Sure wish my 1911 was a Singer
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charlie sherrill
SWCA Member
Somebody had more money than sense.
DWalt
Member
I think everyone knows how rare and desirable a Singer 1911A1 is, but I would never have dreamed one would bring that much (plus buyer's premium, I suppose). About 35 years ago I passed up one for $2000. I wish I hadn't.
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I have a singer that I am willing to trade you for your beautiful 1911. With it you can fabricate the strap missing form the writing set as well. LOL!
I suppose that if you offer it for sale and someone actually buys it for that price, then it's "worth" that--at least on that particular occasion. My somewhat dated 8th edition of Flayderman puts it at $10,000 in excellent condition. Personally I agree with the "more money than sense" comment.
I have always liked 1911s, and having read the Bady book I knew that some were rare birds. Around 1972 I had just gotten in on the ground floor of my illustrious career and noticed an ad in the Shotgun News for a North American 1991 back in Michigan, priced at $1200. That was fairly big bucks in those days and I passed on it. As my finances improved, so did the asking price for the very rare North American pistols. The same Flayderman book now puts it at $14,000; they might be going higher now if and when they show up. Eventually I decided I was never going to nail one down and moved on. I have seen one real one and photos of a couple more. Supposedly fewer than 100 pre-production ones were made.
I once heard that Paul Harvey told the story of a bank robber in Canada who held up a bank with a 1911. He claimed that when he was arrested and the details known that the pistol itself was worth far more than his take from the bank. Sounds like it might well have been a North American!
Be that as it may, I always take a quick look at ANY 1911s I run across. Hope springs forever and all that sort of thing...
I have always liked 1911s, and having read the Bady book I knew that some were rare birds. Around 1972 I had just gotten in on the ground floor of my illustrious career and noticed an ad in the Shotgun News for a North American 1991 back in Michigan, priced at $1200. That was fairly big bucks in those days and I passed on it. As my finances improved, so did the asking price for the very rare North American pistols. The same Flayderman book now puts it at $14,000; they might be going higher now if and when they show up. Eventually I decided I was never going to nail one down and moved on. I have seen one real one and photos of a couple more. Supposedly fewer than 100 pre-production ones were made.
I once heard that Paul Harvey told the story of a bank robber in Canada who held up a bank with a 1911. He claimed that when he was arrested and the details known that the pistol itself was worth far more than his take from the bank. Sounds like it might well have been a North American!
Be that as it may, I always take a quick look at ANY 1911s I run across. Hope springs forever and all that sort of thing...
westcoast362
Member
Twenty eight thousand dollars of buyer's premium. wow!
mc5aw
Member
For $145K, that Singer better sing some show tunes AND flawlessly cycle ball ammo.
Fishslayer
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
If I had the disposable income I would be on that. C'mon. Who amongst us wouldn't like to own the ultimate comebacker?
It'd be kinda like Neil Armstrong at a party...
"I'm a neurosurgeon."
"I'm an airline pilot."
(Casual stretch) "I walked on the moon."
"Check out my Singer 1911."
It'd be kinda like Neil Armstrong at a party...
"I'm a neurosurgeon."
"I'm an airline pilot."
(Casual stretch) "I walked on the moon."
"Check out my Singer 1911."
Vulcan Bob
Member
Almost had one, when I just turned twentyone I was shopping for my first .45 automatic at Funks Sporting Goods outside of State Collage Pa. An old farmer type pulled me aside and stated that he seen me looking at the new Colts and said he had a .45 he was going to trade for a deer rifle and would I like to see it before he traded and maybe we could both get a better deal. Well we went out to his truck and he showed me an military 1911, now this was before I knew anything about the wide world of 1911's let alone collectors items. Well I looked it over and seen Singer on it and told him, thanks but I had my heart set on a real Colt. Later I found out what I had passed up! Now this is an honest to God real story and my biggest one that got away! Needless to say I wish I had bought and kept it!
A postscript, Weather it was Marked Singer or just had the S isnt clear any more, (it was in 1975) the fellow did tell me it was a Singer and I took it as such at the time, who knows maybe they were fakeing them out even then. The Firearms Value book I later had said the value of a Singer was $500.00 in any condition, a bunch of money at the time!
A postscript, Weather it was Marked Singer or just had the S isnt clear any more, (it was in 1975) the fellow did tell me it was a Singer and I took it as such at the time, who knows maybe they were fakeing them out even then. The Firearms Value book I later had said the value of a Singer was $500.00 in any condition, a bunch of money at the time!
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tom turner
US Veteran
I nearly snagged one too when I was first getting into handguns. I had my heart set on a gorgeous, 1st gen. Colt Combat Elite and mentioned it to a class I was teaching.
One of the students was an older gentleman . . . retired Army E8. He told me on break that he had two 1911s from his time in the service and he only needed one.
He was willing to sell the one made by the Singer Sewing Machine company. Naturally, I wasn't interested since I didn't know what it was. Mentioning it to my brother the next week, I quickly learned what I'd passed up!!!
I called the guy, who'd returned to his hometown in another state after the training . . . but he'd talked to some folks and decided to "keep it." True story . . . from 1993-94.
I ended up buying the Combat Elite . . . but I almost snared a Singer!
One of the students was an older gentleman . . . retired Army E8. He told me on break that he had two 1911s from his time in the service and he only needed one.
He was willing to sell the one made by the Singer Sewing Machine company. Naturally, I wasn't interested since I didn't know what it was. Mentioning it to my brother the next week, I quickly learned what I'd passed up!!!
I called the guy, who'd returned to his hometown in another state after the training . . . but he'd talked to some folks and decided to "keep it." True story . . . from 1993-94.
I ended up buying the Combat Elite . . . but I almost snared a Singer!
"I'm just a singer in a rock and roll band" la la la la la
http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/261871-1911-made-singer.html
http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/261871-1911-made-singer.html
A few months back, I was playing with a Union Switch and Signal. Not a Singer, but still. I put a new recoil spring in for the owner as he carries the USS daily!! He is older and didn't have the best holster and it hit the ground three times in two weeks of traveling......
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