[bofe954]

This is for sale near me...

No matching magazine and a little rough. I have had pretty poor luck buying firearms for collecting and have promised myself not to do so, just to buy stuff I can compete with or hunt with etc..

How marketable would it be, are people who typically buy old Colt's like this looking for pristine examples or is this what you would find when looking for a hangun of this age?

Serial is supposed to be 555XXX if that helps.

[cdrt]

I'm no expert on Colts, but according to my rather old copy of The Blue Book, a 1911 in this condition would bring around $350 to $450, but I would sure want to take a look at it and make sure everything matches, etc. It looks pretty well used, so is not a real collector piece. Is there any bluing left on the pistol at all?
I had to pass up a commercial mfg. Colt 1911 a few years back that was built in 1913. It was like NIB, so this one certainly pales in comparison.
If this pistol has been arsenal re-worked (should be stamped AA or SA somewhere) then it's value is less than an original specimen. According to the Blue Book they made about 650,000 1911's from 1912-1925 that are marked Model 1911 Military like this one.
An original mfg. pistol from this period that is 100% would bring over $2,000...offer them $300 and see what happens. :)
Like I said, I'm no expert...curious to see what the other guys think about this one.

Navy Vet.

[XavierBreath]

I'm going to essentially disagree with cdrt. I've been in the market for a M1911 such as this for some time, and I have a bit of a feel for that market, I think.

Your pistol has little value to collector's because of it's lack of finish, that is true. However, it appears to be complete and original, right down to the grips. Complete, authentic M1911s have become almost as rare on the market as the one's with plenty of finish. Folks just don't turn loose of them, and when they do, they think they have something. Perhaps they do, as the pistol is worth what someone will pay for it. That is the reality of the marketplace.

At present, one can buy a Sistema in a bit worse condition than your pistol and pay $300 after taxes and such. A Springfield GI45 goes for around $500. Colt's reproduction of this pistol sells for around $1000. Your pistol is an authentic, complete and honest Colt M1911. At a gun show in my area, I would think it would change hands in a private sale for around $750-800. Part of that is the M1911 vs M1911A1 thing, part of it is the Colt heritage, part the history. In my book, it is actually more desirable than a 80-90% gun, because it falls pretty solidly into the shooter category. Thus, it's solid use as a shooter surpasses the tentative position as a collector's piece that a 80-90% gun has.

Others may disagree, but that is my opinion based on what I have seen around my area, when these pistols do show up on the market.

[Byron Quick]

offer them $300 and see what happens.

I'm not in the market to sell but even if I were, I wouldn't even trouble myself to laugh or sneer at such an offer.
I've got one almost identical as to condition that I bought last year. I paid much more than $300 for it.

[cdrt]

Like I said, I'm no expert. The last one I saw in better condition than this one went for $500 on a private sale and I brokered a deal on a Remington mfg. that was way better than this one for $800. The 1913 that was like NIB was going for $1,000, but I didn't have the cash at the time.

Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Navy Vet.

[bofe954]

It isn't mine. It is for sale near me, I think it was $895.

If it was $300 I would pick it up just to have my hands on a 1911 that old. For $895 I'd have to feel like it would be a decent investment.

I don't think $300 would work as an offer, but maybe $500 who knows. Thanks guys.

[Ross]

If you can slide the firing pin retainer down a bit, (not necessarily all the way out) you can ascertain if the slide is matched to the frame. Early slides were numbered to the frame.

[Mac Attack]

I have a 1918 Colt and am certain the slide matches the frame but there are not markings under the Firing pin retainer. I confirmed this via Clawson's 1911 reference manual that not all slides were marked.