Dad just inherited this 1911 from the Korean War

DirtyHarold

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My grandmother just passed away and we divided up all of the guns that were left from my grandpa. My dad got this 1911 from the Korean War that was issued to my grandpa when he was in the army. It’s a Remington (EDITED FROM SPRINGFIELD). Any ideas on the value of it?

He’s going to have a gunsmith go through it and clean up all the internals and get it back into working condition (it seems to work now but there’s likely lots of dried up oil inside it making it not as smooth).

The black in the picture is my editing out the S/N.

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Last edited:
Show a picture of the other side.
Don't be bashful about the serial number, mark out the last two digits if it will make you feel more secure.

It is not a Springfield. Springfield Armory made only 1911s in WWI; this is a 1911A1.
 
Show a picture of the other side.

Don't be bashful about the serial number, mark out the last two digits if it will make you feel more secure.



It is not a Springfield. Springfield Armory made only 1911s in WWI; this is a 1911A1.



You are correct, apologies. It’s a Remington (edited original post).
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Nice gun. Looks to have seen very little wear. I had one for a couple decades. Was a $30 gun in the late 50s, a $300 gun in the 80s and an $800 gun by 2000.

Today? $1000+ yeah. Specific demand depends on which WWII movie is popular right now. Saving Private Ryan boosted demand and cost of all the milsurps, along with 50th, then 60th anniversaries.

To be precise, it is a WWII gun. The last time it may have been in service could well have been Korea, but its a WWII made gun.

In 1945, with WWII just won, the Government cancelled all remaining contracts for 1911A1s. They had plenty and figured they wouldn't need any more. The newest GI 1911A1s are from 1945. Those guns, made during WWII were in service until approx. 1984 and used everywhere we had soldiers, sailors, marines, or airmen until then.

Lots of GIs simply kept their pistols after WWII, Korea, or Viet Nam. (a lot of guns were reported as "combat loss" without actually being lost ;))

Many were offered the chance to actually buy them, and many did. Look through things, see if there are any papers that go with the gun. Rare to find them still existing but not impossible there could be an actual receipt for that gun, and if so, that will add to its historical value. Nothing can add to its value to your family, but if you have papers, original holster, and any other accessories, they add to its collector value, and that affects the value for insurance purposes as well.
 
Are there any magazines? How are they marked? the marking should be on the "toe" of the base plate.

Remington-Rand 1911A1s were shipped with magazines marked "G" on the toe. G for the manufacturer, General Shaver.
 
Are there any magazines? How are they marked? the marking should be on the "toe" of the base plate.



Remington-Rand 1911A1s were shipped with magazines marked "G" on the toe. G for the manufacturer, General Shaver.



4 magazines with leather belt holsters. I’m no longer around my dad so I can’t look.




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Nice treasure there. Cleaning it up will increase it life which is great. As for shooting it I would shoot it sparingly. It is a peace of history and should be respected as such. New 1911s are quite plentiful in many configurations so if you need or want one to carry or do serious work with get one of them and save this beauty in a special place.
 
While your Grandfather may have carried it in Korea, military 1911 production ceased in 1945 and yours dates from WWII. It does show the effects of having been stored in the holster (tip; do not store guns in holsters) and has some high edge finish wear, overall though it's not bad at all. Just a WAG, but with the slide release and thumb safety being parkerized, I would date it as having been manufactured later in 1944 or early in 1945 if it still has it's original finish.

There are ways to tell if it was refinished, but I would need some more detailed pics of areas like the serial number and behind the grips near the slide on the right side. The barrel should have either an "HS" (most common) or an "F" stamped on the pivot lug. If is still original, I too would value it at $1400-$1500.
 
Thanks everyone for providing some great info. Just to be clear, we are NOT selling it, just merely wondering what such a fine artifact is valued at.

It definitely needs to be 100% disassembled and cleaned, as it has lived in its holster for the last 30+ years. It has some green oxidation (not likely from the gun itself) and just feels a little hindered in the action. Honestly I didn’t even know this thing existed until a few days ago.

I’ll recommend if he shoot it that we do it sparingly.


