Smith & Wesson Forum

Go Back   Smith & Wesson Forum > General Topics > Firearms & Knives: Other Brands & General Gun Topics
o

Notices

Firearms & Knives: Other Brands & General Gun Topics Post Your General Gun Topics and Non-S&W Gun and Blade Topics Here


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12-12-2010, 11:53 PM
GatorFarmer GatorFarmer is offline
Junior Member
Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943?  
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Sheridan, Wyoming
Posts: 5,333
Likes: 159
Liked 3,889 Times in 1,361 Posts
Default Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943?

I might have a lead on trading into a nice gun for young Mason. Not the Colt D frame that I thought about getting him, but still a Colt. I haven't kept up on such things, hence I must inquire - what would the going rate be for a 1943 Colt 1911A1 pistol, U.S. Army marked, stated to be in 95 percent condition - minor wear etc, with original grips, magazine and such?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12-13-2010, 12:05 AM
charlie sherrill charlie sherrill is offline
SWCA Member
Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943?  
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Brooklyn,Ms. 39425
Posts: 4,793
Likes: 2,422
Liked 9,440 Times in 2,048 Posts
Default

Most of the ones I have seen are $1,000.00 and up. Sometimes way up. You need to research serial numbers also. Some are worth a lot more than others. Make sure it also has a Colt frame. These are often mixed with other makers indicating a rearsenal and lower value. Lots of GI's and Guardsmen built 1911's with aftermarket frames (Essex comes to mind) and GI parts. They could "borrow" everything but the frame (that's where the serial number lives) and put together a nice shootable gun. The values on these things are as complicated as S&W's and others. Do some research and then talk with someone more knowledgible than me.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12-13-2010, 06:17 AM
fat tom's Avatar
fat tom fat tom is offline
Absent Comrade
Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943?  
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Central South Carolina
Posts: 7,215
Likes: 6,581
Liked 12,383 Times in 2,810 Posts
Default

As Charlie advised,you really need to talk to someone who knows about them. Replaced parts is common and really affects the value. If it's all original Colt,somewhere between $1500 and $1800 would be my guess.
f.t.
__________________
South Carolina-God's country
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12-13-2010, 06:32 AM
oldman45 oldman45 is offline
Member
Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943?  
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 3,973
Likes: 95
Liked 336 Times in 138 Posts
Default

I passed on one last week at the indoor range at which I belong. It was in what I would call avg condition, had the government markings on it. The man wanted $2,500 for it but admitted he might come down a couple hundred.

I was not even tempted. At that price, I could buy a nicer gun that would be a lot newer and in way better shape as well has have some improvements over a war issue.

We in the older group may feel nostalgic about the war and it's souveniers but the younger set is not wanting war relics. My heirs would not have felt it worth anything and would have sold it for trash value. Even my gun shooting daughter does not like my older guns.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12-13-2010, 07:01 AM
LoboGunLeather's Avatar
LoboGunLeather LoboGunLeather is offline
US Veteran
Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943?  
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Colorado
Posts: 7,518
Likes: 19,273
Liked 32,340 Times in 5,474 Posts
Default

Condition is everything. Not just current condition, but is everything in original condition?

Many, if not most, of the 1911 and 1911A1 pistols in military inventories went through various levels of maintenance during their service lives. Maintenance may have been at unit level, armorer level, depot level, or arsenal level. Maintenance may have ranged from field-stripping and cleaning, to detail stripping and repairs, to arsenal re-builds.

Depending upon the level of maintenance, keeping each pistol together with all of its original parts was not always done. Every part in every pistol must be interchangeable to meet contract requirements, and pistols were made by Colt, Remington-UMC, Springfield Armory, North American Arms, Remington-Rand, Ithaca, Union Switch & Signal, and Singer. At the arsenal and depot levels it was not unusual to have hundreds of pistols stripped down, inspected, repairs made, parts replaced, then re-assembled at random from bins full of frames, slides, barrels, etc.

Most of the pistols released as surplus property through DCM were arsenal rebuilds, reparkerized "mixmasters" with parts from multiple manufacturers. Some of these will have arsenal markings to indicate the overhaul, some will not.

For these reasons, truly original pistols (all original parts, unaltered, not refinished) bring premium prices from collectors. Also because of this, there has been quite a lot of tinkering with surplus GI pistols, salvaging parts from several to assemble pistols with "correct" parts to simulate an "original" piece. Outright frauds will be encountered as well.

