Black Army Research

09/01/2026

Are you relying on standard serial charts to trace your WWII Ithaca M1911A1? You might not be getting the whole story.

Many collectors assume that Ithaca guns shipped in perfect numerical order. However, archival factory ledgers reveal massive inconsistencies: before June 1944, quality control loops and assembly variables meant numbers inside a single shipping container could wildly fluctuate.

In one extreme case from April 17, 1944, serial numbers 1209003 and 1279664 were packed into the exact same 50-pistol crate bound for Hamilton Field, California. That is a jaw-dropping variance of 70,661 units packed side-by-side!

Because standard sequential charts fail for the first year and a half of Ithaca's wartime production, looking at direct shipping manifests is the only way to accurately unlock your firearm’s true destination—including rare shipments like those sent to the OSS.Don't guess your pistol's history.

Read our full breakdown and use our database to get a free archival look-up of your Ithaca 1911A1.

Read the full article and request your free lookup: blackarmyresearch.com

****ms

https://blackarmyresearch.com/articles/f/wwii-ithaca-1911a1-serial-numbers-by-year-shipping-records

08/24/2026

Explore the historical significance of the P-40L aircraft and the heroic legacy of the 99th Fighter Squadron through the dedicated research at Black Army Research.

Visit our website to access expert insights, rare documentation, and powerful historical analysis that honor service, sacrifice, and legacy. Discover more today.

https://blackarmyresearch.com/articles/f/exploring-lem-custiss-p-40l-aircraft-billie-kay

08/21/2026

Discover the dedicated research and historical preservation missions at Black Army Research, where we honor the service and legacy of Connecticut veterans and their fi****ms from World Wars One and Two. Our work centers on preserving important stories, including those of the Tuskegee Airmen, through meticulous research and community engagement. Visit our website to access expert insights, rare historical documentation, and powerful narratives that keep military history alive for future generations. Explore today.

08/04/2026

Discover the dedication behind preserving military history. Explore detailed research and analysis on military veterans and their fi****ms from World Wars One and Two. Visit our website to uncover historical insights and stories that honor service and sacrifice. Begin your journey through history today!

07/30/2026

These two books about the Tuskegee Airmen became not just historical references but historical treasures after being autographed by multiple Tuskegee Airmen at special events in Connecticut in 2000 and 2001. Each signature added a personal connection, preserving the remarkable stories of the first Black military aviators in the US Army Air Forces.

If you had the opportunity to meet one of the Tuskegee Airmen, what would you ask them, and why?

"The Tuskegee Airmen - The Men Who Changed a Nation" by Charles E. Francis.
Event held April 22, 2000 at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, CT, autographed by the following 9 Airmen:
Spann Watson (99th FS, class 42F), Roscoe C Brown Jr (100th FS), Lee Archer Jr (302 FS), George E Hardy (99th FS), Ed Hall (Class 45-C), John B Roach (477th Bomb Grp), Lemuel R. Custis (99th FS), Bertram Wilson (100th FS), Connie Nappier Jr (477th Bomb Grp).

"Black Knights - The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen" by Lynn M. Homan and Thomas Reilly.
Event held April 28, 2001 at the Knights of Columbus in Torrington, CT, autographed by the following 5 Airmen:
Edward T Hall (Class 45-C), Bertram Wilson (302nd FS), Connie Nappier Jr (477th Bomb Grp), Lemuel R Custis (99th FS), Wilson V Eagleson (99th FS).

New England Air Museum

07/28/2026

Here are some early gauges and cartridges for the 45 Automatic C**t!

The early gauge in the middle is dated July 11 1905, and is a .45 Auto C**t cartridge gauge made by Wi******er. To the lower left of it is a Wi******er headspace gauge dated September 1 1905. These were used to spot-check am******on during production. The upper left gauge is unmarked, and accompanied the headspace gauge. The upper right gauge is a .444 gauge of more recent manufacture, which can be used to check barrels for proper sizing. The lower right gauge is undated, and likely of early vintage based on the stamped font.

