Value of M1911?

G

Guy B. Meredith

New member
A friend of mine living in 29 Palms, California asks:

I have an M1911 (Not an A1) and I'm trying to figure the value on it. Where would I go for that info?

Any help appreciated.
 
1911forum.com.
Have your friend take some good pictures of the overall gun, and close-ups of the small parts, and markings stamped in the slide/frame/barrel.
Originality is the most important component in the value, so original finish on original components will bring the highest value.
A lot of guns were rebuilt to a greater or lesser extent over the years, so swapping of parts, refinishing, etc., is very common.
While it reduces collector value, the shortage of affordable original guns has led to collector market for military rebuilds, too.
 
Army and (I would assume) Marine SOP since the introduction of the 1911A1 was that 1911s would be maintained, as needed, with 1911A1 parts.

Your friend could have a 1911 where the only 1911 part is the frame. Or it could still be 100% original, or anything in between.

Completely original guns with the most remaining finish bring the highest dollar amounts from collectors.

Finding out exactly what he has is key to correctly estimating the market value, and the mentioned web sights can help a lot.
 
Condition is everything.

It could be worth $800 or it could be worth $5000.

A lot of these old war horses have seen a lot of tomfoolery over the decades, while others you wonder how they have remained so pristine for so long. Even for pristine and unmolested examples, there are small nuances that will significantly adjust it's ultimate collectability.

Put some pics up and we can ballpark you. The web address given is a good resource as well.
 
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