Knowing what you are looking at can be a real challenge, and without considerable research it can be difficult for a knowledgeable collector to be absolutely sure when examining a piece offered for sale.

A 1943 vintage M1911A1 with all original parts, no modifications, no refinishing, etc, in 90-95% condition will probably bring between $1200 and $2000 today, depending largely on the collector and his need to fill that slot in his collection.

A rebuilt piece with all correct GI parts in similar condition might bring $500 to $800.

An arsenal overhaul "mixmaster" in similar condition might bring about $600.

There are some wild cards in the deck, though. Some of the "mixmasters" will contain individual parts that could bring unusually high prices due to rarity and demand. Also, various Ordnance Department inspectors' markings are more rare than others, so a "so-so" pistol with an unusual marking might bring a premium price.

There are even some rare magazines that can be worth hundreds of dollars to the right collector.

A very specialized field, and one in which it is easy to make mistakes.
Reply With Quote
The Following User Likes This Post:
  #6  
Old 12-13-2010, 11:23 PM
GatorFarmer GatorFarmer is offline
Junior Member
Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943?  
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Sheridan, Wyoming
Posts: 5,333
Likes: 159
Liked 3,889 Times in 1,361 Posts
Default

Thanks guys. I'll likely get in over my head, but I'm only out a modest accumulation of Glocks and such if I make the swap. My theory being that if I mess up, well, not like I can't get more Glocks one day. In theory U.S. military arms ought hold their value, since Civil War and other period arms from wars long faded into living memory are still sought after. Worst case at least a WW2 vintage .45 ought still be no worse a weapon now than it was then.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-14-2010, 10:51 AM
reddogge's Avatar
reddogge reddogge is offline
Member
Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943?  
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Finksburg, MD
Posts: 1,209
Likes: 443
Liked 900 Times in 379 Posts
Default

LoboGunLeather has pretty much covered it. Be careful. If the gun is what you say you can't go wrong for $1,000 but cheaper would be safer. If any evidence of refinishing is present 1/2 that amount. Only drawback to 1911A1s is they aren't good for doing tons of shooting because all value will go down the drain with a cracked slide.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-14-2010, 11:50 AM
JohnnieB's Avatar
JohnnieB JohnnieB is offline
US Veteran
Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943? Price Check on a WW2 Colt 1911 mfg in 1943?  
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 672
Likes: 0
Liked 30 Times in 17 Posts
Default

My knowledge about GI 1911's is more or less limited to those made by Remington-Rand, but some of the ones made during WWII had some metallurgy issues and shouldn't be used as a shooter. (Fortunately, the one I have was built in 1945 and was properly heat treated. )

I'm not sure if that caveat applies to the ones made by Colt during the war years or not, but it is something to check out if the gun is going to be used very much.

I am definitely all for preserving a piece of history, but rather than buying an actual WWII era classic for a young man to shoot, I would be more inclined to buy him a modern replica of the classic 1911A1.

Personally, there is a Rock Island Arsenal with an arched mainspring housing that has been trying to follow me home so I'll stop shooting my period correct R-R.
(Note to the collectors having chest pains, I mostly shoot revolvers now that I've I started having trouble racking the slides on bottomfeeders.)

John
__________________
Age + Treachery = JohnnieB

Last edited by JohnnieB; 12-14-2010 at 11:57 AM. Reason: added note
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
1911, colt, ithaca, leather, military, parkerized, remington, sig arms, springfield, umc, wwii

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
My first 1911 is a 1943 Colt 1911A1 bengal fan Firearms & Knives: Other Brands & General Gun Topics 22 04-25-2017 01:51 PM
Price check on Colt Viper and Colt Commando M2A2 Firearms & Knives: Other Brands & General Gun Topics 23 04-04-2017 09:27 PM
1943 Colt's 1911 A1 MP1983 Firearms & Knives: Other Brands & General Gun Topics 12 03-18-2016 07:30 PM
FS:SOLD__ Colt USGI 1911-A-1 matching slide 1943-NICE Rig GA.Price Drop-$1900 Waltherman GUNS - For Sale or Trade 1 08-05-2010 04:36 PM

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
smith-wessonforum.com tested by Norton Internet Security smith-wessonforum.com tested by McAfee Internet Security

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:08 AM.


Smith-WessonForum.com is not affiliated with Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select: SWHC)