that I can find - just ''FLC'' on frame above trigger. It's in stainless.

Buddy has this and wanted me to look at it, re him possibly selling .... I said I'd ask about it to get some info. He got it several years ago when he lent a guy some money and who since has not been able to pay back. In effect now the gun is his. However, the previous owner must have been planning some changes and it was all in bits - only things still in place were extractor and FP - even plunger block was off as was ejector!

It has a FLGR (I hate those when reassembling!) - and there were three grip safeties, one with a very nice beavertail - unfortunately that one did not seem to want to install so I used the easiest option, a rather plain-jane one, which could have been original.

I used the std sear spring but there was another, handed other way for one of the other grip safeties. There we two sears also - I selected the better of the two tho both looked good. I daresay the trigger - which looks like a Chip or similar, is also non standard and in fact needs a tad extra work to free up some slight drag from the rails. However - on final test dry firing, break is crisp and clean - and it passes the ''loaded hammer'' test. It only now needs a total lube and it should be ready to rock.

Anyways - took some pics and would appreciate any and all input - condition is OK but probably a 95% - unfortunately someone's enthusiasm has marred the screw head on mag release (might just make that out) and one grip screw is not quite clean, otherwise pretty good shape.. I think it should be a nice shooter.

 

[Onmilo]

Geez the last Randall I sold was a Curtis Lemay special edition and that was twenty some years ago.
Replace the buggered screws with new stuff, it won't affect the value to any degree.
Those bugged up screws will.
Bugged screws are typical of early stainless pistols.
Stainless was in its infancy and screws tended to run a lot softer than they should be.

Randalls were the best of the early stainless pistols but metallurgy has come a long way since those pistols were introduced, especially in the field of gun grade stainless and even Randalls suffered from the galling that stainless pistols from that era were known for.

Tolerances were very good on Randalls and a good stainless steel rated gun grease would go a long way to keeping problems to a minimum.

The pistol looks like a standard version I think you did indeed get the factory grip safety back on the pistol.
If I remember correctly, Randalls could be special ordered with a serial of the owners choice and this could include letters as opposed to numbers.
Looks like the original owner was lucky enough to get his pistol with his initials as the serial registration.
I'm also thinking the original trigger was long, solid and stainless.
The trigger that is on it just doesn't look like the triggers I envision on the original.

Is the full length guide rod a two piece design?
If I remember that part correctly they were on the original guns but I also seem to remember some of the guns coming with standard 1911 type guide rod assemblies.

Not bad pistols.
If you got it for a good price you got yourself a decent pistol.

 

[P95Carry]

Onmilo - many thx indeed for feedback.

Yes the FLGR is two piece. I realize that SS has improved over the years but heard too that on this gun the SS galling prob had been pretty much licked.

It is not mine unfortunately - as I mentioned it belongs to a buddy who had it as security for a loan - so long ago we regard the gun now as his. Tho in pieces I wanted to rebuild it for him and so did just that.

Once lube fully taken care off it would be nice to go shoot it but I think he is considering putting it up for sale. From a collector POV it seems they are of interest - I just found one on GunsAmerica listed at $1150. Oh and one of their famous I believe left hand models is up for $2850!!! These are the two links -

http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976648693.htm

http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976697275.htm

 

[Aguila Blanca]

http://forum.m1911.org

There was some discussion of Randalls on there recently, with some good historical links. You are correct that very few were made. The company only survived a very few years. My faulty memory says "three," but it might have been five. I don't think it was longer than that.

Your friend has a keeper, for certain. He should not sell it unless finances force him to do so.

 

[P95Carry]

Thx Hawk - appreciate it.

 

[44and45]

Chris, in answer to your email about the Randall Pistol, I thought I'd send you pictures of my original 1911 SS in box with broshures.

I got this piece back in the early 80s and paid a hefty price even back then.

Willing to talk with serious collector about selling... [email protected]

Jim

 

[P95Carry]

Jim - thanks for that - were there meant to be two pics? Just imagining maybe there was another view.

That appears to have very nice grip panels and also the right side of slide seems to have quite a lot of writing - is that SN info? Looks a very nice clean specimen

 

[44and45]

Chris, the serial number is on the frame just in front of the top of the grip panel.

All stampings are original Randall on frame and slide...even the bottom of the magazine is stamped Randall.

There are two pictures...are they not???

Jim

 

[P95Carry]

Thx Jim - ahhh OK well, the first two pics are the same pic but - got this other one now, great!

Nice to have the box - this one I have worked on has no box.

 

[Kor]

Well, here's MY (overpriced) $.02:

About 4 years ago, I picked up a pair of Randall Service Models(5" bbl, RH) for $600 from a friend of a friend after her husband died. I no longer have them, but it's OK since they turned into(i.e. were traded up for) a 1917 Enfield and a Polytech M14.

IIRC, the Service Models I owned came with a ribbed slide with fixed sights(not sure if Randall offered a model with the Millett adjustable rear sight shown in your pic), std. grip safety and grooved, arched SS MSH as shown, Pachmayr grips, and a solid, short trigger. On my guns, the FLGR was 2-piece aluminum with a clearance notch at the end for the bushing to pass through during dis/re-assembly(which was still harder than just using a bushing wrench).