CMP 1911 price announcement
- Thread starter silicosys4
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Worn out, no. Up to two arsenal rebuilds, mixmaster, and refinished to military standards more than once, yes. The CMP doesn't sell junker marginal Garands, and they aren't going to simply throw 1911's in a mailer without disassembly and inspection.
It also goes to the ammunition - many think that the gun affects the performance but the reality is that it's incremental. An additional 2MOA or the loss of 150fps velocity in a beater gun still means a .45 traveling with lethal force over 21 feet of trajectory. Ammo performance with modern loads will be more powerful, and the ammo more accurate than the Ball ammo used then.
If rattly slides, 8 pound triggers, pitted refinishes, blurred markings, hammers that bite, and hard to see daytime only sights are deal killers, fine. As a functional gun they will be overpriced for their utility value launching bullets. But that hasn't stopped the HK P7 buyers one bit either.
It also goes to the ammunition - many think that the gun affects the performance but the reality is that it's incremental. An additional 2MOA or the loss of 150fps velocity in a beater gun still means a .45 traveling with lethal force over 21 feet of trajectory. Ammo performance with modern loads will be more powerful, and the ammo more accurate than the Ball ammo used then.
If rattly slides, 8 pound triggers, pitted refinishes, blurred markings, hammers that bite, and hard to see daytime only sights are deal killers, fine. As a functional gun they will be overpriced for their utility value launching bullets. But that hasn't stopped the HK P7 buyers one bit either.
BearBrimstone
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I hope to one day buy a Garand from the CMP before they are gone, but I just cant see paying more for a 1911 through them than a Garand.
stchman
Member
$1000 for an old worn out 1911, no thanks. I have talked to many an old ex-military guy that said their issued 1911 sidearm was a rattly old gun that could barely hit the side of a barn.
So for $1000 I would not expect a great shooter but an iconic safe queen.
So for $1000 I would not expect a great shooter but an iconic safe queen.
627PCFan
Member
Ill keep building my Caspians...
Bill.45
Member
I bought three DW hand guns last year. They are the apples and collectible 1911s and !911a1s are the oranges for people to try and compare.
ApacheCoTodd
member
Seems right to me.
An exceptionally finite number of what is likely to be the last of 1911s released?
Unqualified provenance?
Hells bells boys, I'd take a mix-master for 1,000 if there's no re-marking on it!
"Oh, hells no!... I only paid $*** for mine!"
Yeah - what did a loaf of bread or gallon of milk cost then?
Todd.
An exceptionally finite number of what is likely to be the last of 1911s released?
Unqualified provenance?
Hells bells boys, I'd take a mix-master for 1,000 if there's no re-marking on it!
"Oh, hells no!... I only paid $*** for mine!"
Yeah - what did a loaf of bread or gallon of milk cost then?
Todd.
The CMP doesn't pay anything for these pistols. However, they do have to pay for the armorers and staff who service, inspect, and test each pistol, as well as the many very good programs the CMP funds.
The money is definitely going to a good place, but I happen to just think it's a bit steep for these pistols.
mgmorden
Member
Yep, but there are 320 million people in this country.
Around 25% of them are minors, so that leave 240 million adults. Now, around half of those adults are liberals and/or anti-gun, so we're at about 120 million people left who if they yell'd "Who wants a 1911?" they'd want one.
They have at MOST 100,000 of these things to go around. Without setting a price based on what the market will bare, that's 1 pistol per 1,200 interested people to go around. Would you prefer a lottery to see who gets one, or they just price them for what they're worth, you have a chance to pay it or not, and the money goes to fund good programs?
Trust me, if they don't sell I'm sure they'll drop the price. I have a feeling though that they won't have any issue moving them.
herrwalther
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Nope. I'll get a Sig or even a Kimber for a grand before a beaten war horse.
jeff-10
Member
Used military weapons are usually of loose tolerances and poor rifling. These are almost purely for collectors. You will be picking up a gun that was possibly used at Anzio, the Chosin or Hue. 1911s are not like Garands or 03A3s. They elicit fascination in a large segment of gun owners. We are inundated each year with 1911s at the Shot Shows and racks of them at gun shops and local gun shows. So yes, all 100k or so of the 1911s will easily sell for 1k.
