Posted: 9/8/2009 7:36:20 AM EDT
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Hi.
I live in the UK and as you know handguns are banned for the most part. However, I am a member of a club that has what is called Section 7.3 status which allows us to own and shoot handguns provided they meet certain criteria. The Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 states (where pertaining to handguns specifically) that: (1) The authority of the Secretary of State is not required by virtue of subsection (1)(aba) of section 5 of the 1968 Act for a person to have in his possession, or to purchase or acquire, or to sell or transfer, a firearm which— .
(a) was manufactured before 1st January 1919; and . (b) is of a description specified under subsection (2) below, . if he is authorised by a firearm certificate to have the firearm in his possession, or to purchase or acquire it, subject to a condition that he does so only for the purpose of its being kept or exhibited as part of a collection. (2) The Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument specify a description of firearm for the purposes of subsection (1) above if it appears to him that— . (a) firearms of that description were manufactured before 1st January 1919; and . (b) ammunition for firearms of that type is not readily available. . (3) The authority of the Secretary of State is not required by virtue of subsection (1)(aba) of section 5 of the 1968 Act for a person to have in his possession, or to purchase or acquire, or to sell or transfer, a firearm which— . (a) is of particular rarity, aesthetic quality or technical interest, or . (b) is of historical importance, . if he is authorised by a firearm certificate to have the firearm in his possession subject to a condition requiring it to be kept and used only at a place designated for the purposes of this subsection by the Secretary of State. (4) This section has effect without prejudice to section 58(2) of the 1968 Act (antique firearms). My particular interest lies in Subsection 3 above, in particular rarity and aesthetic value. I have always had a great affection for the 1911 since shooting a 45ACP in my local club in the pre-ban days. I know that the 1911 has been manufactured in limited commemorative editions depicting engravings of famous American battles. I remember seeing these guns and being quite taken by them. The ownership of these firearms is restricted, but where proof of providence or rarity can be demonstrated there is potential for shooters in the UK to own and shoot these pistols as legitimate collectors. I would really appreciate it if you could share your expertise on the 1911 and advise me on how best to research these particular limited editions. Many thanks in advance. Agent_funky |
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Your best bet may be a "gen-u-ine" WWI or WWII pistol.
Or one of the reproductions if they qualify, Colt is selling a WWI repro today. I don't know if the engraved special editions, which are honestly not very special, would qualify, they are sold in magazines all the time. I know there were some 1911s made in .455 Webley for the British and used for many years, those might qualify as being of special collector interest. But pricy. The British contract .455 Government Model is a valuable piece. According to Wilson and Sutherland, in their Book of Colt Firearms, the British contract was let in 1915, and a total of 11,000 pistols was produced by 1916. They had their own serial number range, beginning at W10001. Special markings included:
CALIBRE 455 on R side of the slide, GOVERNMENT MODEL on R side of frame above the special serial number, and upon inspection in the US by British government inspectors, the broad arrow was stamped on each pistol. They were issued to the Royal Navy and to the British and Canadian Armies. Considering the horrors of trench warfare and the stunning losses of company-grade officers, a huge number of these handguns were lost forever, contributing to their relative rarity. Following the Great War, the surviving pistols were reissued to the Royal Air Force and were marked RAF or R.A.F. on the L side of frame, above the front bow of the triggerguard. As arms collectors tend to specialize, these .455 pistols are particularly desired by collectors of - - Colt firearms in general, Colt Automatic Pistols, British militaria in general and firearms particularly, and those specializing in RAF and Royal Navy arms. For the right buyer, a British contract .455 in even fair condition could be worth twice the price of another 1916-era commercial Government Model. |
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I actually find the easiest way to find anything that would qualify as a "rarity" is to go to gunbroker.com and search 1911 and then sort them by price. You can find tons of very interesting firearms for the $1500-$2000 price range (not sure what that is in euros/pounds).
Here are some examples: You need to scroll down, the 1st pics don't pertain to the 1911 another interesting one A WWI model this might qualify - collectors case and all! remanufactured with certificate of authenticity |
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Thanks guys.
Your advice is duly noted and greatly appreciated. I have made contact with some dealers over here to look at what they have available. So I'll probably be asking a few more questions as time goes by, if you don't mind. Can you reccommend any books on the 1911. So far the only ones I've seen over here are book club editions as part of a series and don't give much info on different models, history etc. I figured that the US market would have some far better books with excellent historical detail, technical specs and a much more rounded overview of the gun. Reccomendations from a collectors point of view would be greatly appreciated. |