How big of a value hit are USGI 1911 owners going to take?

[44 AMP]

so there was some 35 years of wars and half-wars in which those guns wore, wore out, were repaired and rebuilt. I would be surprised if any turn up with all original parts, let alone factory new.

Factory new condition, I would be surprised too. All original parts isn't quite as rare as you might think. A LOT of the 45s didn't get much use during those 35 years. Some did, some didn't. Some didn't even get carried very much, others did.

For instance the pistol assigned to the Plt Ldr of a supply company that didn't leave CONUS in those 35 years I would expect to be a different level of wear than one carried by a LRRP team in Viet Nam, and different than the one that has spent 1943 on in a SP holster guarding a gangplank.

Do I think they just crated up the 45s and shelved them when they adopted the 9mm? Actually, I think it is a strong possibility. Certainly gun lovers like us would want them all returned to pristine condition before storage, but I doubt the Govt did that. After all, it costs money. I'd like to think they did, but until I see evidence that it was done, I will have my doubts.

 

[Doyle]

different than the one that has spent 1943 on in a SP holster guarding a gangplank.

Funny you should mention that. The 1911s on our ship had seen relatively little firing use but LOTS of carrying use. That carrying use included MANY instances of being dropped on a steel deck by idiot watchstanders getting bored during the wee hours of the morning.

 

[WVsig]

No one knows because we do not know what price CMP is going to sell them at. We call can guess what they will do and the effects it will have but we really do not know.

My 2 cents is that if they treat them like they currently treat M1 carbine and collector grade Garands the collector market will not be devalued at all if anything it will get propped up. CMP currently sells these "prime guns" at collector prices so I do not see why the 1911s would be different.

CMP will pick them over grade them and price them accordingly. I do not see 10,000 a year over say 10 years, with all the the cherry high value guns being sold at auction or collector pricing causing the current pricing to plummet. If they go to auction I can actually see prices going up.

 

[otherwise]

As usual, it depends on what you want.
All original or mostly as originally issued pistols will be in the minority.
The more desirable to collectors ones will probably be auctioned.
However, hopefully it will be a good way to get an all GI pistol, and if you are like me, an arsenal refurb is still great!
I have an '42 Colt as issued, and a '18 Rem UMC AA rebuild, and I love them both.

 

[lamarw]

Does the CMP put firearms up for auction? If so, do they run their own independent auctions. I have not heard of them running auctions.

I would suspect bidders would have to meet the same criteria as those who buy from CMP.

 

[RickB]

#2) please define "mismatched".

We never numbered the parts of the 1911s, only the frame, so there is no possibility of "mismatched numbers" such as can be found with Lugers, P.38s, etc.

Colt numbered a considerable number of M1911A1 slides to match their frames, and guns with mismatched slides and frames are worth less than matching pistols. It's widely accepted that the military never cared about matching parts, so after 70+ years in service you'd expect (I'd expect . . .) few pistols to still be matching.
The slide on my '42 Colt is three units "off" the number on the frame, so even if the slide and frame have been together since day two, it's a mismatch.
Pistols made by Remington Rand, Ithaca, etc., are assumed to be matching if the parts are "correct" and have similar wear patterns.

 

[nvdwarrior]

Memory Lane

I will bet a ton of money that the CMP will set a reasonable price. One must remember, they are in the USED military firearm business and if you have visited their home in Alabama, one would be wise to be there to touch and feel. I can remember how we used our .45's to pound in our pup tents as young LT's. They took the punishment, they always worked... but they did have a tendency to shoot a hell of a lot more inaccurately than my new best friend, my Model 41 of 1967 vintage. I made a decision to go for the CMP upgrade on my Garand M1 in order to get a real shooting rifle, rather than a safe queen. I am sure they will assemble different grades of the 1911's and you can choose to pay what you can afford. No matter what, I will stand in line to purchase a couple because my R1 just isn't the same to me. I do enjoy the older 1911's right down to the loose as hell slide...ha ha. I think we will be pleasantly pleased when it happens, it won't be soon. CMP is a great organization but they are NOT a really big group. They do believe in telling you the truth. So, start saving your bucks folks. I think they will be worth it.