Mixmaster Value Question for WWII 1911 A1 Collectors

bill-in-texas

bill-in-texas

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I'll post some pictures, as soon as I can. ;)

I put a parkerized 1911 A1 on lay-away. It has a Union Switch & Signal Frame with a Colt slide having the later (1914-1945) patent dates and non-circled rampant colt in middle of slide.

I realize condition is everything, and without pictures condition is impossible to ascertain. Pending pictures being posted, let's call condition a 6 out of 10.
The take-down lever is not the checkered type seen on USS, rather a serrated type that appears, to me anyway, to be Ithaca. Otherwise on the frame, the short trigger looks like USS, as well as the arched MSH. Typical marks: RCD in circle, proof marks on frame, slide, & barrel, etc. Colt slide with later marks, as previously noted; Gothic "COLT .45 AUTO" on left side of barrel hood. (No arsenal rebuild markings, that I could see.) Early Keyes stocks w/o reinforcing rings. Screws are not buggered, btw.

I understand individual components have to be identified to maker and readers here don't have that information. Again, pictures are forthcoming.

My question: Does $1,300 seem reasonable?

TIA,

-Bill
 
I've never understood the appeal of these WWII mixmasters. There's zero originality and little military history/provenance since they're just an assembly of parts. The parkerized finishes are, frankly, pretty ugly. Now, a WWI era 1911 (pre 1911a1) as issued and with the nice commercial quality high polish bluing? That's a different matter!
Additionally, those older WWI era 1911s oftenshoot pretty good. The WWII parkerized mixmasters usually shoot very poorly.

One other big factor to consider is that all these parts have been picked over, over, and over again by all the various military marksmanship armorers and gunsmiths. The parts that are left that they are assembling these "stray dogs" from is basically picked over junk.
 
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6string said:
I've never understood the appeal of these WWII mixmasters. There's zero originality and little military history/provenance since their just an assembly of parts. The parkerized finishes are, frankly, pretty ugly. Now, a WWI era 1911 (pre 1911a1) as issued and with the nice commercial quality high polish bluing? That's a different matter!
Additionally, those older WWI era 1911s oftenshoot pretty good. The WWII parkerized mixmasters usually shoot very poorly.

One other big factor to consider is that all these parts have been picked over, over, and over again by all the various military marksmanship armorers and gunsmiths. The parts that are left that they are assembling these "stray dogs" from is basically picked over junk.
Click to expand...


The collector versions are few and far between the Mixmaster's are much more common. Why, well the unmolested original guns did not usually see much service and very little field use. The Mixmaster's saw lots of use and because of that were rebuilt on a fairly regular basis. If the Mixmaster's could talk they could tell much more history than most of the collectors pieces The M1911A1's that I used in the Corps were possibly in combat in WW II, Korea and Viet Nam. The parts that were used to rebuild the M1911A1's were either acceptable for rebuilding or brand new parts.

When the military stored the M1911A1's after bringing the Beretta M9's on line, they were completely rebuilt and reparked. The Navy rebuilt all their pistols and the ones from the Corps. This was accomplished at NWS Crane, they hired 50 extra gunsmiths to do the rebuilding. Any frames that did not meet specs were destroyed as were any other parts. They were then preserved and packed away in the War Stores.

I was assigned to teach/train the auxiliary security force for Naval Station Long Beach, Ca. I ordered 50 M1911A1's to arm them with. What came in looked to be NIB, functioned well and shot well
 
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alwslate said:
As said above, a lot more than I would pay. Better guns for shooting can be had for a whole lot less.
Click to expand...

That they can be. Picked up a beater grade Colt at the LGS. It had a NM Barrel, NM Bushing and a slide that had no play in it. Paid $500 for it. Will shoot the Ten Ring out if you can hold it.
 
Back in the 80”s and 90”s gun shows were filled with tables loaded with boxes of spare 1911 parts, as well as Garand and M1 carbine parts. Many guys had a hobby of digging through these parts and assembling “original” military arms. I would wager that most “original” 1911 A1s are indeed mixmasters as well, that just happen to be put together using “correct” parts for whatever manufacturer happens to be stamped on the receiver and slide.
 
OP, “ does $1300 seem reasonable?” The time to think about selling a gun is when you are thinking about buying it. Ask yourself this question. If you decide to sell it in a few years for some reason do you really think you can find someone willing to give you $1300 for it???
 
