Springfield M1911 Serial Numbers

This Springfield M1911 Serial Number114759 was shipped in 1915. This pistol has Springfield's original rust blue finish and original checkered walnut grips. Grips on Springfield pistols are unique as they have 11 rows of checkering in-between the diamonds. Springfield M1911 pistols were built from 1914-1917. Springfield M1911-A1 $ 550.00 From battlefields around the world to shooting-competition winner’s circles, Springfield’s family of Model 1911 Semiautomatic Pistols has been making itself known for decades. Springfield Model 1911 serial number 126398 - Ordnance procurement records for Springfield Armory Production indicate that this was one of 1,564 pistols manufactured from July 1, 1916 - December 31, 1916. Colt granted the Ordnance Department the right to manufacture the Model 1911 at government arsenals on April 21, 1911.

1. Springfield Armory 1911 Serial Numbers
2. Springfield 1911 Serial Numbers

Photos & Information Disassembly Instructions Parts Identification Production Dates Coltautos.com Recommended References from Amazon.com

Paul Krokovic Collection Colt M1911A1 U.S. ARMY Serial Number 1121296 (parkerized finish) - Shipped October 14, 1943 to the Transportation Officer, Springfield Armory in a shipment of 2,000 guns. G.H.D. ordnance mark below slide stop for Brig. General Guy H. Drewry, Springfield Ordnance District, Army Inspector of Ordnance, June 17, 1942 to July 15, 1945. 'P' Proofmark matches 'P' on top of slide. The 'G' marking is for Government Production order. Blued barrel - Left side of barrel marked 'COLT 45 AUTO' and 'P' on lug. 'F' . This marking appeared on barrels from approximately 933,000 through end of production Colt wide-spur short hammer and rear sight. Serial number under the firing pin retainer matches serial number on the frame. 'P' proofmark on top of slide matches 'P' proofmark on frame. Ordnance mark behind right grip to the right of the hammer pin. UNITED STATES PROPERTY, serial number and M1911A1 - U.S. ARMY markings.

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Springfield Armory has been known to cause a bit of confusion, around the pieces they produce. One of the most controversial and often misunderstood is the 'NM' prefix on the serial numbers. Normally this prefix stands for 'National Match'. In this case is does not stand for that.
IMBEL forgings located in Brazil stamp a frame that has more than 50% worth of the work done in Brazil with the a prefix designation of 'N'. This is often confusing as the GI models are also made in Brazil and the a prefix of 'WW'. Even the mil-spec models produced by Springfield Armory can come with either a 'N' or 'NM' designation but more commonly found is the 'N'.
Springfield Armory's Loaded models can come with either the 'NM' or the 'N' designation. It's important to note that the 'N' prefix are imported completed with the exception of the sight, and beavertail grip safety cuts. The finishing touches are actually completed at their main plant in Illinois. The difference with the 'NM' models have majority of internal cuts done, but the rail cuts are performed in the US. The final machining is performed by CNC again, in Illinois.
Here is a quote from an email exchange with Deb from the Springfield Armory Custom Shop

If you are looking for a Springfield Armory piece made from the Illinois factory look for a serial number consisting of the following:
LW
EMP
TGO-2
TGO-3

Springfield Armory 1911 Serial Numbers

If it's a true Springfield Armory Custom Shop piece it will have this in the serial number:
CRG
FBI
DEA
TGO-1
So many of you will simply ask, is the build quality any different? I personally own the NM models, compared to the N model I thought the slide and frame work better together.
I hope this helps you identify your Springfield Armory pieces. Like many of you, I'm a fan of this brand, despite their recent run ins with politics and foot insertions.

Springfield 1911 Serial Numbers

If you have any other questions related to this please feel free to post them in our Springfield Armory section.