The CMP 1911A1 Lottery - some ? and observations

[cmansguns]

This is really posted for those of you that entered, and received your CMP 1911A1's.

I have recently (very recently) come across 2 that are for sale, complete with the paperwork, the hard case and magazines (yea...plural....at least 2, some times 3 or 4). In each case these are unfired, and received also within the last 6 months (or less).

All look nice, fresh Parkerizing, roll marks, & logos still fairly clear, no pitting evidence, all appear to be professional rebuilds (but not marked for individual arsenals). All 3 are mix-masters for parts and mags

All I saw are noted as "Service Grade".

Prices are $1000 to $1200 firm.

So...……...what gives?

Do you think a high percentage of Buyers were just looking to flip for a profit? Is there a profit to be made? (I don't recall the price CMP was charging for those Lotto winners). I didn't enter the lotto because I've already had all correct Colts, Ithaca's Remington Rand's, low number Argentinian's and I thought that the buyers of these would be mostly people (collectors or shooters) that just didn't have the $2500 & up that the real thing from WWII was bringing these days. I must have been wrong in my assumptions because these are now showing up quite a bit in my opinion.

I know they have been reparked (or at least refinished somehow) because not one of the three I saw recently has any evidence of the tell-tale idiot mark, and two owners readily admitted they had not even field stripped, just were not interested after they got it.

I have seen most of the posts on this Forum from you guys that got yours, and you seem thrilled to own them, and they look really nice. I'm not saying I want one, I've still got my all correct Ithaca so I'm happy....but what say some of you as to a Lotto winner dumping the gun almost as soon as they receive it?

Buyer remorse?

Did CMP contract with someone to rebuild (or repark only) these

 

[sigp220.45]

The service grades are $1050.

I purposely selected the field grade because I didn’t want one of the reparked service grades. CMP didn’t have them refinished, they came from the Army that way. They were reworked in the 70s and just put away.

A friend got a low lottery number and got a service grade with a Colt frame and an unmarked replacement slide. It had been reparked and packed away. He is a Vietnam vet and was disappointed he didn’t get a gun that looked like it had been around doing war-gun stuff.

Mine (a RR slide and frame) had exactly the look I wanted.

 

[austintexas]

I bought one second hand, '43 colt W/RR slide, post war bbl and magazine, Why? because I missed the Lottery and I wanted one. I believe they will become a nitch collectors item ( at my age I won't see the profit). I'll use it as a nice shooter and give my 1912,1916 and 1944 colts a rest. The gentleman I bought mine from Didn't make much profit if any. I think I paid $1200 shipped. I think the service grades were $1050 then the ffl fees to pick up. This will go along with my DCM Garand ($165) and carbine ( $21 I think)
SWCA 892

 

[Dave from Pa]

We received 2 CMP 1911a1`s in the first round.Prices were 850 Rack,950 Field,1050 Service.All were rebuilt at various arsenals.Overall both our pistols are good shooters. One has a replacement slide, and to be honest if seen at a gun show I would never give them a second look.They are nice for someone who wants a GI pistol for an affordable price but as far as high grade collectors they are not.Are they worth the price CMP asked, yes will they climb in price as time goes on I do not think so but I may be wrong.The CMP is on the second batch of 8000 pistols and I believe they are up to number 13000 or so.Within the next 6 months the market will have 16000 more pistols in it for collectors and shooters which is good.I think some of the pistols being resold are from people who expected more.Some others because they need money due to the current pandemic and a few from profiteers.There are a lot of nice 1911`s out there but they are priced accordingly.It all depends on how much you have to spend.

 

[hkcavalier]

I got a Service grade in early 2019. I don't understand the flippers much, why do all that work to make $100-$200?

Had I known what I know now, I would have opted for a lower grade gun. I don't know why CMP considers a reparked gun "better" than a similar gun that looks war-used.

 

[Grayfox]

Yes, sadly there were some people who purchased CMP 1911s for the sole purpose of flipping them. However, they would be asking much higher prices than you saw listed.
Many of the guns received were fresh from arsenal rebuilds, put into storage, never re-issued and look brand new. Some collectors who got one were disappointed as they really wanted a pistol that showed some service use and wear. One that had been there and done that so to speak. Maybe that's the case with the ones you saw.
However, I'm more inclined to agree with Dave from PA. With pretty much the whole world shut down right now, many people are needing money. I expect a lot of good guns will be for sale in the near future.
My own CMP 1911 is one of the well used ones. Its got character.
However, if I were to run across one of the fresh from the arsenal guns at that price, I'd jump on it.

 

[TeamPB]

My Lotto # is 131xx. I am glad the CMP is being careful and trying to protect their staff by stopping operations until May. I am enjoying the extended anticipation and I am using the time to try and decide between Service or Field Grade. I am very much leaning towards field grade. It will be only my second ex-service pistol. The other is a Swiss 1943 M29. A 1911 A1 and a Luger seems like a fine pair to me and I like to support the CMP.

 

[Frank46]

Seems there are two camps regarding the CMP 1911's. One wants a pristine 1911 and the other wants one that has been there and done that. I didn't sign up for the lottery because the 1943 Ithaca definitely been there and done that. Belonged to my boss who was a tanker is the African campaine. He talked very little about his exploits in the army. He went to one of the boutique book publishing comanies and has his book published by them.Seems while driving tanks he got shanghied to drive a jeep full of ammo around to the various areas where the fighting was. The park around the front of the slide is almost worn through,and the chips in the muzzle of the barrel were caused by the muzzle hitting the tank hatch. He's gone now but I have his service pistol and a copy of his book. Every so often I take her out and let her do her thing. Frank

 

[kbm6893]

I got a service grade and didn’t want a field grade. I just wanted it to be in as good a shape as possible. The parkerizing doesn’t bother me.

