Get out your crystal ball ...

Originally posted by jpwright:
Of the 1911 choices you have now, which one will hold it's value best (or increase in value most)?

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Hopefully my Series 70 Colt by CT Brian.



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Matthew 24:6
"You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things MUST take place...

Much like Works of Art, the 1911's built by Master's who no longer walk the planet like Swenson, or Bilby, since they are limited in numbers at this point.

Beyond that, the ones by guys like Vickers, or Heinie that don't produce thousands of examples come close... Again, Supply & Demand, and the Supply is somewhat limited.

Towards the other end, Original Classic's like the WW1/WW2 guns, or early Commercial's will maintain good value, as they also exist in limited numbers, but these are more affected by individual condition.

Any customized gun is a bad investment. You'll never be able to sell it for what you put into it.

Of my current firearms, I'd say my 95% WW1-era Colt will eventually climb in value the most. Nice ones are getting very hard to find!

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D. Kamm
USGI M1911/M1911A1 Pistols Website
http://www.geocities.com/M1911_M1911A1

By dsk,
You'll never be able to sell it for what you put into it.

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I think that depends on who did the work and if you ever plan on selling them in the first place. Swenson's just seem to be going up in value. I haven't seen a Bilby gun for sale.

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John

"And by the way, Mr. Speaker, The Second Amendment is not for killing ducks and leaving Huey and Dewey and Louie without an aunt and uncle. It is for hunting politicians like (in) Grozney and in 1776, when they take your independence away".
Robert K. Dornen, U.S. Congressman. 1995

I'd guess the 1913 Colt with Navy markings in about 85-90% condition.

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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
MOLON LABE
Leonidas c 480 BC
FFF

Mine are all working guns, but would guess the Baer TRS would win out over the Kimbers. The Para's aren't even in the running...but their mags are!

I would guess my 1943 Colt Commercial to Military conversion in 97% condition with rare Schwartz safety cutouts.

Regards,
Sam

Originally posted by dsk:
Hey SCF,

Got any good pics of your commercial/military? I could use one for my website.

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Hi Dsk....
I'll try to scan it and see how it comes out. If it's good, I'll email you. Otherwise, I'll take some 35mm shots of it and send it your way.
Regards,
Sam

I am lucky to have a full custom Series 70 by Richard Heinie that I think is a pretty fair investment.

Ed.

Baer1911, how do you like CT Brian's work? I've had his work in mind since the Jan/Feb 1997 issue of American Handgunner which featured a Series 70 Combat Commander.

Any pristine, or NIB, Colt 1911 made prior to the Series 80 guns is currently a good investment.

In terms of % of worth from used guns, Kimber & Colt still hold their value, whereas SA and Para only sell well in this area if they're dirt cheap (and sometimes not even then) so their value is pretty shot.

For well-known custom makers, you need to find someone that recognizes the name. We had a really nice Clark that took a while to sell, since the name wasn't as well known as Wilson or Les Baer. For those gunsmith's not advertising in every magazine they can find, your resale depends on finding people that know about them. (The internet is great for that
Of my personal guns, my Defender is too beat right now, though someday I'll get it refinished...
The Pre-70's LW Commander is probably gonna hold it's % the best, but that has as much to do with the price I paid as it's worth