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If you can't find what you are looking for use the category navigation (e.g. Looking for a PM9 Holster go to Parts&Accessories/Kahr Arms/PM9/Holsters). Dec 26, 2014 Manufacturer - Auto-Ordnance Model/configuration – Model 1911A1 Standard Serial number - E10072 Year of manufacture - Auto-Ordnance has never released a list of serial numbers and corresponding dates of manufacture, but based upon known examples, I would put the date of manufacture in the 1996/97 era. Auto-Ordnance was later sold to Kahr Arms.
Auto-Ordnance’s has been on the market for a couple of years and is among the best choices for those looking for a well-made “GI 45” that is produced in America and doesn’t break the bank. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)Those searching for a good deal on a should look at Auto-Ordnance’s American-made offering. What is a true M1911A1, anyway?Adopted as “Pistol, Automatic, Caliber.45, M1911,” in 1911 after an extended period of trials and competition that saw handguns submitted not only Bergman, Luger, Savage, Webley-Fosbery and others, John Moses Browning’s semi-automatic.45ACP handgun was the U.S. Military’s “Government Issue” pistol for 75 years.The M1911A1 series, a standard introduced in 1924, utilized several modifications over Browning’s original GI long slide of the Great War-era.
These included a shorter trigger with a relief cut to the rear of the guard, a longer grip safety spur, thicker front sights, and an arched mainspring housing rather than the M1911’s initial flat housing. While legacy models were subsequently reworked in Army arsenals at Springfield, Rock Island, Anniston and Augusta, a process that typically included picking up a parkerized finish over the original blue-to-black finishes, new guns ordered after 1925 would be delivered from the factory to the “A1” standard. This included pistols not only made by Colt, but also World War II-era guns cranked out by Remington-Rand, Ithaca, US&S, and Singer through 1945. Auto-Ordnance tells us this gun was pulled randomly from their production line this month (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)When it comes to materials, AO machines the slide, sear, and disconnector from solid carbon bar stock, then heat treats them “to assure durability and long life over many thousands of rounds.” As with the old-school GI guns, the 1911 BKO has a low-profile blade front sight and a rear sight, with the latter being drift adjustable for windage.
The grip is brown checkered plastic on the review gun, a veritable clone of the WWII-era 1911 grips that were adopted after the earlier “double-diamond” walnut grips were discontinued before WWII. For those who want “US” stamped wood DDs, AO also markets a version of the BKO with such panels which runs about $30 more.How does it compare externally to a WWII GI 1911? Check out this comparison. On the left, we have images of a beautiful correct Remington-Rand M1911A1 that was produced in 1943. On the right is a new Auto-Ordnance 1911BKO that came from the company’s Worcester, Massachusetts much more recently (Photo: Richard Taylor & Chris Eger/Guns.com)Internally, you have much as you would expect on a modern M1911. Of note, the gun is an 80-series and uses a firing pin block.
![Auto Ordnance Serial Numbers 1911 Auto Ordnance Serial Numbers 1911](http://www.ffsales.com/gimages/1/AU1911TC_1.jpg)
Who is Auto-Ordnance?The original, famous for being the company created by Army Ordnance Col. John Taliaferro Thompson in August 1916, would market the Colonel’s namesake “trench broom” submachine gun starting in 1921. Going on to gain fame during Prohibition and the 1930s as makers of the “Tommy Gun,” AO contracted with Colt to craft early models until WWII prompted the company to open its first in-house production facility, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1941. The war led to more than a half-million M1928 and M1/M1A1s produced by Auto-Ordnance for immediate military service with other models made under contract by Savage. However, after the conflict ended and demand dried up, the Connecticut factory closed its doors.In the intervening years, Gun Parts Corp acquired the assets of the defunct historical AO in 1950 and spent the next four decades assembling small lots of Tommy guns, a practice that ended with the Hughes Amendment in 1986. Check-Mate has long been in the mag biz.
The 1911BKO shipped with one. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)The mainspring housing includes a lanyard ring oriented to the bottom of the grip, but we found it did not interfere with magazines, even those with extended base pads. We would have liked it to ship with more mags, but if you can’t find good new, you just aren’t looking.A “no-frills” design, the test pistol includes the familiar Browning-designed frame-mounted thumb safety, and grip safety. It also has a later 80-series firing pin block for added drop safety, a feature sure to draw grumbles from those who prefer 70-series guns. Of note, the 1911BKO is Massachusetts-compliant.
The Auto-Ordnance 1911BKO field strips like any other standard GI, and uses an old-school recoil spring/guide/plug assembly. We managed disassembly without the application of a “dummy mark.” (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)Weight is 39-ounces, unloaded. For those interested in the 9mm 1911BKO9 series gun for the sake of cheaper ammo, it uses a 9+1 round single stack mag and runs about a half-ounce lighter.Unlike some producers of guns marketed as GI 1911s, the roll marks on the Auto-Ordnance gun are refreshingly understated and subtle. The right-hand side of the slide is blank as is the left-hand side of the frame.
The grips are unadorned. There are no faux military inspectors’ marks to confuse a later generation of collectors.
