[SonnyS]

Hi, I have a 1911 that I need so info on. It is nickel electroplated with a colt receiver and Ithaca slide. It has a colt NM barrel and bushing with the last 4 digits of the barrel stamped into the slide. Also, it has British proof marks on the receiver. It also has a stepped front sight and the front strap has been checkered and it has an adjustable aluminum trigger. Anyone ever saw a gun like this? Value?

Thanks,
SonnyS

[Mags]

Welcome to THR! I am sorry to say that your gun sounds like a frankengun to me or "custom gun". I see guns like this all the time they are generally not worth the money of all the custom parts installed in them if you were to add the price of the individual parts up.

[mljdeckard]

It's a mish-mash of parts. If it had some military origin, any value that may have come from this is negated by the nickel-plating. If it runs well, enjoy it and shoot the heck out of it. As for resale value, it's not going to be much. You have a gun of unknown origin, modified parts, and absolutely no guarantee that it works. It won't be worth much of anything to anyone but you. Sorry.

[SonnyS]

Hi, Here's a picture of my gun. I am wondering if this was a military match gun?The last 4 digits of the colt NM barrel are stamped on the slide.

[rfurtkamp]

Parts gun, collector value gutted by the plating/refinish etc. It's not a military match gun.

[The Lone Haranguer]

Also note the stippling on the frontstrap and the extra high sights in an unusual configuration (on the front). Someone put it together from various parts as a custom gun. If the work was done properly and it functions well, there is no reason not to put it to work. But it is not going to have any special value in the marketplace.

[SonnyS]

Hi, I don't see why the average Joe would stamp the barrel serial number on his slide. Anyway, I traded a Ruger 9mm a number of years ago for it and it sure is shooter. Don't think I was hurt too bad.

[Jim Watson]

What you have is a military national match slide and barrel that have been transplanted to another frame. If it were original, the barrel and slide serial number would match the last four digits of the frame. The original bushing would have been numbered to match.

The "stepped" front sight, tall fixed rear sight, and serial numbered slide are characteristic of Springfield Armory National Match guns of 1960 and 1961.

There is no way to know how slide no 1862 (from a working gun serial number xxxx1862, mind you) got on frame 1656686. The plating was certainly done commercially and with no effort to match the surfaces, the slide has a much coarser sandblast than the British sendback frame.

As long as it shoots well, enjoy it, that is all it amounts to.

[Averageman]

I think you did well on the trade if you like the pistol and it sounds like you do. As far as value,...it's no collector, look at as a good gun and enjoy it. If you went to sell it I think you would be in the $350 to 450 price range.