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Posted: 4/26/2014 5:20:09 AM EDT
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I have been wanting to pick up an old Colt 1911 or 1911A1, but just never could find one I could aford. That changed two years ago while out pawn shpo hunting.
The first shop didn't have anything that cought my eye so, I headed down the road to the next shop. I shot the bull a little ( I like to talk ) and then started looking at guns. They didn't have much in the way of surplus weapons, just two No.4s that had been sporterized and another Mauser that had been hacked up. My friend that works there asked if I had looked at the Colt 1911 that they had gotten in. I asked if it was a 1911 or an A1. He said that it was a 1911 and it had been spray painted black. The guy that owned the shop liked to put high dollar on his Colts, but I had not looked at a 1911 in some time and asked to see it. It was US property marked and the parts looked to be correct other then the black rubber Houge grips. I asked if I could take it apart and was told to go for it. So I field stripped it and everything looked good. It appeared that someone had spray painted black paint on the gun without taking it apart. There was no paint under the slide release. Then I looked at the tag and was shocked. About a year ago they had a US 1911A1 in the case that had almost no finish on it, priced at $999.95. What shocked me was the price on the tag was only $799.95. Well the squirrel in my head started running around. I just sent off my income tax for 2011 and paid most of my bills. I had a little spending money, also had some overtime pay coming in on my next paycheck. The squirrel in my head was telling me to do my pawn shop math and buy the gun. Well, the force was with the squirrel and I had to give it a try. I offered $500 for the gun. the guy said he would go run it by the boss. I knew the answer before he walked away with the gun. When he came back he said that the boss said no way. So I waited a little and asked what would he take for the gun. He came back from the office and said $650. He said that someone had offered them $650 and the boss turned it down, because he didn't like the guy so much. I had the money, but didn't want to be without extra for a week or two. I asked my friend if he would let me put it on layaway and he said yes. Most often they never cut the cost on items put on layaway. Now I was more then willing to spend the money on the gun, but the Squirrel in my head was telling me to push a little harder to get a better price. So I asked my friend to make sure that we were on the same track with the price. I said to him. " Now that is going to be $650 out the door even on layaway." He thought about it and then said. "OK" That put the gun at $593.61 before tax. I put $100 down and picked the gun up 12 days later and got them to knock another $30 off the price. I took pics as soon as I got home. You can see that someone spray painted it black without taking it apart. http://i41.tinypic.com/16h6z5c.jpg http://i43.tinypic.com/r01dts.jpg http://i44.tinypic.com/jv1awg.jpg http://i42.tinypic.com/2ykb7eb.jpg http://i40.tinypic.com/2zeiemw.jpg http://i43.tinypic.com/dy18j6.jpg http://i43.tinypic.com/317b790.jpg http://i42.tinypic.com/167wirs.jpg http://i39.tinypic.com/2uzffo2.jpg http://i41.tinypic.com/j6jqs8.jpg http://i44.tinypic.com/nb6ejd.jpg http://i44.tinypic.com/wvpdtc.jpg http://i41.tinypic.com/k33ujc.jpg http://i40.tinypic.com/349cj9x.jpg http://i43.tinypic.com/nlz8nm.jpg http://i41.tinypic.com/24yd4as.jpg http://i43.tinypic.com/m8feqx.jpg Here it is after the paint was removed. http://i43.tinypic.com/1gnmh3.jpg http://i42.tinypic.com/35iai4l.jpg I was about to order an original set of 1911 grips to finish off the gun then remembered that I had some old 1911 grips in my parts. I went to my work bench and started looking through my parts cabinet. And look at what I found. YES! An old set of GI 1911 grips. Woo Hoo!!!! http://i39.tinypic.com/90cd9s.jpg I cleaned then up. http://i40.tinypic.com/snz428.jpg Put some Tom's 1/3 Mix on them. http://i41.tinypic.com/2wmkmwz.jpg and then put them on the gun. http://i40.tinypic.com/k1uaue.jpg http://i44.tinypic.com/mc3pl3.jpg The SN# is 463024 which puts it being made in 1918. I had it appraised right after cleaning it up. Value was put at $1500. The gun had been reblued, but very well done. If it had not been reblued it would have been $2500. |
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1500 for a reblue.. generous appraisal. In collector eyes its a shooter only as a re-blue reflects that the finish is at 0% (0% because there is 0 original finish).
Great save though, but i think you would be hard pressed to get 1500 if you planned to sell, i would say its worth from my experience 750-900 tops. 1500 would be if the pistol was not disclosed as a reblue and the buyer was not informed. Don't get me wrong; i am elated you saved it, hope you.. enjoy it! Its nice to have a few shooters. I have a 1912 4 digit navy that was reblued sometime in 1930 or earlier.. with the mans name engraved on it.. not sure if i could get 1500 out of it. Be a great restoration project someday. 