They’ve all “been there and done that”. They’ve all been issued, used, and carried. The parkerizing is part of their history, not an erasure of it. Im sure the Army had some sort of benchmark to be met before overhauling a gun. I’m sure some service grades werent quite “Bad enough” to get overhauled. Are they 100 rounds away from a part breaking? The fact that they even NEEDED an overhaul meant they had been there and done that! These guns saw 30 years of service, got a tune-up, and were packed away again, ready to be put back into service. Pop the crate, dump them in kerosene or something to get rid of the cosmoline, and hand them out. That never happened, so they sat in a crate for 45 years until they were sold by the CMP. Mine was $1050 plus the $35 FFL fee. Selling it is not an option for me right now, but if I did, I would not take $1200 for it. All that paperwork and waiting to make $115? No thanks. People might be hard up right now with the economy shut down so you do what you gotta do, but those guns are worth more than 1200 bucks. Re-parked or not, they are genuine GI issue guns that hung on tbe belts of American GI’s.

 

[kbm6893]

The CMP didn’t have these re-parked. The Army did that. Mine was done twice according to the stamps. Last one at Anniston Army Depot in July, 1976. Somebody pointed out that was a bicentennial gun, 7/76. I hadn’t noticed but I think that’s cool, too.

 

[Drm50]

I don’t want one but I hope the ones who bought them to flip get stuck with them. I think there should be restrictions put on CMP guns that they are non transferable for a reasonable time to keep out the profiteers.
At first I like CMP, thought it novel govt doing something that made a profit. Bottom line it don’t even selling 1911s for $1200.

 

[hkcavalier]

I don’t want one but I hope the ones who bought them to flip get stuck with them. I think there should be restrictions put on CMP guns that they are non transferable for a reasonable time to keep out the profiteers.
At first I like CMP, thought it novel govt doing something that made a profit. Bottom line it don’t even selling 1911s for $1200.

The CMP did put these restrictions out there. If you get caught flipping, you get on their naughty list and no more CMP guns for you. Or something to that effect.

 

[ladder13]

I’m guessing buyers remorse for quite a few resales. There is very little to be made @1200 unless someone buys your rack grade.

 

[ladder13]

The service grades are $1050.

I purposely selected the field grade because I didn’t want one of the reparked service grades. CMP didn’t have them refinished, they came from the Army that way. They were reworked in the 70s and just put away.

A friend got a low lottery number and got a service grade with a Colt frame and an unmarked replacement slide. It had been reparked and packed away. He is a Vietnam vet and was disappointed he didn’t get a gun that looked like it had been around doing war-gun stuff.

Mine (a RR slide and frame) had exactly the look I wanted.

That one has character, I would never alter it one bit.

 

[hittman77]

Maybe somebody's wife saw the receipt or credit card bill.

 

[AJ]

I know they have been reparked (or at least refinished somehow) because not one of the three I saw recently has any evidence of the tell-tale idiot mark, and two owners readily admitted they had not even field stripped, just were not interested after they got it.

I have seen most of the posts on this Forum from you guys that got yours, and you seem thrilled to own them, and they look really nice. I'm not saying I want one, I've still got my all correct Ithaca so I'm happy....but what say some of you as to a Lotto winner dumping the gun almost as soon as they receive it?

Most of these pistols came out of "War Stores". Before they were preserved for the War Stores, I know the Navy rebuilt all of theirs at NWS Crane, Ind.

AJ

 

[LostintheOzone]

The CMP did put these restrictions out there. If you get caught flipping, you get on their naughty list and no more CMP guns for you. Or something to that effect.

I think you can only have one 1911. If you sell it then you can't buy a carbine from them. But there are no more of those anyway and very few service grade Garands.

In 10 years when I'm dead and gone my wife will take all of my 1911's (a bunch of nice Colts) down to Cabala's and they'll give her $2500 for all them, including my CMP 1911, if I ever get one. She'll walk out there thinking they did her a good turn.

 

[ladder13]

An amazing turnaround from the “I’ll never buy one” folks.


http://smith-wessonforum.com/firear...nced-post138911211.html?460977=#post138911211

 

[utex88]

Last year I was fortunate to draw an number about 7300, and I received a Field Grade (I had no choice, would have picked service grade) and I’m glad for what I got. It’s an October 1918 M1911, August Arsenal rebuild with some WW2 features. Matching Colt slide to the frame. It’s definitely a been there, done that pistol with likely use in WW2. Finish under the park shows some modest micropitting. I’ve shot it once, it was solidly accurate for a 100 year old gun. I don’t want to crack a matching slide so the old girl is a safe queen.

Correct about flipping the CMP 1911s, anyone caught is forbidden from buying anything from them ever again. They’ll feel pretty stupid if a long-lost cache of Bavarian marked carbines ever go up for sale again...

 

[ladder13]

Last year I was fortunate to draw an number about 7300, and I received a Field Grade (I had no choice, would have picked service grade) and I’m glad for what I got. It’s an October 1918 M1911, August Arsenal rebuild with some WW2 features. Matching Colt slide to the frame. It’s definitely a been there, done that pistol with likely use in WW2. Finish under the park shows some modest micropitting. I’ve shot it once, it was solidly accurate for a 100 year old gun. I don’t want to crack a matching slide so the old girl is a safe queen.

Correct about flipping the CMP 1911s, anyone caught is forbidden from buying anything from them ever again. They’ll feel pretty stupid if a long-lost cache of Bavarian marked carbines ever go up for sale again...

That’s a looker