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Colt 1911 Navy - Part 3 - THE FINAL CHAPTER

nmyers
"We Charcoal Blued this pistol in July 2010. Someone else did all of the preparation work, we just applied the proper bluing.



Todd Burkett

Shop Supervisor

Turnbull Manufacturing Co., Inc.

585-657-6338

http://www.turnbullmfg.com "

Bottom line, it's a restoration. A beautiful restoration, no doubt about it. But, it's still a restoration.

As with all altered, mutilated, & refinished firearms, "value" is what someone is ready, willing, & able to pay at a given time.

Neal

EDIT: Redding Auction Service terms:
"Terms And Conditions Of Sale
1. All sales are final.
2. All items are sold in "as is" condition.
YOU AS THE PURCHASER HAVE THE FINAL DECISION OF THE ORIGINALITY AND THE CONDITION OF THE FIREARM"

Redding Auction Service description of this item:
"13. RAREST OF THE RARE --- COLT - MODEL 1911 "US NAVY" - 45-ACP CAL. - (SERIAL NO. 6608) - (MADE IN 1912) --- (FINEST EXAMPLE THAT WE HAVE EVER OFFERED IN A COLT M-1911 VARIATION)"

EDIT: I would be surprised if Turnbull put their "mark" on a gun that they only blued. I believe that this gun's defects, such as the lettering problem Perry Shooter noted, might not appear on a Turnbull restoration, & they wouldn't want to be given credit for a gun that they didn't have complete control over.
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • Spider7115
    Very interesting information. I agree it's a beautiful restoration but it's important to a collector to know it's not the original finish.

    Thanks, Neal.
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  • perry shooter
    I did not want to say anything and they did a great job . However I suspected the lettering was Cut not roll stamped serial did not look like it was 99 years old. I had a friend that is an engraver look at pictures and he also had Questions. . I did not want to say anything because it is still a beauty. I just hope auction company did not say it was all original. This brings up an ugly fact that the more the value a gun has the more chance someone may try to enhance it's condition. I like 95%-98% guns most people that have guns RESTORED handle with KID Gloves Not the same as someone would handle a common gun they bought 100 years ago. The military got this as one in a shipment of 1000 pistols unless someone TOOK it the day it arrived
    how could it remained like this.
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  • Old-Colts
    Well, like I said on the first "Navy 1911" thread:

    quote:I'm anxious to hear what the experts have to say. If it has been restored, I'd sure like to know who did it; if it's original, I'd sure like to know how it managed to stay in that condition!!!!!!!Now I know, thanks for providing this information!

    Beautiful gun though.

    Now, what really scares me; there are beautifully restored guns out there, like this one, that aren't being presented with a disclaimer that the gun has been restored and who did the work; that's troublesome!!!!!!!!!!!
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  • countryfarmer
    Now, what really scares me; there are beautifully restored guns out there, like this one, that aren't being presented with a disclaimer that the gun has been restored and who did the work; that's troublesome!!!!!!!!!!!

    As the old saying goes......If it is too good to be true, it probably is.

    Beautiful pistol though
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  • Hawk Carse
    A sad case.
    I think a restorer should mark his work to avoid somebody being taken in by it. I don't care what weasel words the auction house prints, this is fraud and they would not want me on the jury.
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  • tsr1965
    Well, from the best of my knowledge, any restoration work done by Turnbull MFG., is marked as such, someplace on that gun. That is a firm conviction of Doug's, that no one be able to pass his shop's work off as original, in a fraudulant manner. Someplace on that gun, there is a Turnbull mark.

    Best
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  • Spider7115
    quote:Originally posted by tsr1965
    Well, from the best of my knowledge, any restoration work done by Turnbull MFG., is marked as such, someplace on that gun. That is a firm conviction of Doug's, that no one be able to pass his shop's work off as original, in a fraudulant manner. Someplace on that gun, there is a Turnbull mark.

    Best

    Yep. I know Roger's Winchester Restorations also marks his guns in an inconspicuous place to avoid fraudulent claims of originality.
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  • Hawk Carse
    Must be very inconspicuous, a few years back there was an American Rifleman article about a Marlin that got all sorts of awards until Turnbull pointed out that he had redone it.
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  • eebantinpa
    Wow, am I surprised at this turn of events. I sent an email tonight to Turnbull, attention Todd Burkett, asking them where their "mark" was on the gun. I hope I don't have to take the gun apart to find it but will if necessary. And if and when I find the mark, I'll photograph it and post it on this forum so we can all see what it looks like. Just so we'll ALL know in the future what to look for.

    Thanks again for the input. I guess we've all learned something with this.
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  • NOAH
    DAMN !!! what an ending to this novel TOUCHE[;)]you guys are the best[8D][8D][8D]
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