Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

1911 modified value?

tomh.
What do you think the long term value will be on the Colt 1911s (and others) that have been modified with beavertails, checkered frontstraps, etc? Of course, unmodified NIB examples will always bring a premium, but there's a bunch of these "racegun styled" pistols out there. I'm kind of a youngster, but I don't remember other firearms being modified like this. It's like a fashion craze! Are there others examples and have they held any value? Just thinking and curious!
0

Comments

3 comments

Date Votes
  • mpolans
    Generally, modifications from stock ruin collector value. So any gun with mods that didn't come with it generally don't have much value as collector pieces. Some rare exceptions are for guns made by some big name gunsmiths like Jim Clark Sr., etc. Even then, I'm not sure what the collector market is for these pieces...I'd think they're mainly shooters.
    I can't think of a single person who has modified a 1911 for competition with collector value in mind...most (myself included) just want to win shooting matches! [8D]
    0
  • Warbirds
    I would recomend staying away from used "raceguns" They use home loads that are as hot as they can make em' 2/3 of them are caspian framed guns. Caspian uses cast aluminum to make thier frames, not what you want to stand up to 10,000+ rounds of the hottest loads you can fire. As far as value of any standard 1911 mpolans hit that one pretty well I would say. Keep your distance from a used racegun. Just been my expierence with handling a few of them over the years.

    R/

    Dave


    How different the world would be if we could consult the veteran instead of the politician. - Henry Miller
    0
  • Der Gebirgsjager
    I don't know if I can ad much to this except to point out that when considering buying such a piece I would evaluate how much the pistol had actually been used, or if in fact it was intended as a race gun-- or just had some of the modifications for personal use. I have several 1911s on which I've installed King's Gun Works extended grip safties ( I like these because they don't involve permanent alteration of the frame, and you can always change back) and/or Commander style hammers because the standard 1911/1911A1 will bite my hand. None have been used as race guns. Also, many 1911 types can stand better sights, and newer pistols often come from the factory nowdays with extended safety and slide stop levers. So, I would just hypothesize that a used pistol modified with any or all of these features would be worth what a used factory pistol made with these features would be worth, given good condition of the individual gun in question. Pistols like this seem to fall in the $450-650 range depending on condition and quality of work.
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity