WWI guns rebuilt for WWII

I have always liked WWI guns that were rebuilt for WWII. Here are two Colt examples: Colt 1917 revolver made in 1918 and rebuilt by Augusta Arsenal and a 1911 Colt made in 1917 and rebuilt during WWII.

Love the 1911

My father carried a 1917 revolver in WWII. Not sure if it was a Colt or a S&W, so I suppose I should get both.
He told me he carried "a .45 revolver and a 12 gauge shotgun" when he was guarding German P.O.W.s.

My uncle "carried" a 1917 rifle in WWII.
Actually, I think he kept it leaning against the wall next to his typewriter 100 miles behind the front line.

Great pistols!! I’ll add one from the other side of the big pond…Austrian Steyr M1912 dated 1916 that was reworked during WWII by the Germans from 9x23 Steyr to 9mm Luger and eagle/L marked for German police.

Nice thread! Love the Steyr. I've bid on German police conversions in the past with no luck, always undervalue them and get blown out of the water. These days they're bringing very good money.
But can say that I own a Colt 1917 rebuild. Was smart enough to snag one when opportunity struck, a fantastic shooter.

One of the last production Steyr Hahn's (1919 Z block), converted to 9x19mm by Zee Germans. It's seen service in the Austrian Army (at least once, maybe twice), Austrian police, and German police.

From the 1911 forum: "Frank Krack was the Small Arms Inspection Foreman at Rock Island Arsenal. His initials [FK] can be found on pistols refurbished beginning September 14, 1941 to 19 July, 1946."

somd_mustangs said:

One of the last production Steyr Hahn's (1919 Z block), converted to 9x19mm by Zee Germans. It's seen service in the Austrian Army (at least once, maybe twice), Austrian police, and German police.

Click to expand...

This one makes me realize how far the 1911 was ahead of it's time.

Very interesting.

Threeband said:

My father carried a 1917 revolver in WWII. Not sure if it was a Colt or a S&W, so I suppose I should get both.
He told me he carried "a .45 revolver and a 12 gauge shotgun" when he was guarding German P.O.W.s.

My uncle "carried" a 1917 rifle in WWII.
Actually, I think he kept it leaning against the wall next to his typewriter 100 miles behind the front line.

Click to expand...

Ditto my dad, who was initially an MP with
the 349th Prisoner and Escort company out west - that number is right, and the unit
title is my best recollection from a weekend pass I have. He did not recall the model of
the shotgun.

He guarded Afrika Corps prisoners out
west and on trains. Carried a Tommy
gun and M1917 revolver when on train duty.

Dad spoke English, Italian, and German -
and said most prisoners seemed to have
up to six years in uniform
and “made the GI’s feel like Boy Scouts”.
Only the true Nazis were trouble…the rest
were no different than the GIs…they all just wanted to go home.

They’d go out on brush-clearing details on
local farms.

Dad went on to the 751st MP Battalion doing law enforcement duties in Edinburg.
Sidearm was a M1911A1. And, he was also issued a Smith Corona M1903A3, that he
used only in training.

After D-Day he and half his unit were moved
to the infantry. He wound up with the
259th Infantry, 65th Division, and was issued
a Garand the day before he went on the line in late February of ‘45…had never fired one before. The one he got had a bullet hole in
the stock and a bent butt plate he beat back into place with a rock…he was given two bandoliers, a few No 10 tomato cans from
the mess unit, and sent to the rear to learn
on his own. Next day, and for the
next few months, he was all in.

About the time of the surrender, he was reverted to the MPs because there were so many POWs to handle…did that duty with
the 65th in Linz, Austria, then moved to
the 9th Division around Bavaria..carried a
carbine…then came home in ‘46.

Miss him every day.