Posted: 6/30/2015 6:55:23 PM EDT
| a friend at work recently acquired a 1911. It's a Colt and the serial number puts it around 1918. Here's my question, on the slide it says model of 1911. It doesn't say United States Property on the frame, and it's blued not parkarized. I own two that are parkarized and say US property on the frame. It's in really nice condition and the magazine is marked Colt on the floor plate. Did they make a commercial model and a military model? It doesn't look like it's been altered in any way. Also I know without pics. it's hard to say but if it's about 85% condition as far as fit and finish go what would you put a ballpark value on this pistol? Any help would be appreciated, I would like to give my friend more info. on it. Thanks |
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Colt made millions of 1911's. First went to military and then they sold to the public. If frame does not say U.S. Property it is not military. Military are all parkerized. Most commercial models are smooth blue Colt is famous for.
Be aware, because the military Colt 1911's are valuable.......there are many fakes. Just like the Single Action Colts............big bucks makes it profitable to fake it. Don't pay big bucks if you cant have a good appraiser check it out. Any custom "improvements" will take value away from the original state. ALWAYS....take it to an honest appraiser. |
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Quoted:
Colt made millions of 1911's. First went to military and then they sold to the public. If frame does not say U.S. Property it is not military. Military are all parkerized. Most commercial models are smooth blue Colt is famous for. Be aware, because the military Colt 1911's are valuable.......there are many fakes. Just like the Single Action Colts............big bucks makes it profitable to fake it. Don't pay big bucks if you cant have a good appraiser check it out. Any custom "improvements" will take value away from the original state. ALWAYS....take it to an honest appraiser. Yes, this is the smooth blue. I thought it may be a commercial model. How much would you say it's worth with the description I described above? The two military models I own were given to me by family members who owned them since the 1940's, I'm pretty sure they are legit but I have no money into either. I will however get them appraised at some point but will never part with them short of an emergency. |
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In 1917 era guns by far what is very common as you describe is a gun that has the property mark removed and the gun refinished.
If the gun FRAME states government model just above the right grip and the serial starts with a "C" it is a commercial frame ( commercial guns had slides NOT marked model of 1911 ) if the serial starts with No it is a military frame scrubbed of the property stamp. Some times this was well done and hard to tell at a casual glance. So either way it sounds like a mismatched gun of some sort. Without pics and more info my best guess a 600 dollar value at best |
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Also bear in mind parts kits have been around for decades and it was common in the 60's and 70's to assemble old military parts on new made frames by companies like Essex. It is pretty common to see some seller ( either sneaky or ignorant) selling a gun with a colt Remington rand or Ithaca marked slide that is assembled on an after market frame as that brand gun when it is not at all. Again pictures.
Any proof marking on frame ? I don't know how many 1911's I have seen ( dozens and dozens for sure) that looked good except for property marks removed |
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A little more info;
1911 military slides marked model of 1911 US army on the right side 1911 commercial marked colt automatic Calibre 45 In two line just like above I have seen old refinish guns with marking removed that look pretty good but are again worth no more and probably less than 600 bucks. |
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Sounds like a civilian model. They were common. Now, however, they are worth a lot of money -- especially in good condition.
The steel was not, then, what it is now. A regular diet of modern hard-ball is not a good idea. Any use of plus-p is a bad idea in that gun. I think those early, civilian models are the way-coolest, full-goose-bozo 1911s of them all. If you can get pictures up, I'm sure we'd all appreciate it. |