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Service Model Ace frames were just standard Government Model .45 frames with the unique "SM" (Service Model) serial# prefix. In the early 80's apparently Colt ran out of SM marked serial# frames and assembled Service Model Ace uppers with standard Government Model .45 frames with the 70B serial# prefix. I've seen several like this.
And, apparently there are original .45 ACP Pistols assembled on SM prefix Receivers. ? (And, the original Boxes are marked accordingly.)
 
Excellent question!
I took this pic a few years ago.
The 2 on the left are from different era's of Colt .22 Conversion Units -1947 and 1975 and both have the long hook. The one on the right is from my Post War SM Ace pistol shown above which has the short hook. I have since acquired a 3rd Colt .22 Conversion Unit from the early 50's and it also has the long hook ejector like the 2 on the left. Hopefully stan3 will chime in.

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824tsv,

Not sure. Apparently, the long are early (earlier) and the short are later. (Something more to research ! Maybe it is in that unpublished book. ?)

Best Regards,
 
" Maybe it is in that unpublished book."

Ahh yes, the unpublished book...... We should bombard Kraig with email requests to get the publishing started!!
 
As a side note to these Colt OEM magazines, the tab on the follower that acts on the slide stop to hold the slide open on an empty magazine gradually wears out especially if using an improper slide stop (non #2). The follower on your pictured magazine above is plastic. The earlier magazines with the pot metal follower are almost as bad. New OEM Colt/Metalform magazine followers are very difficult to come by as Metalform no longer makes them and hasn't made them in several years. Just something else to consider when spending big money on a OEM Colt magazine. I would try a $20 GSG 1911-22 magazine.
 
I would like to share a few pics of my 1979 pistol, with box, that I purchased a few months ago. My first Colt. It's the first SM that I have seen with silver colored medallions. It came with only one magazine, and I too Anchorsaweigh feel victim of buying a new magazine, and now feel like I should look for a more used one and save it for posterity. I feel like there is a wizard who is sitting on a whole of box NOS mags and just sprinkling the on the web for sale periodically.

So I'm thinking the spare conversion unit ejector with the long hook that I have may fit in my pistol (presently with the short hook ejector) if required in the future. I have not actually tried it though. But it does appear that Colt had two distinct ejectors for the conversion units and SM units, based on what others are saying above. But that confuses me if both slides could fit on different frames that others have mentioned above.


Air gun Trigger Wood Gun barrel Wood stain
Air gun Wood Trigger Gun barrel Wood stain

Vehicle registration plate Automotive lighting Wood Motor vehicle Bumper

Household hardware Auto part Metal Font Rectangle
My original magazine
Rectangle Yellow Material property Electric blue Tints and shades

Yellow Finger Wood Automotive exterior Rectangle
 
Anchorsaweigh and Taz, excellent pic's thanks!
I invite both of you to add your range results to our virtual shooting competition thread:

 
I would like to share a few pics of my 1979 pistol, with box, that I purchased a few months ago. My first Colt. I enjoy outings out to the range with my daughter using it. It's the first SM that I have seen with silver colored medallions. It came with only one magazine, and I too Anchorsaweigh feel victim of buying a new magazine, and now feel like I should look for a more used one and save it for posterity. I feel like there is a wizard who is sitting on a whole of box NOS mags and just sprinkling the on the web for sale periodically.

So I'm thinking the spare conversion unit ejector with the long hook that I have may fit in my pistol (presently with the short hook ejector) if required in the future. I have not actually tried it though. But it does appear that Colt had two distinct ejectors for the conversion units and SM units, based on what others are saying above. But that confuses me if both slides could fit on different frames that others have mentioned above.


View attachment 769534 View attachment 769536
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View attachment 769532 My original magazine
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Taz,

Nice Pistol ! Thank you for the pictures, particularly the Shrink Wrap Mag !!

The base plate in your new Shrink Wrap Mag is what normally seems to show up. The base plate in the Anchorsaweigh Shrink Wrap Mag was a new one for me !

Best Regards,
 
Discussion starter · #35 ·
Anchorsaweigh and Taz, excellent pic's thanks!
I invite both of you to add your range results to our virtual shooting competition thread:

I'll post targets to the shooting thread as soon as I get out to the range again.
 
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Got one in 1979, traded straight up for a horribly chopped Tanker Garand when Garands were unobtanium. Over 20 years I shot it it untold thousands of rounds until I wore out the slide stop notch and the floating chamber assembly. Sold it with caveats sometime in the early 2000's. Great little pistol, wish Colt still made them. I replaced it with a 4-digit Kit Gun and of late, a 1936 production Smith K-22 Outdoorsman 6" .22 sufficiently finish-worn to be a holster-carried shooter....
 
In 1981 Colt sold a custom shop made signature series Sam Colt commemorative .22 Ace. Rosewood grips, gold embossed slide. Handsome pistol. Where does it fit in the scheme of Ace guns?
helmsman6,

IIRC, it fits-in with the other postwar Service Model Pistols.

Post # 32 above shows a SM 25XXX Box. And, Here's some additional postwar Boxes. (SM 288XX, SM 318XX, and SM 358XX)

Best Regards,

Rectangle Land lot Grass Font Wood

Font Grass Bumper Rectangle Bar soap

Rectangle Handwriting Font Wood Parallel
 
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