The Colt pistol was formally adopted by the Army on March 29, 1911, thus gaining its designation, M1911 (Model of 1911). It was adopted by the Navy and Marine Corps in 1913. Originally manufactured only by Colt, demand for the firearm in World War I saw the expansion of manufacture to the government-owned Springfield Armory.

1. Springfield 1911 Serial Number Lookup
2. Springfield 1911 Serial Number Year Chart
3. Springfield 1911 Serial Numbers

Battlefield experience in the First World War led to some more small external changes, completed in 1924. The new version received a modified type classification, M1911A1. Changes to the original design were minor and consisted of a shorter trigger, cutouts in the frame behind the trigger, an arched mainspring housing, a longer grip safety spur (to prevent hammer bite), a wider front sight, a shorter spur on the hammer, and simplified grip checkering by eliminating the 'Double Diamond' reliefs.

Those unfamiliar with the design are often unable to tell the difference between the two versions at a glance. No significant internal changes were made, and parts remained interchangeable between the two.

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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 '

Springfield Armory produced 30975 - 1911 's We recommend the following books for more information on this subject. 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.

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
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.

Springfield 1911 Serial Number Lookup

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 Number Year Chart

Springfield 1911 Serial Numbers

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