Got a semi-urgent question about the value of a nickle Colt Commander in .38 Super.

[WonderNine]

Really need your opinions guys! Calling 1911Tuner and BluesBear especially.

The gun is believed to be about 25-30 years old and is in 99% or better condition. I had previous information that the gun was stainless and in fact about 8-10 years old. I quized the owner's son on the age some more recently (this is a guy I work with and he's also 16 years older than I am ) and found out it is much older, so I ruled out stainless immediately. From the original information I had quoted him $600-$700 or so.

It belongs to his father who has been wanting to sell it for awhile. Not sure why I thought that it was stainless and 8 years old from the previous conversation....

What would a 99% or better nickel 25-30 year old Colt Commander in .38 Super be worth???

I saw a couple of Auction Arms listings for old Colt .38 Supers in this age range in which the sellers asked $1,500 for an almost mint blued and $1,800 for a nickel model respectively.

I know auction listings are free and they ask for alot of blue sky, but what is a reasonable value for this gun if it is indeed as I have described it?

I'm not interested in the gun myself because it is a Commander, I'm interested in 5" models of 1911's only. However I don't want his father to get ripped.

Here are the auctions, Gunbroker is down for maintenance at the moment so this is all I could look at:

http://www.auctionarms.com/Search/D...ItemNum=5521091

http://www.auctionarms.com/Search/D...ItemNum=5509278

 

[stans]

Series 70 Combat Commander in nickel finish is pretty rare, I would not know what value to place on it. I would hazard a guess at $1000, maybe a bit more. These would classify as collector's pieces.

 

[BluesBear]

Sorry it took so long to see this. You should have PM'ed me.

To help identify the age,
How many digits in the serial number?
What kind of grips?

Disclaimer, the values listed below are based on personal experience, semi-edumicated guesswork and pure speculation on my part.

ANY factory nickled lightweight Commander would be considered rare. I could see it selling to the right buyer for $1500+. Condition inside and out would be the determining factor.
A bright nickle Combat Commander would be an interesting find. I'd guess $800-$1000 depending on the internal condition.
A electroless nickle Combat Commander, while uncommon isn't as rare but it should be worth at least what you quoted him, perhaps a litle more depending on condition. I saw one locally about a year ago for $700.

It seems that the popularity of the older .38 Super Commanders is on the rise. Many people don't like the way they shoot because the older ones headspaced on the rim. Some were accurate most weren't. A Bar-Sto barrel would be well worth the investment if you desired to shoot it. But keep the original barrel for it's value.


By the way, there is no such thing as a Series 70 Commander.