[GRI]

The thinness of a forging line is more obvious in this photo.

 

[OD*]

OD thanks for posting that. What a great reminder!
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When you realize just much more difficult it is to machine a forging compared to simple bar stock prior to heat treating, you can easily imagine why Colt asks a premium price for their 1911s.

There are well known 1911 makers who claim "forged" fames and slides. The only "forging" those gun's parts have ever seen is the rolled steel as it comes out of the smelter.

Indeed sir.

 

[Some guy]

The thinness of a forging line is more obvious in this photo.

View attachment 767892

Thanks for the different view . This one makes better sense to my cataract shooting eye .

 

[Mikebiker]

A forging seam is usually ground off leaving grind marks all the way around the part. Once ground off there is no line at all as it is one solid piece of metal. The steel that has to be removed may be thin but it will not leave a thin line like a cast part. Cast parts have a thin line actually cast into them by the seam of the 2 piece mold. Once machining begins the lines disappear on both type of parts.

 

[oldCop]

I have my late father-in-law's almost mint 1911 Commercial. The frame is definitely a Colt forging and it is plum-colored.

 

[weimar_police]

I know that lugers and P38's would have a 'bad' batch of bluing and the color would be that plum color.