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My condolences on your loss.
1,500px × 1,124px is way too big. Please reduce the size of your pictures.
"...Lots of GIs simply kept their pistols after..." That's called theft of government property. Highly unlikely anybody is still looking though.
"...but its a WWII made gun..." So was nearly everything else used in Korea.
The value of an issue 1911A1(that the troopies were not allowed to keep. Rumour has it that officers could buy their issue pistol though.) varies from place to place. I'm seeing 'em listed at over 2 grand to nearly 10 grand on the auction sites. The latter I suspect is a dealer trying to get rich. Lotta that on the assorted auction sites.
 
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is currently selling surplus M1911A1s for around $1,000. Most of the ones they have sold to date have been rearsenaled, which means reconditioned at a government, military arsenal facility. Almost all of the ones I have seen photos of have been "mixmasters" (slide from one manufacturer on a receiver from a different manufacturer), and refinished.

Based on that, I'd guess your family's pistol alone is worth $1,500 to $2,000. The holster and spare magazines add to that, but I have no idea how much.
 
Remington-Rand 1911A1s were shipped with magazines marked "G" on the toe. G for the manufacturer, General Shaver.

The holster and spare magazines add to that, but I have no idea how much.

The information about the original mag marking is handy it would be, I think, quite rare to find both together today, and even if they were, there is no certainty that the "correct" magazine is actually the original magazine.

Unlike some European nations (most notably Germany) our holster, magazines and parts were not numbered to match the guns. Which bring up a point about "original" and "in service". Collectors generally prize a completely original, and if possible unissued gun. They want all the original stuff it came with including the box. They RARELY get that, and that's why those guns are worth so much.

Once the gun gets to an "owner" unit, there is no attempt to keep the accessories (and that includes magazines) with a specific gun. A magazine goes in the gun, spares go in the bin. And same with parts, generally. "Parts is parts" has always been the treatment, if not the admitted to intent.

To the OP, can you give us any more details about your Grandfather's service beyond Army and Korea? What kind of unit he was in? what he did? anything like that, the more detailed the better. All the information you can gather should be written down and saved before it disappears forever.

The gun was manufactured during WWII, and it might have been issued to some unit then, or any time later. it might have been in Depot storage until Korea, or it might have been in the arms room of a unit.

I worked Army arms rooms and as a Small Arms Repairman during the 70s when identical pistols were still first line issue. I know how they were handled, stored, inspected and repaired in service at the time, and have every confidence that things were not significantly different in earlier years.

Not every gun wound up detail stripped in a vat of cleaner with a dozen others but it did happen. And when those guns got reassembled no care was taken about which parts came from where and what frame they got put back on. Other guns lived different lives, and always kept their original parts, unless some of those parts failed or were damaged, then the gun repaired.

I saw 3 actual 1911s (not A1s) in service. One was 100% correct including the grips and had only very slight holster wear. Another was nearly the same but with the WWII era plastic grips, and the 3rd had WWII grips and a couple of A1 parts.

SO, there is no "original" holster and unless you find an unissued still in the box 1911A1 you won't find it with "original" magazines only possibly period correct ones.

Which means you can get all the gear "period correct" as used in service but there is nothing to link the gear to any individual gun.

And, almost any combination of gear and parts from any makers is correct for "as used in service". Not the same as "original" meaning as delivered to the military from the maker, but fully authentic and correct for "as used in service".

As a guess, but a fair one, I think, the pistol in the OP was issued your Grandfather, with what ever holster and mags that were grabbed by the supply clerk, came home with him and saw very little use since. Not an uncommon thing.

The proper GI holster and mags do add some value, as items but do not add a large "historical premium" in $.

With a Luger or a P.38 which have numbered magazines the correct matching mags adds considerably to the value, same with the other numbered parts. It makes them worth more than guns with mismatched numbers.
This is not the case with 1911A1s.

Shooting the gun a little won't hurt it. Turning it into a competition gun or an EDC carry piece with all the "bells and whistles" aftermarket parts, etc., would be a travesty, in my eyes. Doesn't sound like that is the plan, which is a good thing, I think.
 
18,000+ people lined up to buy the first batch of USGI 1911 from the CMP with the understanding that they would be $850-1050.

Yours would fall into at least "Service Grade" ($1050) which are priced somewhat below normal market value. So minimum $1050 but probably $1200+ depending on actual condition, and how many parts match what it would have come with originally.
 
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