All boxes, commercial and military, are full and the cartridges bear the correct headstamps and have original projectiles.

50-round boxed commercial am******on is as follows, clockwise beginning at the lower left:
200 grain UMC stamped E17OAN (July 17, 1913);
230 grain Rem UMC (unopened) stamped N15W (August 15, 1922);
230 grain Peters Cartridge Co, stamped NCPR 4 16008 (likely 1916-1920).

20-round boxed 230 grain military am******on by Frankford Arsenal is dated as follows, left to right:
December 10 1911 (or Dec 30 1911, ink has faded somewhat);
October 30 1912:
April 7 1914.

The loose am******on is as follows, left to right:
UMC .45 ACP 200 grain (1920s);
FA 4 06 experimental 230 grain cartridge (1906);
UMC . 45 ACP 230 grain (1910s).

Note the difference in the projectile shapes, height of cannelure, and width of the extractor groove. Both the brass cartridge and overall length also differs slightly. Frankford Arsenal produced 10,000 experimental .45 rounds beginning in April of 1906, with 5,000 shipped to Luger/DWM in Germany. A total of 7,353 rounds were documented as used during military testing, leaving 2,637 rounds unaccounted for by the US Army.

Original, unfired rounds marked FA 4 06 are an incredibly rare piece of automatic pistol history!

02/24/2026

What do you know about the veterans in your family?

On this day in history, February 24, 1915, Alexander Lennox Jr was born in East Hartford, Connecticut. In 1932, at 17 years of age, he enlisted in the Naval Militia, 19th Division, 5th Battalion under Burt C. Warner, commanding.

Soon accepted into the US Navy, Lennox served on various submarines and coastal defense ships as a radio electrician prior to and through WWII. Post-war he continued his career in the Navy and received his commission as an Officer in 1949. Obtaining a “Top Secret" crypto clearance in the 1950s, Lennox became part of the Naval Security Group and was transferred to Bremerhaven, Germany, where he commanded a cryptology division at Todendorf for several years. He returned to the USA as Assistant Communications Officer, part of Headquarters Staff in the 1st Naval District, Boston, MA.

Alexander Lennox Jr retired on April 1, 1961, with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. His total time served was 28 years, 9 months, and 8 days, with an incredible 24 years and 7 months of this time spent in Foreign and/or Sea Service.

⚓️

02/20/2026

A 1:48 scale model of the P-40L flown by Captain Lemuel Rodney Custis on January 27th, 1944, while shooting down an enemy F.W.190. Custis was the Operations Officer of the 99th Fighter Squadron (Tuskegee Airmen), and flew over 90 combat missions during WWII.

Aircraft type P-40L
Serial 42-10543 (tail 210543)
A35

Note: This aircraft (A35) was primarily flown by Lt James B. Knighten, who was nicknamed "The Eel." His aircraft was named "EEL II". The 99th Fighter Squadron frequently shared planes between pilots on various missions. The primary aircraft for Custis was A12, and named "Billie Kay"

Base kit: AMT P-40F Kittyhawk III No.48001
--- modified from P-40F to P-40L by removing outer 2 machineguns & adding ring/pin sights on hood.
Cockpit: TrueDetail P40 detail set
Instrument panel: Eduard P40 Photoetch Dashboard
Wheels: Ultracast 48155
Paints: Mission Models

Additional source excerpts National Archives footage 111-ADC-334
https://digitalgems.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p114401coll5/id/160/rec/4

11/07/2025

We've got a new blog post up where you can learn about the early Ithaca Model 1911A1 pistols with the I-prefix and Du-Lite finish!

Approximately the first 30,000-35,000 Ithaca-contracted model 1911A1 pistols were manufactured with the Du-Lite finish, a type of bluing over a sandblasted surface. The sandblasting resulted in a matte finish that was l...