Cutaway or "skeletonized" Model 1911A1 pistol with Union Switch & Signal Co., (US&S) marked slide and hand-stamped "US&S/EXP" marking on the left side of the frame. Colt, Ithaca, Remington Rand and US&S all manufactured a small number of cutaway Model 1911A1 pistols. Few details of these cutaway pistols are available. The US&S cutaway pistols were not regular production items and are believed to have been manufactured for in-house experiments and subsequently used as presentation items or display pieces. This pistol has the bright blue DuLite finish found on some documented US&S experimental and demonstration pistols. The pistol has precise machine cuts on the slide, receiver, grips, and mainspring housing that allow the viewer to observe the function of the internal components. A cased US&S Model 1911A1 pistol with identical skeletonized components, Dulite finish and hand-stamped "US&S/EXP" markings on the frame is illustrated on page 151 of "U.S. MILITARY AUTOMATIC PISTOLS 1920-1945" by Edward S. Meadows. Two unmarked Model 1911A1 pistols with polished blue finishes and identical skeletonized components that are believed to have been manufactured by Union Switch and Signal are illustrated on pages 240 and 241 of the same book. This pistol has the standard US&S markings on the left side of the slide. The top of the slide is stamped with the "P" proof mark centered on the rear sight. This proof was first applied to US&S pistol at about serial number 108,0000. The hand-stamped, two-line "US&S/EXP" markings on the left side of the frame differ from the typical US&S experimental pistol markings and lack the one-three digit serial number found on the non-skeletonized EXP pistols. The pistol has the typical US&S stamped trigger, narrow hammer with border-less knurled spur, checkered slide stop, fine checkered mainspring housing, and checkered safety lock. The barrel has the High Standard "HS" markings on the right side of the lug and a double-stamped, serifed "P" proof on the left side. The Keys Fiber Company checkered brown plastic grips are the early style without escutcheon rings around the screw holes. The inside of the grips have interior reinforcing ribs and are stamped with a five-pointed star and two-digit mold number. The dull blue, flat base, magazine was manufactured by the Risdon Co., and is stamped with the "R" code mark on the top of the floor plate lip. The left side of the frame lacks the encircled "R.C.D." final inspection mark and "P" proof mark found on regular production US&S Model 1911A1 pistols. The pistol is pictured in Scott Meadows book "U.S. Military Automatic Pistols, 1920-1945, Vol. II" on the top of page 151. Previously from the Miguel Hughes collection.

Excellent plus. The pistol retains at least 98% of the bright blue DuLite finish with very limited handling wear. The components appear to be in new or near new condition. The grips are in new condition. The magazine has 98% of the dull blue finish. This is a nearly new example of a rare "EXP" marked US&S cutaway Model 1911A1 pistol that appears in Meadow's "U.S. Military Automatic Pistols, 1920-1945, Vol. II"