New to me vintage (1985-1992) Springfield Armory M1911-A1 Cal .45 (so cool!)

nbinaz1911 · Mar 28, 2026

Hi all (I just joined the Forum)
I just came home with this awesome old Springfield Armory M1911-A1 Cal .45 (so cool!)
I'm pretty sure it's from the late 1980s (see below), but I'm having trouble pinning down the exact year of manufacture (serial Number NM42905). I'm gonna call Springfield Armory on Monday and ask them about it, but any insight you guys might have will be appreciated.
It looks like it spent most of it's life in the holster as a police or military carry gun i.e. carried a lot and not shot much at all

Can't wait to get it out to the range! (I'll report back when I do

)

nbinaz1911 · Mar 28, 2026

I don't know how much I trust a general Google search with stuff like this but, for what it's worth, this description seems to fit my gun exactly:
A Springfield Armory M1911-A1 with a 5-digit serial number prefixed by "NM" generally dates from the mid-1980s to early 1990s.
These early Springfield-manufactured 1911s, often marketed as "National Match" or custom-tuned models, typically saw 5-digit NM serials starting around 1985.

Early NM Serial Range: Many 5-digit "NM" serial numbers (e.g., NM0xxxx to NM5xxxx) were produced between 1985 and 1992.
Production Context: These are modern commercial firearms produced by the resurrected Springfield Armory Inc. in Illinois, not to be confused with the original US government arsenal, which closed in 1968.
Identifying Features: These models often feature forged frames, adjustable sights, and higher quality components than later "Mil-Spec" models, often aimed at competition shooting.

Update: per Springfield Armory mine is a Standard Parkerized Pistol (Model 1911-A1) made in late 1987.

Old Bill · Mar 29, 2026

Well I like it... No Safe Queen.. add a dummy cord and carry it from now on, A great field, every day carry weapon.. Good looking too..

With regards to Dummy Cords.. If you know.. you know..

Cult of the Dummy Cord