On the right side of the frame, sandwiched in the one-inch space between the takedown lever and leading edge of the grip is “Auto-Ordnance Corp” over a serial number that, like Col. Thompson’s WWII-era Tommy guns, begins with an “AO” prefix. The slab-sided slide is a welcome aesthetic compared to some contemporaries.For those who want a GI.45 with more splash, AO also markets special commemorative 1911s such as and theTrue to form, the 1911BKO has vertical rear slide serrations, a “thick” front sight, and an M1911A1-style ejection port. The front of the trigger is knurled. There is no checkering or stippling on the inside of the grip.
The dustcover is smooth and the frame, as would be expected, is non-railed.The current AO offering ships in a black and white cardboard box with manual and warranty cards, a single Checkmate Industries magazine, lock, and misc. The pistol carries a one-year warranty through Kahr.
Might want to edit out the last few digits of your s/n
A-Os were made in West Huey NY and Worcester MA. The West Hurley guns have given the A-O 1911A1 a bad rep, with some poorly made examples getting their way out the door. That doesn't mean a West Hurley gun is bad. It means the chances of a better pistol go up if it is a Worcester made example
I have taken the barrel and slide from my 1918 made Colt Model of 1911 and installed them on my A-O 1911A1. Perfect fit, and function cheeked out. Didn't fire it that way- no reason to
I have also installed a WWII USGI trigger in my A-O. After a polish on the sides of the trigger bar, it was a drop-in
A-O mags may, well, suck. Weird follower and feed lips. My original WWI Colt 7-round mag makes my A-O work pretty well. Overall I think the A-Os may be a little ammo-picky- use hardball
Front sights are known to come a little loose on A-Os. Use some red loc-tite on the inside, were it is staked
My A-O is not the most accurate or reliable 1911 type I own- my 93 year old Colt is more reliable and accurate. I don't mean to say 'my old POS gun is better', BTW- my 1918 Colt is a heck of a pistol and is as accurate as my 1978 Series 70, which is a pretty accurate pistol
Where was your A-O made, badger?
The breakdown and cleaning is the same as for any 'GI' type 1911.
Safe the pistol, remove the mag
Press in the plunger under the barrel, rotate the bushing to the left side of the pistol, remove the plug (and possibly the spring). Be careful- don't shoot that spring into your eye
rotate bushing to the right, and remove
cock the hammer and move slide back until the disassembly detent (as opposed to slide stop detent) is over the small upwards facing 'tang' on the slide release lever
Push the slide stop out from the right side of the pistol and remove. The pivot for this lever goes through the barrel link. [Pay attention to the position of the barrel link when you re-install the barrel. The hole must be rotated forward or you won't get the lever back through it]
move slide forward and remove from frame
remove guide rod (and spring if it did not already come out)
remove barrel
You have just field stripped your pistol. You don't really need to detail strip
This may help: http://video.search.yahoo.com/search...y+instructions
As well as this: http://video.search.yahoo.com/search...y+instructions
Clean...everything Lube according to manual referenced below
Assembly is the reverse, but be careful of the barrel link position
When you re-assemble, the slide stop should not need to be rotated into position. Doing that typically makes a scratch shaped like an arc on the frame. You should be able to simply push the slide stop back in. The arc is lovingly referred to as an 'idiot mark'
A-Os were made in West Huey NY and Worcester MA. The West Hurley guns have given the A-O 1911A1 a bad rep, with some poorly made examples getting their way out the door. That doesn't mean a West Hurley gun is bad. It means the chances of a better pistol go up if it is a Worcester made example
I have taken the barrel and slide from my 1918 made Colt Model of 1911 and installed them on my A-O 1911A1. Perfect fit, and function cheeked out. Didn't fire it that way- no reason to
I have also installed a WWII USGI trigger in my A-O. After a polish on the sides of the trigger bar, it was a drop-in
A-O mags may, well, suck. Weird follower and feed lips. My original WWI Colt 7-round mag makes my A-O work pretty well. Overall I think the A-Os may be a little ammo-picky- use hardball
Front sights are known to come a little loose on A-Os. Use some red loc-tite on the inside, were it is staked
My A-O is not the most accurate or reliable 1911 type I own- my 93 year old Colt is more reliable and accurate. I don't mean to say 'my old POS gun is better', BTW- my 1918 Colt is a heck of a pistol and is as accurate as my 1978 Series 70, which is a pretty accurate pistol
Where was your A-O made, badger?
The breakdown and cleaning is the same as for any 'GI' type 1911.
Safe the pistol, remove the mag
Press in the plunger under the barrel, rotate the bushing to the left side of the pistol, remove the plug (and possibly the spring). Be careful- don't shoot that spring into your eye
rotate bushing to the right, and remove
cock the hammer and move slide back until the disassembly detent (as opposed to slide stop detent) is over the small upwards facing 'tang' on the slide release lever
Push the slide stop out from the right side of the pistol and remove. The pivot for this lever goes through the barrel link. [Pay attention to the position of the barrel link when you re-install the barrel. The hole must be rotated forward or you won't get the lever back through it]
move slide forward and remove from frame
remove guide rod (and spring if it did not already come out)
remove barrel
You have just field stripped your pistol. You don't really need to detail strip
This may help: http://video.search.yahoo.com/search...y+instructions
As well as this: http://video.search.yahoo.com/search...y+instructions
Clean...everything Lube according to manual referenced below
Assembly is the reverse, but be careful of the barrel link position
When you re-assemble, the slide stop should not need to be rotated into position. Doing that typically makes a scratch shaped like an arc on the frame. You should be able to simply push the slide stop back in. The arc is lovingly referred to as an 'idiot mark'
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