Dad shared some USMC history on his birthday

[erazir]

I know that's not his original Kbar as he sent it in every few years to get it sharpened. They gave him a new one some time back. It was a good thought but I would have loved to see his original. I bought him a new one for his birthday. I thought he would like it as it had the serrated blade as opposed to the fine. The 1911 I've never seen before this weekend. I know he did have one service issued. Either way it was great to hear some stories and to have that shared. He has an interesting collection. Just seeing his 1911 and the condition it was in (and the use it has seen) really struck a chord with me. I couldn't find a serial number anywhere on it. It had several different references to patent years but that was it. No trace of a serial number anywhere. Anyone know about USMC pistols from the 50's? I think he got it in Korea before heading to Vietnam.

 

[Hitman]

My Grandpaw's looks like this;

I had a thread about them a long time ago, can't find it or remember what info I gathered.

 

[Hitman]

Actually I did find it>

http://www.bayoushooter.com/forums/showthread.php?20131

 

[TomTerrific]

Gordo says all 1911s had serial numbers. They didn't make them w/o one.

 

[erazir]

Hitman that looks the exact same as my dads. He said it was issued to him in the Korean War. I took pictures of both sides. I saw patent dates. It was very corroded, but not pitted.
Tom next time I head over where should I look for the serial? Whether it was his original issue or not, it is a piece of family history.
Appreciate y'all looking at this.

 

[Hitman]

Hitman that looks the exact same as my dads. He said it was issued to him in the Korean War. I took pictures of both sides. I saw patent dates. It was very corroded, but not pitted.
Tom next time I head over where should I look for the serial? Whether it was his original issue or not, it is a piece of family history.
Appreciate y'all looking at this.

Yea but I don't think mine says US Government on it. I think I remember it being that he picked it up after the war? It's at my Grandmas so I'll have to check next time I go by.

 

[Kcabear]

That is really cool! Now you have some good stories about your Father to pass along.
I always love hearing my Dad's stories about his time in Vietnam though I know some of them had to be bs. I really wish my Grandfather would've spoken more on his time in Germany and Europe. Guess it was easier for him to keep the memories buried. He did talk about how he received his Purple Heart, he carried a metal spoon in his pocket and a stray bullet hit the spoon and spared him his life.

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

It was not uncommon for GIs and Marines to pickup Phillipino Reproductions of their service weapons. Most of the copies aren't serialized. The original (from 1910) contract spec for 1911s required they be serialized so all USGI guns are.

 

[Hitman]

It was not uncommon for GIs and Marines to pickup Phillipino Reproductions of their service weapons. Most of the copies aren't serialized. The original (from 1910) contract spec for 1911s required they be serialized so all USGI guns are.

So that would be on the right side of the gun?

I could have sworn I took pics of both sides but can't find them in my Imageshack collection.

 

[TomTerrific]

It was not uncommon for GIs and Marines to pickup Phillipino Reproductions of their service weapons. Most of the copies aren't serialized. The original (from 1910) contract spec for 1911s required they be serialized so all USGI guns are.

I received this from my friend Gordo: I've never heard of any Filipino knockoffs of M1911s or any firearm for that matter. I've never heard of any local firearms industry. They do make copies today, but not back then.

China, maybe, but I've never heard of them making M1911s back then. They do make copies today, but not in WWII or before as far as I know.

I don't think its Filipino-made, not from the WWII era.

Was it an M1911 or M1911A1?

Gordo


He knows more about military weapons than anyone on the list.

Responses?

 

[erazir]

i took a photo of both sides. i wish i had it in front of me. It looks just like the one hitman posted with the list of patents on the slide. is there anywhere else the serial would be?

 

[TomTerrific]

i took a photo of both sides. i wish i had it in front of me. It looks just like the one hitman posted with the list of patents on the slide. is there anywhere else the serial would be?

I wouldn't know. Hopefully, some others do.

Are you sure he has had this pistol for sixty years?

 

[Emperor]

No trace of a serial number anywhere.

I would think that makes that an illegal gun to posess unless it is completely inoperable.

Other than that, I wish I could have gotten my Grandfather to tell me more stories from his experience in the Pacific Theater. I think he wanted to forget most of what he saw and did on Okinawa.

RIP Papa Joe

 

[erazir]

I would think that makes that an illegal gun to posess unless it is completely inoperable.

Other than that, I wish I could have gotten my Grandfather to tell me more stories from his experience in the Pacific Theater. I think he wanted to forget most of what he saw and did on Okinawa.

RIP Papa Joe

thats why i was asking if there is another place where the serial number would be. The pistol, if it is his original, would have been from approximately 1953-4. Dad joined the corps, went to paris island for a short bit. He went from there straight to Korean and then directly to Vietnam. I just did a quick internet search and a couple of sources said gun serializing didnt start (widespread) until the 60's. I don't know how true that is.

On a note about tracking family history, I have always wanted to record war stories etc. I have a recording studio. I thought it would be great to create an archive of service members memories. I just havent ever found anyone that would really be willing to sit down and talk about that.

 

[Emperor]

I just did a quick internet search and a couple of sources said gun serializing didnt start (widespread) until the 60's. I don't know how true that is.

Gordo threw the challenge flag on that one.

 

[Hitman]

Well it looks like your Dad's is a M1911 for several reasons, and the one I pictured is an M1911A1.

Just to clarify.

 

[Hitman]

Gordo threw the challenge flag on that one.

Jury's out on that b/c the M1911 was indeed a huge part of Filipino History considering the 1911 sort of evolved out of the Philippine-American War. At what year did some Manufacture in the Philippines start making M1911's? Not sure but it surely doesn't seem farfetched.

 

[erazir]

Gordo threw the challenge flag on that one.

like I said, I don't knwo how true that was. i foudn this on WIKKI, "Serial numbers on firearms in US were made mandatory by the Gun Control Act of 1968."

 

[Emperor]

Jury's out on that b/c the M1911 was indeed a huge part of Filipino History considering the 1911 sort of evolved out of the Philippine-American War. At what year did some Manufacture in the Philippines start making M1911's? Not sure but it surely doesn't seem farfetched.

I was being a dick! I don't know if Gordo knows or not. Hell, I don't even know who Gordo is?

 

[Hitman]

I was being a dick! I don't know if Gordo knows or not. Hell, I don't even know who Gordo is?

No one does really, but Tom seems to think Gordo is the 'Know all' of Military Subjects considering he vets most all things Military through Gordo.

I wonder what Gordo looks like? Let's speculate