CMP 1911s

[LSP972]

Just saw a video where the head of the CMP stated that when/if they ever received any 1911 pistols from the government, rack grade (i.e., rode hard and put up wet) pistols would "probably sell for around a thousand dollars. Better grades will be priced accordingly."

Uh… no thanks.:rolleyes:

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[Peally]

Damn that's steep

[LSP552]

I'd still like to have a decent Remington Rand.......because 1st issued pistol as baby MP.

[Drang]

Even the few M1 Carbines they sold last week were cheaper!

[olstyn]

That's disappointing to hear. It'd be neat to have one like what my grandfather would have been issued in WWII. While I expected to be priced out of it being an option, that pricing seems downright ambitious.

[bofe954]

Where are you guys buying sub $1000 US GI 1911's?

[TC215]

Where are you guys buying sub $1000 US GI 1911's?

Exactly. My 1913-built Colt GI 1911 wasn't in great shape, but it was still more than $1000.

[Al T.]

I dunno, the 1911s I had in the service (Army, 1977 to 2010) were flat worn out. Think "rattle like one of Carmen Miranda's stage props" loose....

[Arbninftry]

I dunno, the 1911s I had in the service (Army, 1977 to 2010) were flat worn out. Think "rattle like one of Carmen Miranda's stage props" loose....

Carmen Miranda, umm, yes I had to look her up on the Internet.

1000 is steep, I bought a mint GI Remington Rand made in 43, for less than that. It was carried by a Retired Navy Captain.
But, there will be a lot of people that will gladly pay that to own a piece of history. Imagine the stories some of them could tell.

Stories like "my REMF spilled coffee on me and did not clean me for days" or good stories like "Did you see that fu^*^ng Krauts head blown off"

[Trooper224]

Given the shape they were in during the 80's when Uncle Sugar gave me one on loan, I'll pass. The CMP's obviously anticipating collectors and the CMP fanbois going ape feces over these. Truth is, they're probably right.

[Trooper224]

Stories like "my REMF spilled coffee on me and did not clean me for days" or good stories like "Did you see that fu^*^ng Krauts head blown off"

Every pot bellied fanboy who's seen Band of Brothers a gazillion times will buy his and assume it's the later. "This was Alvin York's pistol, it's just been "aresenal rebuilt." or "Audie Murphy held off an entire German Division with this one." Maybe it's the one Tom Hanks used to blow up a Tiger Tank?

[ragnar_d]

Given the shape they were in during the 80's when Uncle Sugar gave me one on loan, I'll pass. The CMP's obviously anticipating collectors and the CMP fanbois going ape feces over these. Truth is, they're probably right.
I'm thinking the same thing. People will pay $1k for a rattle trap that was pieced back together in an arsenal refurb just to say they have one. And, like the Carbines, CMP will sell every one they offer.

I still want a shooter grade Gov't Property marked 1911 and a WW2 era Garand . . . for reasons and all.

[LSP972]

Exactly. My 1913-built Colt GI 1911 wasn't in great shape, but it was still more than $1000.

In the first place, there's quite a bit of difference between a 1913-vintage 1911 and a garden-variety 1911A1 that has been arsenal rebuilt three times and has that many layers of parkerizing on it.

In the second place, these are long-paid-for government weapons; a LOT of them (the guy said there were about 100,000 of them in storage). I always thought the CMP was there to serve the citizenry... not to enjoy profit margins worthy of Exxon.

Whatever.

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[HCM]

In the first place, there's quite a bit of difference between a 1913-vintage 1911 and a garden-variety 1911A1 that has been arsenal rebuilt three times and has that many layers of parkerizing on it.

In the second place, these are long-paid-for government weapons; a LOT of them (the guy said there were about 100,000 of them in storage). I always thought the CMP was there to serve the citizenry... not to enjoy profit margins worthy of Exxon.

Whatever.

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Given CMP is now a self supporting non profit entity (like the Post Office) rather than a Government agency receiving tax dollars, they have to keep the lights on somehow.

$1k may be a bit steep but the fact is WWII / GI 1911's bring big $ as collectibles. Even beat to hell examples bring between $1500 and $2k or more.

[Talionis]

My 1918 Colt and 1943 Remington Rand came out to $1000 for both. Both were far from perfect but proved quite accurate and functioned extremely well. I'd look at private sales long before shelling out 1k for a rack grade CMP gun.

[bofe954]

My 1918 Colt and 1943 Remington Rand came out to $1000 for both. Both were far from perfect but proved quite accurate and functioned extremely well. I'd look at private sales long before shelling out 1k for a rack grade CMP gun.
When did you buy them, and where?

