How clean is too clean?

O

overhead

I came into possession of my grandfathers 1911 from D-Day. It's an ithica so kinda rare. It's been stored off and on since 1944 in various ways and conditions. It's not all original unfortunately but Pop-Clough decided when the little ones were very little to cut the firing pin and barrel in half to keep it safe. Ahh life in the 50s. Dad replaced some parts of it but it's petina is my favorite.

That all being said it still works. Still fires. And still gets cleaned when it comes home from the range. How do you stop cleaning to much off though? I've got a few parts and pieces and other guns cerakoted and I want to avoid that with this one leaving it as stock as possible.

So what do you do? How do you care for a gun older then you and your wife combined?


https://photos.app.goo.gl/nUwAv3MtMZ2H78h7A
 
I'm not an expert, but I'd at least keep it wiped down in CLP to keep any rust at bay.

Not sure if it's worth having it reblued or anything like that.
 
My Kimber Classic Royal has some slide and lever wear that I've elected to keep it as it is and not reblue.  I don't think it will look any better than it does now.
 
Really either you use it and clean it or you clean it and leave it sit.  As parts wear out and need replaced, do that.  It is worth more in original condition, so Cerakote or re blue reduces the value if that matters.

 
My non expert take is this.

1: Clean after use. Part of that cleaning is removing any and all finger prints so parts which have the bluing worn off do not corrode due to acids in your skin oils/sweat. I have a silicone rag I use for the blued surfaces on my 1948 savage rifle to protect it after a cleaning.

2. CLP or similar as a rust and corrosion preventative

3. store in a proper case with a desicant. Swipe some silica gel packs from the next pair of shoes you buy.

4. If you want to help prolong the life of the original mags, don't store them loaded. It can make the spring "sag".

If I am blatantly wrong on one of these suggestions.....someone one educate me as to what is wrong (y)
 
I know I don't want to reblue it, but I just didn,t want to over think this and or over clean it and have a gun that's completly destroyed due to be being, I'm not sure stupid? uneducated?
 
Sweet piece of history you've got in your hands, there!  Coming from a Colt collector mentality, here's my take:

You do indeed have an Ithaca on your hands, produced in their second run of 1943 (batch of 30k serials)

1) Don't F*ck with it.
2) Seriously, don't.
3) Wipe it down, keep it well-oiled.  Any surface rust should be treated with solventless gun oil and a patch - rust will disappear over time, leaving a bit of a divot in the finish, but that's life.
4) DO NOT cerakote or re-blue (see 1 and 2 above) any parts of that gun!
5) You mentioned the barrel and firing pin are not original - do you know if they were replaced with the correct mfr and vintage? Basically, (NEW!) or (new old stock)?  Any other parts replaced that you know of?  Extractor/Ejector, mainspring, etc...?
6) If the barrel was not replaced with new old stock, drop me a PM and we'll coordinate a trip to the BEST 1911 parts seller at the Chantilly gun show next time around.  They'll get you all set up for way less than elsewhere.
7) Storage - sealed container, silica dessicant as noted - Pelican makes a whole line of cases for single handgun with foam cutouts for firearm and (multi-)magazine
8) Magazines - You've got an original and a non-original - check out the finish.  That two-tone?  Original, probably about a $150 mag.  The other?  Can't tell from pictures, anywhere from ~$18-50.
9) Mags again - Don't worry about storing them loaded, they were DESIGNED for that.  Just don't store them loaded AND inserted into the firearm.  The constant downward pressure is what will cause spring sag.
10) I'll say it one last time - DON'T F*CK WITH IT

Nice family history there.  Would you mind if I took some HQ pictures and put them up with as much/little info attached to the collector's club?  Any documentation to go along with it?

Thanks
O_E
 
Other_Erik said:
Sweet piece of history you've got in your hands, there!  Coming from a Colt collector mentality, here's my take:

You do indeed have an Ithaca on your hands, produced in their second run of 1943 (batch of 30k serials)

1) Don't F*ck with it.
2) Seriously, don't.
3) Wipe it down, keep it well-oiled.  Any surface rust should be treated with solventless gun oil and a patch - rust will disappear over time, leaving a bit of a divot in the finish, but that's life.
4) DO NOT cerakote or re-blue (see 1 and 2 above) any parts of that gun!
5) You mentioned the barrel and firing pin are not original - do you know if they were replaced with the correct mfr and vintage? Basically, (NEW!) or (new old stock)?  Any other parts replaced that you know of?  Extractor/Ejector, mainspring, etc...?
6) If the barrel was not replaced with new old stock, drop me a PM and we'll coordinate a trip to the BEST 1911 parts seller at the Chantilly gun show next time around.  They'll get you all set up for way less than elsewhere.
7) Storage - sealed container, silica dessicant as noted - Pelican makes a whole line of cases for single handgun with foam cutouts for firearm and (multi-)magazine
8) Magazines - You've got an original and a non-original - check out the finish.  That two-tone?  Original, probably about a $150 mag.  The other?  Can't tell from pictures, anywhere from ~$18-50.
9) Mags again - Don't worry about storing them loaded, they were DESIGNED for that.  Just don't store them loaded AND inserted into the firearm.  The constant downward pressure is what will cause spring sag.
10) I'll say it one last time - DON'T F*CK WITH IT

Nice family history there.  Would you mind if I took some HQ pictures and put them up with as much/little info attached to the collector's club?  Any documentation to go along with it?

Thanks
O_E
Click to expand...

Yessir, that's fine by me, we can set up a time and date. No documentation that's not in a box currently. Plan 1,2,3, and 4 we're to not F with it. Gonna build an ammo box with some inserts to store it, display it, and keep it not dead. It's got some pitting but nothing to major.

Not sure if the parts were new old stock or what not, Just going off what my dad said my grandfather did.
 
I was a small arms guys in the army and brought the passion out with me, I will second Everything that Erik said, I will also say that if you plan to shoot it make sure you shooting the cleanest stuff you can find, and on older fire arms with original parts I shy away from any + types of ammo.
 
Goonie said:
I was a small arms guys in the army and brought the passion out with me, I will second Everything that Erik said, I will also say that if you pan to shoot it make sure you shooting the cleanest stuff you can find, and on older fire arms with original parts I shy away from any + types of ammo.
Click to expand...

Yessum sir. I actually have to get rid of a bunch of reloads that have corroded with oil on them, I'm hoping elite shooting sports will take em tonight.
 
Update: elite did take the ammo. Which is good because my buddy said to fire it. And that's the last stiff I'm putting through the 1911.

We put about 100 rounds through it tonight. Man it's amazing. Easy to shoot. Easy to control. My wife even liked it more than the 9mm we we're shooting too. Wiped it down. Gonna do a detail strip on it soon too without being too agressive (no steel wool no stripping of anything) it hasn't been broken down in 27 years. (Guess when my dad last qualified with it?)

Some shooting tonight with a sig sp2022 and a Springfield xds not pictured from my buddy.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gysbZpJkWnwjdHzQ8

Ironically he hates the xds now and wants to sell it for a different sig. I hated his sigs trigger though.

 
Don't store it in a case.  Store in a safe or open air.  Cases draw moisture and can facilitate rusting.
 
Shoot that old girl once a year, and get a mil-spec 1911a1 from Rock Island, Springfield, etc and shoot the piss out of that instead!
 
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