1918 Colt 1911 $400,buy it?

[45automan]

Hi I have a question for all of you.In a local gun shop i saw a 1911 Colt pistol that was made in 1918 and is marked US PROPERTY.It has almost no finish left on it except some on the front part of the slide near the barrel as if it was left in an open top holster for a very long time. It was not very tight but ok for it's age i guess. It also had some slide to frame play up front where the slide meets the frame foward of the trigger guard. You can actually push the slide up off the frame a little bit.The gun store wants $400 for it is this a good price? I don't think that it is worth anything to a dedicated collector as condition is everything with that crowd and this has definatly seen better days! I Checked the safties and they all work and there is no hammer follow,which i have seen on some really old guns like this one.So i assume that the sear is ok.If i buy it i'll run it by a smith to make sure,better safe right? All replies are of great help thanks.

 

[Chipperman]

It sounds overpriced for condition. If you like the pistol for that price, buy it. I don't think it a good investment pistol, however. Mine is a 1911 made about 1913-1914. It functions flawlessly, but looks almost silver, as 90% of the blue is gone. I have taken it to several gunshops for a ballpark value. All of them said I would be lucky to get more than $250-300 for it.
It sounds like the pistol you are talking about has about the same finish wear, but the play in the slide sounds excessive. I'd look for a better example of an old 1911. They are not all that hard to find, believe it or not.