Help with this 1911

[Bowlcut]

My friend's grandfather passed away a few months ago. In the will he left him all the tools and this pistol.

Story is, grandfathers brother was in the army or such way back. Took his 1911 apart piece by piece and mailed it back to the states to his sister. Well after the war that pistol, then complete, got stolen or something out of grandfathers truck. Grandfather bought him another one to replace it. When the brother died he had it given back. So friend grandfather ended up with it. Or so the story goes.

So he is now has a 1911 that is rather unique. Ive done a little quick research and cant find that there ever were shiney guns like this. I dont know the finish as ive never had my hands on it. But he sent me these scans of it. Rather large so be warned. Any info on it includeing general price, for insurance reasons he would never sale it tho, and like how collectable it may be would be of great help. I blured out the last 3 of the serial but left enough to identify it...

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/bowlcut/highroad/1911side1.jpg

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/bowlcut/highroad/1911side2a.jpg

Second pic is huge so be warned.

 

[Handy]

It looks like commercial bluing, with a layer of gold electroplated on the small parts.

The question would be whether the blue is original, or if Remington Rand 1911A1s were ever sold commercially.

If the blue is original, buffing off the gold might bring the gun to a high collector state.

 

[Bowlcut]

Well the stampings of us goverment had me a little confused. as in how they bought it...and the fact it has a bit of bling bling to it. Didnt think the trecnh boys would be walking around with a mirror in their hands . I want to fondel this gun and see what condition it is in. his overbearing wife will not let him out to go shooting with us ever.....we want to get it checked maybe a once over by a smith or qualified person then go shoot it. we both believe a happy gun is a fired gun, a sad gun is one that is a safe queen.

 

[Jim Watson]

This is a pretty common sort of war souvenir, made pretty after smuggling it home. There was a shop in my home town that did a lot of bright blue with gold accents like this one. The stag grips are a nice accessory.

Remington Rand was strictly a government contractor with no commercial sales, all guns were Parkerized with no high polished blue finishes. Assuming you blurred out the last three digits, and the serial number is 1,011,xxx, this gun is in the first block of numbers, probably made in 1943.

Collector guns are rated in the Blue Book by the percentage of ORIGINAL finish. Therefore a refinished gun, no matter how well done, has NO original finish and the dollar value is greatly reduced. There is getting to be some acceptance of properly restored guns (and some people doing it on the sly to defraud) but a dress-up job like this one doesn't count. Book value of a 100% RR is $750 and some are selling for more as more collectors chase after the limited number of pristine guns . I guess he could insure for that to cover sentimental value.

I won't comment on his domineering wife.
I won't.
I won't...

 

[yucapote]

http://usgi1911.tripod.com/

Bowlcut, check the link above it may be helpful.

 

[Bowlcut]

i had found out what the manufacture date was by the serial but was kinda confused if it was right nor not. And the finish has thrown me as its not normal parkerinsing(spelling error). figured maybe serial number was like reissued or something no clue. thanks for the help so far