[rmlachance]

Lot 3579 - Excellent U.S. Colt Transitional Model 1911 Semi-Automatic Pistol

SOLD $ 3,250.00 + (666.25) buyer's premium + taxes, fees, etc...

Serial Number: 707666

Excellent, with 97% plus of the original blue finish, showing bright wear along the high edges and scattered handling marks. The grips are excellent, with a few tiny dings on the crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent.

Other than the incorrect barrel: "Equipped with a Colt barrel ("COLT 45 AUTO), checkered wide hammer, slide catch, thumb safety, trigger and mainspring housing, checkered grips and a two-tone magazine."

The finish looks a little off to me (probably the pix), but RIAC says it's original... any obvious problems? If not, I think someone got a great buy.


Ray

 

[Rob Greer]

I'm skeptical that someone got a deal at that auction... but it is possible I guess. As soon as I see white filler in the lettering, I get suspicious. (It's an easy way to cover up engraving marks or errors...) From a very quick glance, it looks like the front strap is nowhere near the condition it would need to be for a 97% gun... I suspect the condition was realistically a *bit* less than that.

Again, I was not there and did not see the gun. I know there are other members that probably did go to the auction and they may have better information.

 

[JohnnyP]

The white filler was also used in the Colt 1911A1 pistols that the fakers changed from phosphate to blue. While they could polish the original sandblasting and phosphate off, hiding the effects of the sandblasting down in the lettering presented a problem, so they just filled them with the white filler.

That said, the pistol appears to show some normal wear. One of those you would need to see in person. For a pistol of that condition you could easily spend another 25% on a barrel if you could find one.

 

[Scott Gahimer]

Rarely do seller descriptions under rate conditions, but often they tend to over rate. Genuine 1924 barrels I've purchased for others in the last 2-3 years have been in excess of $1K. That's a lot of money for a barrel, which at best is a replacement.

 

[rmlachance]

Rarely do seller descriptions under rate conditions, but often they tend to over rate. Genuine 1924 barrels I've purchased for others in the last 2-3 years have been in excess of $1K. That's a lot of money for a barrel, which at best is a replacement.

Assuming the finish condition is overstated and is more like 90%, and the rest of the pistol is original except the barrel, I believe that a $5K total investment (assuming one finds and purchases a barrel) is still a great deal... No?

Ray

 

[Scott Gahimer]

Hard to say. It's a lot easier for me to value things I actually see.