Fellow members

I hav a price question. This is for a NIB SW 1911 billboard with JRE code. Fired case date has year 2003. What is a reasonable price for this gun. I believe it was from the performance center. It is a 5" 45

Thanks

Hello and welcome to the forum. I have not owned nor handled a "billboard" (my two are a bit later) model but heard only good things about them from those that have. Yes, they are rumored to have been assembled in the Performance Center and are great pistols.

If it's NIB then one needs to consider what a new current model goes for and decide if you are willing to pay that for a NOS version. My take would be somewhere around the $800 mark is a good place to start and go up or down from there wherever your heart and wallet take you! Let us know what you decide.

I own 2 Billboards. First is JRD778X which dates October 2003. Second is JRE845x. The first year (JRD prefix) are the ones that are rumored to be assembled by the Performance center crew but rumored to only be in the first 1000 of the serial number run. After that, and the second year (prefix JRE) were done by the normal line.
If it is NIB (with matching box and everything) for a second year, I'd put it at $700-$900 depending how badly I wanted one. If it was in the first 1000 produced, I would say $1000-$1200.

I have one - JDR685X and it has the Briley barrel. It's a tack driver. I had to send it back to S&W for some work recently that they cheerfully performed free of charge. My only modifications are a SS Smith and Alexander arched mainspring housing/magwell and Crimson Trace Lasergrips. Lovely pistol.It's safemate is a Gunsite Edition.

The "Billboard" was a "grail gun" of mine for years. I have my 1911's now and have since moved on. I agree with the above $1,000 to $1,200. About 12 years ago, I saw two available for $799 each at a gun show. That, I suppose, was my opportunity.

I still have one I bought in early 2005 new from a LGS for about $800. The fired case is dated in 2004. It is SN JRE6xxx. The fit and finish are very nice on it.



I put new grips in Carbon fiber from Carbon Creations on it. The original stocks are in the box it came in. A couple things to think about when comparing it to a new E Series is it does have the thinner external extractor and it has the mechanical firing pin safety which is based off the grip safety and was developed in house at S&W by Mochek?

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I know of an as new (well, advertised as such) JRD for $775, PM me for details.

FWIW, I paid $700 for a used JRD, the only thing wrong with it was the grip screws and grip screw bushings needed to be replaced.

The S&W Billboard 1911 was a must have for me. I recently added a JRD04xx ANIB to the collection. It is a "tack" driver. One of the sweetest shooting auto pistols I have.

What's so special about these older models SW1911s with the so-called "Billboard" slide markings anyway? I'm used to seeing folks asking how to remove such markings.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.