That FOIA request took about five days. The people at Redstone Arsenal (especially “Stephanie”) are a nice bunch of folks.
The following information was found in the Department of Defense (DoD) Small Arms/Light Weapons Registry for M1911A1, .45mm Automatic Pistol, NSN: 1005-00-726-5655, Serial Number XXXXXX.
1. 26 May 1995 - United States Property and Fiscal Office (USPFO) of Michigan (MI) National Guard (MIARNG), Lansing, Michigan performed multi-field corrections on the weapon.
2. 01 October 1996 - Rock Island Arsenal - Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, Rock Island, Illinois received the weapon from United States Property and Fiscal Office (USPFO) of Michigan (MI) National Guard (MIARNG), Lansing, Michigan.
3. 28 January 1997, 30 November 1998, 18 March 2003, 13 August 2003, 08 October 2003, 07 January 2004, 02 March 2004, 21 April 2004, 01 July 2004, 04 October 2004, 03 January 2005, 22 February 2005, 18 April 2005, 15 July 2005, 31 January 2006, 04 April 2006, 05 February 2007, 22 January 2008, and 11 August 2008 - Rock Island Arsenal - Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, Rock Island, Illinois performed reconciliations on the weapon.
4. 20 November 2008 - Rock Island Arsenal - Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, Rock Island, Illinois shipped the weapon to Army General Supply (Logistics Modernization Program (LMP) Stock Records), Anniston, Alabama.
5. 17 April 2009 - Army General Supply (Logistics Modernization Program (LMP) Stock Records), Anniston, Alabama received the weapon from Rock Island Arsenal - Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, Rock Island, Illinois.
6. 24 January 2010, 06 March 2011, 03 December 2011, 19 January 2013, 07 March 2015, 01 May 2016, 05 March 2017, 04 June 2017, 31 March 2019, 26 April 2020, 25 April 2021 - Army General Supply (Logistics Modernization Program (LMP) Stock Records), Anniston, Alabama performed reconciliations on the weapon.
Yes, I did edit out the serial number, which is plainly visible in the photos. But photos are not text, and I just feel better leaving that information out.
I’m slightly disappointed that the available information only goes back to 1995 (“The DoD Small Arms/Light Weapons Registry history only goes back to 1975 when the Registry was started.”) but that’s not Redstone’s fault. And I can talk myself into believing that this gun sat in a National Guard armory or depot in Lansing for a long time.
I’m not sure what “multi-field corrections” means: it might imply that the pistol was serviced at that time. But since the 1911 was replaced in service in 1985, it seems a little weird that they’d be working on them nine years later. Could be, though, that the military was keeping them in inventory and servicing them, just in case they were needed again. (See: the shortage of 1911 pistols during WWI.)
I am pretty sure “reconciliation” just means that they verified the serial number in question was still in inventory, and hadn’t grown legs and walked off.
Anyway, still a neat gun, and I see nothing in the historical record that refutes my theory this one may have seen action in WWII.
Edited to add 1/19: according to this thread on the CMP Forums, “Multifield Correction” is “Used for correcting erroneous or invalid national stock number (NSN), owner DoDAAC/UIC, or weapon serial number (WSN) on the UIT Central Registry file”. So this seems to be more paperwork corrections than any sort of servicing/rebuilding/reworking of the gun.
I read your story of the 1911 with much interest. I am happy that you were able to get one of these parts of America’s history, and one of the great J.M. Browning’s most recognizable guns ever made.
I had a 1911, and shot it the best of any handgun I ever owned. But I ended up selling it, due to wanting to only stock one caliber of ammo. But now that I am seeing that the 1911’s made in 9mm are getting very good, with them being made to shoot as well as well as the .45’s do, I am looking at perhaps getting one of them, and carrying it as my carry gun. I did carry my Commander in .45, with no problem.
I note that Tisas is making a pistol called the Stingray, a very nice 1911 in 9mm. It looks like that could be a very nice gun to carry, with the price looking to be around 500$ street price right now, and them just beginning to hit the stores. https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/tisas-1911-stingray-carry-ideal-concealed/
The 1911s in 9mm are getting very good indeed, from what I hear.
Bill Wilson in Gun Guys says that he’s very partial to the 1911, especially the Wilson Combat ones, in 9mm, and that’s his preferred caliber these days. If anybody knows about this stuff, it is Bill Wilson.
This Tisas sounds potentially interesting. I’d like to handle one first.
My fondness for .45 ACP is mostly just a personal bias on my part. Although I still want to get that Colt Commander redone in .38 Super because Earl Swagger.