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What was the configuration of the 1911A1 that was standard issue in Nam? I see tons of Remington rands and WWII clones but nothing form the Vietnam era.
That was the main reason for the the trials in the 80s. Not so much they needed a new different caliber but they just plain needed new guns. They could have got a new batch of 1911s but they opted for the Beretta. And that is a discussion for another thread or just do a little googling.
Although I carried a 1911A1 in Vietnam its been to long ago to remember what mfg is was. You forget lots of things over 40 years. Especially when you were just 18.
In my opinion changing sidearms was the biggest mistake they ever made.
Larry Burchfield
SEABEES/VIETNAM/67/68/69
DAV
"Factory Thorough Repair" I believe. It's a British term indicating that the arm in question has been refurbished by a government facility or contracted private company. Such arms are stamped "FTR". I'm not certain it's a correct term for US arms that have been arsenal overhauled.
As has been previously observed, most of the 1911 pistols used after 1945 had at one time or another been rebuilt and referbished - sometimes several times. The frames were not marked with the manufacturer's names, and slides which were marked, were exchanged with no regard to who made the frame. Therefore the only way to tell who originally made the pistol is to check the serial number and chief inspector's stamp.
Today, those that have matching frames and slides are worth much more then those that don't. Something to keep in mind if you are buying what is claimed to be an all-original pistol.
Given our history of combat in the last 100 years or so, and the fact that we train hard, finding any US martial weapon that hasn't been refurbished is quite rare. My M1, for example, is an H&R made after the Korean war, but it's made up of mixed parts.
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