[Bmiller08]

Hello everyone. Very new here and have been overwhelmed with all the awesome information I have already received from this site! Was wondering if anyone has a Colt WW1 reissue and think it’s worth what they are commanding as of late (if you can find one) I really want one but have not found one for sale recently. What should I expect to pay for one ? I love the historical context behind them and also think they are beautiful firearms. The current colts on the market just don’t do it for me. The closest new colt I like is the royal blue but I HATE the colt custom roll mark on it. Seems gaudy. Anyways appreciate your help! Thanks guys!

 

[mlin]

There is one on gunborker. Just search 01918 and you will find it.

 

[dsk]

Actually you want to search under O1918, not 01918. Unless of course the seller made the same mistake.

BTW just FYI we do not allow any posts with a WTS or WTB on this forum.

 

[dsk]

Anyway, to answer your question yes they were nice guns. I'm not sure I'd be willing to pay more than $1600 or so for one however. I do have one that I bought in 2009 with money I received from my late father's estate, so it's kinda special to me. Currently it wears a set of grips made from teak deck wood salvaged from the battleship USS North Carolina the last time she was overhauled.

 

[kuch73]

I have one of the "Carbonia Blue" WW1 repro I bought back in 2008 only paid $780 for it at my LGS, still have it with all the cool little papers and tools that come with it. I carried it as an EDC as it was my first 1911 I ever bought. Well made, great details, and accurate as an original 1911. I guess my question for you is, what do you want to do with it? I shot mine plenty and as it does not have a lowered or flared ejection port, it will ding your brass. If you reload, this may be an issue for you. If you want it as a collectible piece, then to me it's worth the current price. If you want an everyday shooter, get something different.

 

[Boge]

I looked at 3 or 4 at gunshows in 2008 or 2009 and they were priced right, but every single one had an awful lopsided dustcover from sh+×=y machining which seemed to be common then.

 

[mlin]

I looked at 3 or 4 at gunshows in 2008 or 2009 and they were priced right, but every single one had an awful lopsided dustcover from sh+×=y machining which seemed to be common then.

That's normal for Colt back then. My O1918 has razer sharp edges and a over-polished spot on the slide showing like a dent at an angle. I guess Colt try really hard to replicate imperfection of the original manual polished gun before computer age. Maybe that's a plus, not a negative. 🤬

I have not have any new Colts since CZ took ownership. So don't have comparison of new Colt 1911 vs. the old.

 

[dsk]

My O1918 had a sharp sliver of metal inside the slide that my finger found one day while cleaning and re-oiling it. Ouch!

 

[Baltimoreed11754]

I’ve got a pretty one I bought new that has cut me every single time I’ve shot it and cleaned it. I leave it in the boxes [white-blue and brown] and shoot safer Colts. I did have Colt send me better matched grips as the ones on my 1911 were way off. Guess thats where the saying about bringing a gun to a knife fight would work with mine. She’s sharp. Paid 960.00 in ‘08.

 

[45maker]

I have one of the "Carbonia Blue" WW1 repro I bought back in 2008 only paid $780 for it at my LGS, still have it with all the cool little papers and tools that come with it. I carried it as an EDC as it was my first 1911 I ever bought. Well made, great details, and accurate as an original 1911. I guess my question for you is, what do you want to do with it? I shot mine plenty and as it does not have a lowered or flared ejection port, it will ding your brass. If you reload, this may be an issue for you. If you want it as a collectible piece, then to me it's worth the current price. If you want an everyday shooter, get something different.

All my Colts are O1918s and Series 70 repros (O1970A1CS and O1070A1CS) and the non lowered port is not a problem for me. I have no problem reloading the brass. Furthermore, if you work with the extractor these pistols do not use to ding the brass.

 

[Deyomatic]

And then there's....HAMMER BITE! (Dun dun dun).
Some people are bothered by hammer bite and others aren't affected. I find that if I hold my thumb lower on the grip (lined up pointing toward my middle finger, for example) it's a non-issue.

 

[dsk]

Oddly enough I don't get much in the way of hammer bite with my O1918. But then again I don't hold it like some modern shooter trying to grip it as high as possible.

 

[Kamerer]

I'll be I guess the odd man out and say they are worth quite a bit IMO. I had a very late production one, Black Oxide in the higher of the s/n range, a few hundred from the end IIRC. One of the finest built Colt's I've ever seen. 2nd most satisfying 1911 I ever had next to a full-custom Novak. Really, really nice product.

I went looking for another one about a month ago and saw they were commanding good $$ but I can't say they are not worth it. I do know the dust cover issue was a thing back around then, but they did work it out at a point and it didn't affect all of them.

 

[Sure1]

I'll be I guess the odd man out and say they are worth quite a bit IMO. I had a very late production one, Black Oxide in the higher of the s/n range, a few hundred from the end IIRC. One of the finest built Colt's I've ever seen. 2nd most satisfying 1911 I ever had next to a full-custom Novak. Really, really nice product.

I went looking for another one about a month ago and saw they were commanding good $$ but I can't say they are not worth it. I do know the dust cover issue was a thing back around then, but they did work it out at a point and it didn't affect all of them.

do you know what the high serial #s were ?

 

[mlin]

Below show on Colt SN# search page:

O1911 SN# 1001WMK ~ 5414WMK
O1918 SN# 1001WWI ~ 5069 WWI

 

[Kamerer]

do you know what the high serial #s were ?

So mlin helpfully posted them above; they were sequential lots so all O1911 preceded the O1918 lot. Mine was in the 4k range of the O1918, near the end. I've heard the O1918 lot had a lot fewer of the small flaws than the O1911 lot. Most people though prefer the carbonia finish (O1911) over the O1918 black oxide finish.

Just splittin' hairs here. They were a great product.

 

[Sure1]

I have to check my box I have a black oxide. Thanks

 

[dsk]

Just in case anyone isn't already aware, the O1911 and O1918 were absolutely identical except for serial number range and finish used. Same markings, same features, same box and packaging. The "Carbonia" finish was a traditional furnace-blued finish applied by Ron's Gun Shop in PA, while the "black oxide" is just another name for a modern blued finish applied in a heated chemical bath and was done in-house at Colt.

 

[Ky_Coal_Miner]

The one i had you could shave with.

 

[KeysMIA]

They are nice re-issues of the original 1911. I was fortunate enough to get both the WWI and WWII re-issues even though IIRC the WWII came out first.