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For a little less than $600 you did ok. In the ballpark. One thing to consider with WWI era 1911s is the soft steel slides, they can crack. Hardened slides didn't come along until WWII. Some shooting is ok, a box or two a year, but repeated range sessions of 500 rounds will take its toll on that gun. I would refinish it, but then I'm set up to do bluing here so it wouldn't cost me a fortune to do. For you, I'd leave it as is now. And good thing you trashed those ridiculous Hogue wraparound grips! |
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I've read that the circle S mark may be from a Sedgley refurbishment. Might be something to look into.
I would buy just about all the complete GI 1911's I could find at that price. It seems like scrubbed US Property ones are being priced higher than that these days. |
| You will easily get well over $1K for that pistol at auction, do not listen to the naysayers. Hell, a damn Colt 1944 A1 frame alone sold on Gunbroker this week for over $1K. You have a complete pistol there with all original parts and a high quality re-blue. You would be a sucker to sell it for $750. |
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You will easily get well over $1K for that pistol at auction, do not listen to the naysayers. Hell, a damn Colt 1944 A1 frame alone sold on Gunbroker this week for over $1K. You have a complete pistol there with all original parts and a high quality re-blue. You would be a sucker to sell it for $750. Yes from uniformed ,newbie sucker bidders |
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Yes from uniformed ,newbie sucker bidders I guess you have not noticed, but that is the market these days. For better or worse prices on collectables of all types are through the roof now. I see it in my profession (vintage automobiles), and the firearms avocation as well. In Europe for example, good condition Walther PPKs are $350~$475 pieces, and I mean good ones. You cannot find even a PP here for under $600 in any kind of decent shape, even if you are connected to a "good 'ol boy" network of collectors. Walther P5s are in the same boat. American collectable arms are even worse. The auction houses are driving the market. It's capitalism at work, why take $650 when you can get $1000+ ? Wth the exception of the rather unexceptional Mosin Nagant rifles, the good old days of arms collecting at reasonable prices are over. |
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Auctions you never know, as for value i stand by my statement. If its fully disclosed that this pistol is reblued if its for sale.. start it at 1500 and see if it moves. If it doesn't crank it down.... and then work your way down if it doesn't move.
In my opinion it really comes down to this - if you do plan on selling; are you an honest seller;? A seller who will fully disclosure that its a re-blue and that the pistol no longer has its original finish. Alot of newbies would not know and think they are getting a steal at 1500. Thats why i initially said the 1500 appraisal was 500+ generous. |
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Just to ley y'all know, I have no plans to sell the pistol. Most likely it will go to one of my kids.
Over the last two years I have taken it to the range a few times. All that I shoot in it is light loaded 230 gr LRN in it. (Bunny Farts). I an amazed that no one pointed out the fact that this pistol is a Black Army,. Now I did say that it was appraised at $1500, but never said it was worth $1500. I know that it could bring $1000 or more at auction, but that is nither here or there because I don't plan to sale it. |
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Quoted:
Just to ley y'all know, I have no plans to sell the pistol. Most likely it will go to one of my kids. Over the last two years I have taken it to the range a few times. All that I shoot in it is light loaded 230 gr LRN in it. (Bunny Farts). I an amazed that no one pointed out the fact that this pistol is a Black Army,. Now I did say that it was appraised at $1500, but never said it was worth $1500. I know that it could bring $1000 or more at auction, but that is nither here or there because I don't plan to sale it. Sounds like a good plan for it. |
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Quoted:
1500 for a reblue.. generous appraisal. In collector eyes its a shooter only as a re-blue reflects that the finish is at 0% (0% because there is 0 original finish). Great save though, but i think you would be hard pressed to get 1500 if you planned to sell, i would say its worth from my experience 750-900 tops. 1500 would be if the pistol was not disclosed as a reblue and the buyer was not informed. Don't get me wrong; i am elated you saved it, hope you.. enjoy it! Its nice to have a few shooters. I have a 1912 4 digit navy that was reblued sometime in 1930 or earlier.. with the mans name engraved on it.. not sure if i could get 1500 out of it. Be a great restoration project someday. https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8512/8471777078_00b0aa5bf7_b.jpg https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8390/8471776964_50cf4e04ce_b.jpg It always nice to own any 1911 
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Quoted:
It always nice to own any 1911
http://www.adcofirearms.com/junkpics/ww1colt.jpg http://www.adcofirearms.com/junkpics/1911.jpg Quoted:
Quoted:
1500 for a reblue.. generous appraisal. In collector eyes its a shooter only as a re-blue reflects that the finish is at 0% (0% because there is 0 original finish). Great save though, but i think you would be hard pressed to get 1500 if you planned to sell, i would say its worth from my experience 750-900 tops. 1500 would be if the pistol was not disclosed as a reblue and the buyer was not informed. Don't get me wrong; i am elated you saved it, hope you.. enjoy it! Its nice to have a few shooters. I have a 1912 4 digit navy that was reblued sometime in 1930 or earlier.. with the mans name engraved on it.. not sure if i could get 1500 out of it. Be a great restoration project someday. https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8512/8471777078_00b0aa5bf7_b.jpg https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8390/8471776964_50cf4e04ce_b.jpg It always nice to own any 1911
http://www.adcofirearms.com/junkpics/ww1colt.jpg http://www.adcofirearms.com/junkpics/1911.jpg You an't lieing 
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