So that's the legit serial number as far as they are concerned and the gunsmith and I haven't a clue why that number was chosen, allowed to be used, or what it means. It is a 5' Government Model MKIV Series 80. Regardless, it passed muster with ATF and DES. The gun was that way when he bought it from a private individual before I bought it from him. Where are the serial numbers on a Colt 1911 The serial number is located on the receiver between the stock and slide stop hole on both sides of the frame. That's the best guess scenario the gunsmith can come up with and neither of us really have a clue. Back then, whenever that was, the gunsmith says they may have been allowed to re serial number the thing with their own serial number when the factory serial number was destroyed or obscured from either the refurbishing or plating process. information, as well as accurate serial number information (when I personally Please contactme for more information. Hence they may have ground the bejesus out of it to get the rust out of it before plating and lost the serial number.
This pistol may have been rusted up pretty well before it was nickel plated. The nickel job was not very good either with, in some spots, rust coming through. According to the gunsmith, when it was nickel plated the methods they used to remove the factory finish was crude and a lot of details, like serial numbers, were lost or obscured from the metal. This 1911 was manufactured before 1926 and has been well used.