Quote Originally Posted by LSP972 View Post
In the first place, there's quite a bit of difference between a 1913-vintage 1911 and a garden-variety 1911A1 that has been arsenal rebuilt three times and has that many layers of parkerizing on it.
In the second place, these are long-paid-for government weapons; a LOT of them (the guy said there were about 100,000 of them in storage). I always thought the CMP was there to serve the citizenry... not to enjoy profit margins worthy of Exxon.
Whatever.

These things always turn into some weird free market discussion (like the "shortage" threads), but...The CMP sold rifles for good prices for a long time. Guys would buy them up, bring them straight to the gun shows and sell them for $200 bucks more. I guess that's serving the citizenry, sort of. It doesn't do much good for them to sell them for way below market, as they will just be resold and someone else will take the profit.

As far as the condition, no one knows. The rifles ranged from brand new never fired, to parts donors and the pistols are no doubt the same. So how can you say $1000 is a lot when you have no idea what they are like and the private party prices range from $500 for junk to $70,000 for a nice singer?

[TC215]

In the first place, there's quite a bit of difference between a 1913-vintage 1911 and a garden-variety 1911A1 that has been arsenal rebuilt three times and has that many layers of parkerizing on it.

In the second place, these are long-paid-for government weapons; a LOT of them (the guy said there were about 100,000 of them in storage). I always thought the CMP was there to serve the citizenry... not to enjoy profit margins worthy of Exxon.

Whatever.

.

Mine WAS an arsenal re-build. Had several A1 parts on it. I paid $1200 for it, and sold it a couple years later for the same amount (and it sold quickly at that amount).

It it had all original parts, I never woud have been able to afford it to begin with, probably.

[LSP972]

The CMP sold rifles for good prices for a long time.

I know. I bought one back in the 80s, expecting a "rack grade"… and received a barely-used International Harvester. It was not much over $200, delivered.

Fast-forwarding, a thousand bucks today for a good-condition Union Switch would not be exhorbitant. That same thousand bucks for a beat-up Remington or Ithaca… exhorbitant. My point was, the guy said they would be a grand apiece for "rack grade"; anything "special" (such as that Union Switch) would be more. I think that is out of the box pricing; you obviously don't.

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[bofe954]

I know. I bought one back in the 80s, expecting a "rack grade"… and received a barely-used International Harvester. It was not much over $200, delivered.

Fast-forwarding, a thousand bucks today for a good-condition Union Switch would not be exhorbitant. That same thousand bucks for a beat-up Remington or Ithaca… exhorbitant. My point was, the guy said they would be a grand apiece for "rack grade"; anything "special" (such as that Union Switch) would be more. I think that is out of the box pricing; you obviously don't.

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That was 30 years ago. The guys in 1980 were saying that $200 for your International Harvester was a rip off because they used to pick one out of a drum at the hardware store for $25 in 1950. Time marches on...

[Trooper224]

That was 30 years ago. The guys in 1980 were saying that $200 for your International Harvester was a rip off because they used to pick one out of a drum at the hardware store for $25 in 1950. Time marches on...

You never found M1's in a barrel for $25 dollars, even in 1950.

[RevolverRob]

I'll wait to see what the rack-grade 1911s actually look like. A new Series 70 Colt is MSRP'ing at $899. - It's a better gun for shooting at the range, but it doesn't have the history. WWII guns were carried by guys that are almost all dead, now. I'll pay a grand to have a Colt that may have been carried by my grandfather, great uncle, or close family friends. To hell with it.

-Rob

[bofe954]

You never found M1's in a barrel for $25 dollars, even in 1950.

You're right, the bolt guns and carbines were more in $20-$30 range, Garands were more like $60-$70.


RevolverRob

I'll wait to see what the rack-grade 1911s actually look like. A new Series 70 Colt is MSRP'ing at $899. - It's a better gun for shooting at the range, but it doesn't have the history. WWII guns were carried by guys that are almost all dead, now. I'll pay a grand to have a Colt that may have been carried by my grandfather, great uncle, or close family friends. To hell with it.

-Rob



Exactly, it's a collectible, it isn't going to be a good deal for a range toy or self defense pistol compared to something new.

[Talionis]

When did you buy them, and where?



Last year in Idaho. Used guns generally sell pretty cheap up here, and the guy just wanted to get rid of them. A collector wouldn't have much use for them, but I enjoy shooting them and the history they have.

[Jeep]

I always thought the CMP was there to serve the citizenry... not to enjoy profit margins worthy of Exxon.

Whatever.

