Singer 1911a1

[arjay]

A Singer has popped up on that auction site that I waste too much time on with an opening bid of 40k.
It has the wrong magazine so I'm out,but I thought I'd let you all know

 

[CZU]

I already have 2 so I will probably pass and give somebody else a chance.

 

[Kurusu]

My Ma has one. It was from my Grandma.

Ha! You mean a 1911A1 pistol.

Too rich for me.

 

[DWalt]

That may be the same Singer that was up for sale at a well-known auction house in Illinois early last year. Maybe it didn't sell then. As I remember the estimate for that one was over $50K, but I don't remember the exact amount. I don't remember any mention made of an incorrect magazine. Did Singer make their magazines, and if so, what distinguished them?

 

[cadmike]

That’s a nice gun but they want $100 for shipping, I’ll have to pass.

 

[H Richard]

But how does it shoot? It needs a memory bump beaver-tail safety and night sights. (Oh, yeah, sure).

 

[SPEEDGUNNER]

Look at the closeup of the serial number.

Is it my imagination, or the photo, but it appears to be bowed.

 

[S&W ucla]

Seems like an extremely fine one went for $414,000 IIRC not too long ago.

 

[Valmet]

That one seems to hange hands every few years...smells awfully bad to me. I’m convinced that the majority out there are fakes.

Seems like there is always a “mint” Singer for sale somewhere.

 

[HARDWARE]

I spent a lot of money on a Colt, RR, and Ithaca. I wish I had gone ahead and bit the bullet on an US&S first off. Now it's getting out of reach

 

[Watchdog]

Look at the closeup of the serial number.

Okay. What about it?

 

[slabsides52]

Singer 1911A1

I believe this is listed by a family run shop in Charlotte, NC, that has been around since I was a kid. It was coin shop started by the father of the current manager and later added selling guns as a sideline. Today, it is a rather large shop with multiple employees, and was still managed by the original shop owner's son and widow the last time I was there. To the best of my knowledge, they have always had a good reputation. I used to stop in regularly when traveling thru Charlotte, as there were some unique pre-owned firearms, and the latest in new firearms on display. With the advent of Gunbroker, the really neat used stuff was listed on-line rather than sold in the shop. I finally quit going out of my way to visit them, as the stuff I was interested in was not on display, listed on Gunbroker.

Before then, I purchased a few guns there, transferring the handguns thru a local FFL, and inspected a few for friends that also used a local FFL to transfer. I do not remember any issues coming up, they were always good people to work with.

I found two of my "Pride and Joys" there in the mid-eighties, a 1941 date Colt 1911A1 in 90% condition, and a WWI Springfield Armory 1911 in 75%-80% condition, both were on consignment. Both are still in my gun safe.

As always, Buyer Beware and do research carefully on an item like this, but I think they have enough experience and knowledge and would not knowingly misrepresent an item. That being said, even at the starting price, that jewel is way out of my league.

 

[dave1918a2]

As far as I know Singer never made a magazine. The guns had serial numbers S800001 thru S800500 and it is highly recommended that the frame and slide be x-rayed for fake over stamp numbers.

 

[Watchdog]

I held this pistol in my hands last week, before it ever was put up for sale. My gunsmith friend got it out of the safe to show it to me...we're both fans of 1911s and 1911A1s.

It's a beautiful pistol, that's for sure. It's a cryin' shame some dipweed scratched his initials on the right side of the frame, just under the "1911 A1" stamp. Other than that, it's in really nice shape.

The barrel is correct, having only the "P" mark on the lug.

I'm far from being an expert on 1911A1s...it's an ongoing learning process for me, just as it is with Smiths. The pistol appears correct to me, except for the Colt magazine, of course. If an original magazine could be found, it'd cost a pretty penny, and I'm not sure how someone could prove it's an original. I believe Singer used magazines from Little Mfg. and Risdon Mfg., but not sure. I do know the mags were blued...not two-tone.

I think (that means it's my opinion) Singers have the most beautiful finish of all the WWII 1911A1s, followed closely by the pistols made by Union Switch & Signal.

Even though I know it's what we'd call "standard" work, and it's found on thousands of A1s by other companies (the 1943 Remington Rands, for instance), the checkering on this pistol's hammer spur and MSH is really pretty. Ditto for the slide stop and safety. There isn't a whole lot of wear on this pistol.

I never thought I'd see one of these, much less hold one in my hands.

 

[Watchdog]

I spent a lot of money on a Colt, RR, and Ithaca. I wish I had gone ahead and bit the bullet on an US&S first off. Now it's getting out of reach

You're right about that. The cheapest I've seen a US&S go for recently was $4025.00 on February 18 of this year.

 

[HARDWARE]

You're right about that. The cheapest I've seen a US&S go for recently was $4025.00 on February 18 of this year.

i passed on one that recently went for a little over 5K. number one, i didnt have it.. and secondly, thats a bit out of my comfort zone. i start gettin shaky close to 4K

 

[pmanton]

My DCM NRA 1911 purchased way back when was a US&S. I promptly had it refinished, S&W sights milled into the slide, trigger work, etc.
I think it was about $20.00 or so.

 

[Watchdog]

That one seems to hange hands every few years...smells awfully bad to me.

Are you talking about the pistol that's the subject of this thread? If so, do you have some links that point to it changing hands "every few years"? Or some personal knowledge about the gun and the people who have owned it?

I’m convinced that the majority out there are fakes.

What's brought you to that conclusion?

Seems like there is always a “mint” Singer for sale somewhere.

Well, I sure haven't seen that many come up for sale. And again, if you're referring to the pistol in this thread, no one is even hinting that the pistol is mint.

 

[Watchdog]

My DCM NRA 1911 purchased way back when was a US&S. I promptly had it refinished, S&W sights milled into the slide, trigger work, etc.
I think it was about $20.00 or so.

Ouch. You do know now, don't you, that if you'd left it factory, it'd be worth thousands?

 

[Watchdog]

That may be the same Singer that was up for sale at a well-known auction house in Illinois early last year. Maybe it didn't sell then. As I remember the estimate for that one was over $50K, but I don't remember the exact amount.

I don't think so. The only Singer that auction house shows was sold in 2010 for $80K. It had good provenance and was also serial number S800001.