Thank you everyone for the replies and opinions. Fortunately for me, I’ve got just $20 down that can be returned at my request. I buy enough from these folks that they afford me the option. I appreciate everyone’s input because of the varied experiences shared here.

My experience with the 1911 A1 begins in 1986 in the 82nd Airborne. I wish I had the resources back then to document all the distinctions among our inventory of “old .45s.” Old workhorses like this one served us well in the real world, so forgive my sentimentality. (Oh, if I could only time-travel!)

-Bill

A Few Mediocre Pics…












 
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Ah 1911A1's, like M1 Carbines and Garands, many thousands out there that were put together or put back together in "as issued" condition. When was the last time anyone saw a $500 1911A1 with all GI parts? Been awhile for me. Really these days $1300 for a 1911A1 mixmaster with all GI parts is not out of line. Most CMP 1911A1's are "mixmasters". Then there are the WWII rebuilds, they used to be shunned by collectors as mixmasters. I had my first 1911A1, a 1943 Remington Rand when I was 17 back in 1979, had a few since, only have one GI now, one of the WWII "mixmasters"



 
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Looks good to me. Don't be too quick to write it off. During WWII each division had an ordnance company / unit behind the lines that refurbished small arms to get them reissued to the combat soldiers. Broken, battlefield pickups, etc. needing repair were sent back to these units. All US small arms were required to have interchangeable parts regardless of the various manufacturer.

Ernie Pyle, the great WWII correspondent, in his war time book "Brave Men" Chapter 31 - "Ordnance", spent time with an ordnance company in France in 1944. He describes in detail how truckloads of rusty, muddy, broken rifles / pistols, etc. would be brought in. They would be disassembled in mass, broken parts thrown away and all useable parts of the same type put into different large bins for cleaning. Then after that the ordnance guys would go down the line picking parts out of the bins and assemble useable weapons to be reissued. So a "mix-master" without arsenal rebuild stamps might be one rebuilt in the field during the war and brought back.
 
VaTom said:
Looks good to me. Don't be too quick to write it off. During WWII each division had an ordnance company / unit behind the lines that refurbished small arms to get them reissued to the combat soldiers. Broken, battlefield pickups, etc. needing repair were sent back to these units. All US small arms were required to have interchangeable parts regardless of the various manufacturer.

Ernie Pyle, the great WWII correspondent, in his war time book "Brave Men" Chapter 31 - "Ordnance", spent time with an ordnance company in France in 1944. He describes in detail how truckloads of rusty, muddy, broken rifles / pistols, etc. would be brought in. They would be disassembled in mass, broken parts thrown away and all useable parts of the same type put into different large bins for cleaning. Then after that the ordnance guys would go down the line picking parts out of the bins and assemble useable weapons to be reissued. So a "mix-master" without arsenal rebuild stamps might be one rebuilt in the field during the war and brought back.
Click to expand...


Tom,

This is what I was attempting to get across in my Post. The mixmaster's possibly have more history wrapped up in them then the collector's pieces do.

AJ
 
There’s nothing wrong with a USGI pistol like that.
$1300 is a very fair sales price.
I paid $1000 plus shipping for one 10 years ago and I absolutely love the pistol. It’s wear and feel are great.
I have others that are perfect but to nice to shoot.

The mix master pistols are great because you can use them.
I’d buy that pistol.

For what it’s worth, when I bought the pistol for a grand, guys said that was to much. Kept going on about $500 pistols being available.
Well I can tell you that the honey hole of $500 USGI 1911’s might have existed 20+ years ago but the existence of such deals are a myth. They haven’t made the pistols for 77 years.
They never go down in value.
 
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As said above a lot more history in a well used 1911 instead of one that spent its career in a drawer.
I have Mod 10 RHKP that has lots of “character”. Freckles, bald spots, nearly black stocks. I know it’s seen a lot. And I like it for that.
How can you tell if it was rebuilt in the field or by some Bubba in a garage?
 
as the OP probably already knows the US&S 1911a1 is only second rarest to the Singer... I have zero current market value sense, but doesn't feel wrong to me..
 
1300.00 is about right, honestly. Matching slide/frame pistols are running over 2k. And since its a mixmaster, run with that theme and mix a US&S slide and HS barrel back onto it, and see how that treats your value.
 
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