This an early Springfield Armory 1911-A1 in the NM439XX serial range. It was gifted to one of my sons by a late uncle. Finish is parkerized and it has the usual brown plastic grips. Springfield Armory says it was made in 1988. It differs from current production in that it has no ‘Made in Brazil’ markings and the bomb logo is located below and behind the ejection port.

It also has a standard arched ‘No ILS’ mainspring housing. This gun’s slide uses a standard 1911 firing pin. The front strap radius goes almost to the grips on either side, as opposed substantial flat area in front of the grips. The barrel appears to be one-piece, it has the GI throat and mics 0.580” from the muzzle to the lugs. The bushing runs 0.584” and is loosely fit to the slide. The barrel throat falls somewhere between the basic GI hardball throat and what later became the wadcutter throat.

The gun feeds wadcutters, flatpoints etc like a champ. It came with a perfectly beveled and relieved extractor which seems to of better temper than what I see on more recent guns. I would certainly prefer it to any of Springfield’s later entry-level guns. As is, this gun is not particularly accurate and has a nasty 6 3/4 pound pull. But the reliability is there and the rest is easily corrected.