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Colt 1911 commemerative WWII how to figure its value

10K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  dfariswheel 
#1 ·
I have a friend who recently aquired a unfired practically un-handled Colt 1911 WWII Commemerative .45 in the original case with the large book about WWII and the gun etc... the gun has only been out of the case about 20 times. it was one of 6 the original owner had the other 5 were sold by accident (yea how? his wife intended to have them stored for safe keeping at a local gun shop with them on display so others could view them and.....they got sold!!!) My question is "what is this weapon worth, I can hardly find any info about them it is an original factory commemerative from Colt made in we believe 1965 the serial #6016PTO it is nickle plated and extensivly engraved etc.... I HAVE a couple dozen digital pics of it. My friend bought it to try an help a friend (the original owner) but he now needs to sell it but we are not sure what a decent asking price would be etc...

I can be reached via e-mail at

dstorm1911@msn.com

I am mostly into shooter guns so am at a loss concerning this piece so ANY help would be greatly appreciated...

Darrel Storm
 
#2 ·
WWII Commemorative 1911

I have a WWI Commemorative 1911...The Second Battle of the Marne.
It's value is around $850-$1000. Someone with a personal desire for the gun may pay more. I was in a gun shop in Crestview, Florida a couple of weeks ago and the owner has another 1911 from that series...The Battle of Chateau Thierry, in the original display box with background picture. He has it priced at $950. He is a very reputable dealer and travels to many gunshows throughout the area. While the WWII may possibly be much more valuable, I doubt it. What battle or timeframe does it commemorate?..ie what does it say on the right side of the slide and what picture/engraving is on the left side? Hope this helps a little but there are some real duty experts in here who I am sure will send you some info too.
Semper Fi,
Steve (in Pensacola)
 
#3 ·
Pearl Harbor

The picture is depicting Pearl Harbor, it has the display case and the WWII history book etc... I just talked to the owner and his words "oh h#ll we might as well go out an shoot it then... at least make it good for something besides a paper weight" so looks like its gonna no longer be an un-handled gun.......


Thanks for the info, I didn't think it was really worth as much as he has into it as nobody is into wall hangers these days etc....


D. W. Storm
 
#4 ·
1911 Commemorative

DW,
Keep in mind what I said above. I was just venturing a n estinate of what I thought it may be worth. There were commemoratives that were much more valuable...and that one your friend has may be one of them. A lot depends on how many were made, the amount of engraving, etc. I've seen commemoratives list for upwards of $2500 in NRA magazine and the American Legion magazine. So, before shooting it I would definitely dig deeper and find out what it cost new. Any gun show will have folks attend who are very knowledgeable. Be patient and I bet someone else will add some info in here too. Good luck. By the way, I shoot the heck out of my 1911 commemorative and it runs like a champ.
Semper Fi,
Steve
 
#5 ·
Collectors Firearms of Houston, known for top prices, has several of the World War I Commeratives (unfired and in its case) on sale at $895 each.

Also, I recently saw an unfired WWI in a local shop priced at $900.

While I personally would rather have the WW I instead of the WW II, the value is probably about the same for either.

As to what it cost originally, probably about $250 or less.

In the late 60's, the regular blued Government Model listed for about $85. In 1972, they went up to $125.
 
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