1911 Remington UMC frame with a Colt slide value?

L

lvanbrunt2

Inactive
The pictured M1911 has a Remington UMC frame and a Colt slide and barrel. The barrel is marked COLT 45 AUTO and a "P". The serial number is "NO18xxx". It appears to be an arsenal rebuild but does not have an arsenal mark. On the left frame there is an eagle head on the trigger guard bow and one just above the mag release with both having E28. The REM UMC inspector stamp is EEC. It has UNITED STATES PROPERTY. On the frame's right side it has the serial number and a 1 on the trigger guard bow. It has an E down near the loop by the mag well. The grips are Bakelite and it has been parkerized. Considering the UMC frame but no arsenal mark what's this one worth?
 

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Most pistols rebuilt/refurbished by arsenals have no arsenal mark, and obviously those worked over by civilian gunsmiths do not. FWIW, it is my opinion that that gun was arsenal rebuilt. A Rem-UMC pistol can bring fancy bucks, but that really is not a Rem-UMC any more, and the frame has been heavily polished (maybe wire brushed), nearly obliterating the markings.

So I am going to dodge the question on value and see what other say. I have a good idea what original Rem-UMC pistols are bringing, but a beat up mixmaster is another story.

Jim
 
I would agree with Jim; although I will go a little further out on the limb and say I believe it is a mix-matched pistol. The markings appear to be clearer on the Colt slide than the Remington U.M.C. frame. The grips are also a mix-match to both the frame and most likely the slide.

I also believe the refinish is much later and has seen almost no wear which is a tip-off it is mostly likely not an arsenal refinish.

I would suggest you post to the following Forum for the experts to comment on. I hope I am wrong, but I don't think so. http://forum.m1911.org/forumdisplay.php?81-US-Military-Issue-M1911-and-M1911A1-Pistols

As Jim kind of suggest, the dollar value would be significant if it were a Correct Remington M1911.
 
The fact that the Parkerized finish shows little wear actually supports the idea of an arsenal refinish. When handgun supplies became adequate in WWII, many refurbished pistols were just put in storage instead of being re-issued because the supply of new guns was more than enough to fill requisitions. Later, those rebuilt guns (and many brand new ones) were sold to NRA members for the immense sum of $17.50. (Ah, yes, the good old days!)

Jim
 
From here,the only way that pistol is valuable would be if you could show
provenance,that is it has been in a war theater.
Otherwise take your chances in the market,see what it tells you.
 
Oh yeah. We were playing around with a Remington Rand slide and I must of snapped this with that on. The grips are the same though, they do look like wood, but it must be the lighting. My father has the gun. He's an FFL and is holding it for a family to sell it. I'll get some better pics later in the week so you guys can possibly give me a value because i'd like to buy it. Thanks for the catch!! :)

Larry
 
No, the grips in this last photo are not the same. They are double diamond wood grips. The grips in the first three photos are plastic and don't have the diamonds.

I'm going to disagree with the poster who said most arsenal rebuilds don't have arsenal stamps. I believe pretty much all of them do have stamps. However, some pistols were rebuilt at lower levels than a full arsenal rebuilt. Unit rebuilds are essentially mixmasters and won't have an arsenal stamp.
 
OP,could you please settle on a parts combination so the fellows can give you a fair estimate of what they think it's worth?
That's you want to know right?
 
My bad sorry....

You're right, that picture was sent to me by my father as an example of where the marks are, I thought it was taken when we had the Rand slide on it. Here are two more pics and I will get more of the gun as soon as I get back to my father's house. I appreciate the replies and again sorry for the mix up.

:confused::o:)

Larry
 

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more pics.....

Ignore the wooden grips as they were put on and I didn't have time to put the plastic ones back on like in the original pics. Hopefully these pics will add to helping with the value estimation.
 

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I own a U.S. Govt. Colt M1911 manufactured in 1918. I do know what I paid for it, and what I believe it is valued at.

The above does not make me an expert in appraising these old war horses.

I will give you an amateur's opinion. I would say six to seven hundred dollars. If you can ascertain it as a depot refurbish, then maybe another three to four hundred.

If you parted the pistol out, then you may get more for the sum of the parts than the whole especially if someone needs the frame and has the correct slide. The barrel does appear to be a small "G".

Some might say, it is a shooter grade pistol. I do not shoot mine, and I would not use the one posted as a shooter. They just did not heat treat these old pistols they way they do newer handguns.
 
The pictured M1911 has a Remington UMC frame and a Colt slide and barrel. The barrel is marked COLT 45 AUTO and a "P". The serial number is "NO18xxx". It appears to be an arsenal rebuild but does not have an arsenal mark. On the left frame there is an eagle head on the trigger guard bow and one just above the mag release with both having E28. The REM UMC inspector stamp is EEC. It has UNITED STATES PROPERTY. On the frame's right side it has the serial number and a 1 on the trigger guard bow. It has an E down near the loop by the mag well. The grips are Bakelite and it has been parkerized. Considering the UMC frame but no arsenal mark what's this one worth?
Click to expand...

Interesting.

I saw a link just yesterday, to a Gunborker auction where the gun in question had the opposite thing done to it. Remington slide, Colt frame. A mutt. An elaborate and probably unverifiable tale was spun in the item description.
 
Expert estimate of value?

Same gun from the first pictures but with wooden grips. 1911 slide and frame with 1911A1 barrel. Estimated value?

Thanks,
Larry
 

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I have two arsenal refurbs, one a Colt 1942 1911A1 with Remington Rand slide, the second a Remington UMC 1918 1911 with Colt slide.
I can get $900 for each according to what I have seen in stores, and the requests from friends.
Mind you, both mine have arsenal refurb marks, one Ogden, the other Augusta.
Any that I have seen that are less expensive disappear quickly, unless they have real problems, and even then folks buy them to part out.

All the talk about the pistols not being matched or original is less meaningful for most of us, since decent un-bubbaed 'original' USGI 1911s and 1911 A1s are becoming harder to get and so the arsenal refurbs are steadily going up in price. And don't forget, they are still USGI weapons used in service, refurbed or not.
They are the only 'affordable' ones out there.
Now a collector will feel differently since the aim is to get as close to 'as issued' as possible.
They are still great guns.
I shoot both FMJ.
 
The answer you seem to seek, what is the pistol worth is subjective. You have shown it in several configurations an suggest the responder only consider it as made up in a photo. All GI .45's are worth what a buyer will pay yours is mixed parts (and you even mixed them more) so forget which if any arsenal rebuilt it would be...the pistol is a collection of military parts just like so many others and not a "arsenal rebuild" which in my observation was clearly marked upon completion. I worked at unit level weapon storage facilities and we took all weapons, machine guns, M1, Carbine,1911 etc and stripped a pile of them before throwing the parts into 55 gal drums cut lengthwise and filled with kerosene. I can guarantee no weapon going into the tanks came out with the same parts reinstalled. Individual assigned weapons fared little better as the troops would clean with usually four using the same drum of solvent at the same time. The only concern was to replace as many parts as you took off and return the weapon to firing status. Baskets were provided for small parts and those four GI's would all throw their small parts in it before emersion into the solvent. So to sum all of this: the pistol is a shooter grade .45 that hopefully will be shot for a much longer period and worth what the seller is comfortable receiving and you paying.
 
I would think that the only value is as a functioning handgun. $350-400 ish. Otherwise a cool piece to have around and use as much as you want without the worry of destroying value or history.
 
Please say where to buy clean "mixmasters" for $400.
This one is a plausible depot refurb and would sell for double that; more if Auction Fever set in.
 
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