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Absolutely. 100,000 pistols x $1,000 each is $100 million for 70 year old weapons in bad condition. Exxon wishes it could earn profit margins like that.

[Hambo]

As Kramer said, I'm out, but they'll sell every single one.

[RevolverRob]

So let's clear a couple of things up:

1) CMP was previously run by the Army, but was replaced with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit corporation during the Clinton-administration
2) CMP receives $0 in federal funding, besides the donations of surplus weapons

Let me ask y'all a question. If you're a non-profit and you don't receive any federal funding, instead you keep your lights on and your programs running through the sale of surplus firearms - What do you do? Sell surplus firearms? Yes.

Now, let me ask y'all another rhetorical question - If you know that you will not be able to sell surplus weapons issued to soldiers since the mid-1950s, because they are select-fire weapons (once and always according to the BATF(U)) - And thus your only hope of remaining open long-term and providing marksmanship training programs and firearms education - is to sell the remaining surplus weapons and parts you can get, because this is probably the last significant amount of funding you will be able to generate - ever - Then do you sell that at sub-market prices so everyone gets one, everyone who almost never actually donates to CMP - or do you sell them at market-price, because you know they will sell, you can fill your coffers for the last time, and the guys who buy the guns don't even donate to CMP anyways?

Y'all are a bunch of smart people...use some logic here.

[MGW]

I'll probably try to buy one at some point. As others have said I have several relatives that carried one in combat. It's a worth while piece of history for me.


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[JAD]

I'm 100% with Rob. If y'all don't think that's market have a look at Jackson Armory's inventory.

I think if the CMP doesn't get its hands on these pistols it's toast pretty soon.

[GardoneVT]

So let's clear a couple of things up:

1) CMP was previously run by the Army, but was replaced with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit corporation during the Clinton-administration
2) CMP receives $0 in federal funding, besides the donations of surplus weapons

Let me ask y'all a question. If you're a non-profit and you don't receive any federal funding, instead you keep your lights on and your programs running through the sale of surplus firearms - What do you do? Sell surplus firearms? Yes.

Now, let me ask y'all another rhetorical question - If you know that you will not be able to sell surplus weapons issued to soldiers since the mid-1950s, because they are select-fire weapons (once and always according to the BATF(U)) - And thus your only hope of remaining open long-term and providing marksmanship training programs and firearms education - is to sell the remaining surplus weapons and parts you can get, because this is probably the last significant amount of funding you will be able to generate - ever - Then do you sell that at sub-market prices so everyone gets one, everyone who almost never actually donates to CMP - or do you sell them at market-price, because you know they will sell, you can fill your coffers for the last time, and the guys who buy the guns don't even donate to CMP anyways?

Y'all are a bunch of smart people...use some logic here.

Indeed. Frankly ,I'd have started the prices at $2000.

Anyone can buy a $400 RIA GI 1911 if the end goal is a 1911 shaped range toy. You can't buy a historical 1911 with genuine US military history on the cheap no matter where you look. Beat up rattletraps though they may be, they're one of a kind rattletraps.

$1000 for the low end examples when a quality Colt GI sells for $700 is a bargain,not a ripoff.

[theJanitor]

So let's clear a couple of things up:


Yup. I thought they'd be priced higher. We complain alot about the cost of old Smith's, but the vintage 1911 market isn't exactly soft, either.

[37th Mass]

I found at least three old threads on this subject, and am resurrecting the most recent one with an update from the CMP website.

"10/15/16 *An update on the 1911’s…
The CMP is NOT authorized to receive or disburse the 1911s at this point. We have not yet received the approval required from the Secretary of the Army by the legislation.
Thank you,
Mark Johnson
Chief Operating Officer"

The current Secretary of the Army is probably pretty busy with transition activities and getting ready to resign (along with all the other Obama political appointees) by the 20th of this month when Trump takes office. I doubt that he will sign the approval for the CMP to receive and distribute the 1911's in the next 20 days, but I could be wrong.

Trump has nominated a new Secretary of the Army, but it will take a couple of months (best case) for him to get confirmed by the Senate. If we are lucky, the new Secretary of the Army will be in place by early Spring. Signing the 1911 authorization for the CMP probably won't be on the top of his priority list, but getting it done by mid to late summer is not out of the question. So, save your pennies and you may get to buy a piece of history this summer.

I would love to get one of these as a historical memento. I'd take it out of the gun safe every 4th of July and blast through a few boxes of 230 gr hardball with my kids, and think about those who fought with these pistols to defend our way of life.

[rd62]

If I picked one up it would be to send to Heirloom Precision for a second life and passed to my children or grandchildren when I pass.