Big Mike
Member
For anything other than a curio or collector, it's definitely a pass for me. I agree with the post above: more Garands!
I can see that many of you don't want to spend this much money for what amounts to guns assembled from parts bins of different manufacturers. For example Ithaca Arms Co. used Flannery or Hight Stardard barrels and other parts from different sources. I suspect others did the same so these guns were basically assemblage of parts from different "pot and pan makers" forced to produce military hardware for war use. I bet you want the best 1911 for the money in terms of fit and finish. The answer is Dan Wesson. A good one goes for about $1400. That is what I recommend to all of you.
The great GI 1911 value debate...
If you look at it as a collectible its a good price and if its just a used pistol its over priced.
Comparing it to the CMP M1 grands it dose not look like a good value imo.
If they only release 10k per year we may not know how the market responds until the year 3 or 4.
If you look at it as a collectible its a good price and if its just a used pistol its over priced.
Comparing it to the CMP M1 grands it dose not look like a good value imo.
If they only release 10k per year we may not know how the market responds until the year 3 or 4.
In another thread, a guy in the Marines was active when they were packing these things up. He said they tossed the slides in one barrel, frame in the other, and another barrel was for misc parts. If that's the case, I expect them all to be mix match parts bin guns. It won't be a 1911 your grandpa carried in normandy, it will be a mixmatch of various parts some of them 1970s. I just can't pay $1000 for one that's put together from various parts. I would rather buy a "take home".
JohnBT
Member
"Nobody who wants a shooter is going to pay $1k for a beat up, shot out old pistol."
The $999 I paid for my Colt WWI Repro is looking even better. For a shooter.
John
The $999 I paid for my Colt WWI Repro is looking even better. For a shooter.
John
Why would you buy a military service 1911 for a shooter? That just doesn't make sense considering all the clones out there for considerably less (and that will be triggered once these guns start to trickle out of the CMP). If you want the 1911 because of the former military service it saw you're not just buying it as a shooter, you're adding that history to your reason. I fully understand that collectors like myself that can only afford to pay for champagne at beer prices aren't going to be happy, but military issue 1911s have been beer at champagne prices for the past decade anyway.
ApacheCoTodd
member
Do we KNOW this about numbers?
Is this a one-time deal or will there be more "limited" offerings".
What we do know for certain is that the vast majority of U.S. service 1911s were destroyed long ago and the rest took a major hit with the successful introduction of the M-9.
Maybe we'll only get one pass at these. Does anyone know of facts beyond internet speculations and the ever present: "I know a guy"s?
Todd.
mgmorden
Member
The 100k number is from the CMP. That's how many estimated the Army has in storage.
The VERY IMPORTANT part however is that the wording of the law is that the Secretary of the Army *MAY* transfer up to 10k of those per year to the CMP. May, not must. If they don't want to its within their legal authority to transfer none of them and we could just be waiting forever.
If we get a pro-gun Secretary of the Army we may see them. I suppose if we get a particularly anti-gun one they could just order them destroyed rather than risk a future successor releasing them. Anything in between and they'll likely just sit on them indefinitely.
FWIW - I took a standard RIA GI model, added WWII vintage Colt parts such as stocks, hammer, trigger, grip safety, thumb safety, and a Smith & Alexander mainspring housing and voila - a shooter that you can't tell from a USGI from 6ft. away. I'm happy. And a HELLUVA lot less money than a genuine USGI M1911A1.
Of course, I bought the RIA when they were still $279.99..... The M2 shoulder holster is the real thing though.
Of course, I bought the RIA when they were still $279.99..... The M2 shoulder holster is the real thing though.
For those that want a shooter rather then a collectable I think you have an excellent solution. Expecting to buy a genuine USGI pistol for RIA prices is pure wishful thinking, but they look the same and shoot with the same accuracy. 
Saleen322
Member
The CMP has always sold guns at low end of their value, they usually are bargain prices. I got my Garand many years ago delivered for $168, About 2003 I got a A3-O3 Springfield for around $200, around 2010 a Mossberg model 44 missing some little parts for $35 (a tack driver too), and the best bargains of all; 4 Kimber 22 match rifles never fired with sights and all accessories for $400 each. I still have them all and they were great deals. Checking what USGI 45s go for, $1000 is more than reasonable and they will sell. YMMV
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