Sure Glad I Didn't Hop On The Recent Overpriced CMP 1911 Bandwagon

[Jim Watson]

I hope people realize that some of those pistols that are being uncrated are on the CMP auction site. Those are the ones that have instant collector value. There's one there right now that's up to $1700 because it has never been to arsenal to be refurbished.

https://cmpauction.thecmp.org/detail...1A1-SN-1048097

It has been somewhere for something, I doubt US&S put that A9 84 stamp on it.


I am seeing posts on the various boards, people are getting the plain vanilla refurb mixmasters, perfectly authentic USGI even though not factory original, and looking for same make parts to render them "correct." I have heard of that in the Garand field, but the established 1911 collectors look down their noses at anything more than rounding up the right grips.

[JonInWA]

Up to $3600 now

Probably a very neat 1911A1, but about the only one in the likely future that it's worth that much money to is the person who bought it at that price (or wherever in the stratosphere it ends up selling for).

Frankly, I'm kind of scratching my head at these CMP offerings-even some of these auction ones. I understand the draw, but things are lurching their way into crazy money land.

Best, Jon

[Borderland]

It has been somewhere for something, I doubt US&S put that A9 84 stamp on it.


I am seeing posts on the various boards, people are getting the plain vanilla refurb mixmasters, perfectly authentic USGI even though not factory original, and looking for same make parts to render them "correct." I have heard of that in the Garand field, but the established 1911 collectors look down their noses at anything more than rounding up the right grips.

They do that with carbines also. Lots of parts swappers and parts for sale with mfg's stamps to fit know suppliers to the companies that assembeled the rifles and shipped them. Those are not "correct" as you say. IMO they aren't worth anymore than an arsenal rebuild, actually less.

I'm not sure what the A9 84 stamp is but it doesn't appear to be an arsenal stamp. Anything I could come up with would be speculative at best because I'm not willing to research it. Somebody knows a lot more about that pistol than I do and that keeps me out of the collector market.

Arsenal Rebuild Marks:

AA = Augusta Arsenal
AN = Anniston Arsenal
BA = Benecia Arsenal
MR = Mt Rainer Ordinance Depot
OG = Ogden Arsenal
RA = Raritan Arsenal
RIA = Rock Island Arsenal
RRA = Red River Arsenal
SA = Springfield Arsenal
SAA = San Antonio Arsenal

[Borderland]

Probably a very neat 1911A1, but about the only one in the likely future that it's worth that much money to is the person who bought it at that price (or wherever in the stratosphere it ends up selling for).

Frankly, I'm kind of scratching my head at these CMP offerings-even some of these auction ones. I understand the draw, but things are lurching their way into crazy money land.

Best, Jon

The CMP may have to drop the prices on those service and field grade pistols if they want to move them. Money is going to get tight. I was on the fence for a long time but I think I may have fallen off.

[Trooper224]

The CMP may have to drop the prices on those service and field grade pistols if they want to move them. Money is going to get tight. I was on the fence for a long time but I think I may have fallen off.

Yep, money's going to be tight for a lot of the folks who bought them. I'll wait for those folks to try moving them at "money's tight" prices.

[Wayne Dobbs]

I was tempted but confident if I held out for a bit I would find a vintage Colt 1911 in better condition for less money.

Last week I acquired a 1928 Hartford Mass. manufactured Colt 1911A1. It is one of the 10,000 1927 Colt 1911A1's produced for the final Argentine contract.
It's a solid VG+ condition with an arsenal repark. Matching numbers on the slide, barrel, and magazine, while the frame is a different serial number within the Colt Argentine contract. Runs like a champ with 230 FMJ and HST. For $300 I was quite pleased.


Argentine contract Colt on the bottom.

Attachment 54776

@Dagga Boy

You need to see Darryl's Argentine 1911, it's breathtaking.

[Nightvisionary]

Probably a very neat 1911A1, but about the only one in the likely future that it's worth that much money to is the person who bought it at that price (or wherever in the stratosphere it ends up selling for).

Frankly, I'm kind of scratching my head at these CMP offerings-even some of these auction ones. I understand the draw, but things are lurching their way into crazy money land.

Best, Jon

Yep, honestly my Rock Island 1911A1 scratches my nostalgia itch perfectly for the pistol I first qualified with and carried in the Marines. My two Colt's were mainly purchased because they were priced so low I couldn't pass them up. I am in to all three 1911's for $1000 total. I personally would not feel good about paying that much for a single USGI parts gun.

[Borderland]

Yep, honestly my Rock Island 1911A1 scratches my nostalgia itch perfectly for the pistol I first qualified with and carried in the Marines. My two Colt's were mainly purchased because they were priced so low I couldn't pass them up. I am in to all three 1911's for $1000 total. I personally would not feel good about paying that much for a single USGI parts gun.

I know a guy who buys new boats and Sea-Doos like I buy pistols. I think there are a lot of variables here depending on your tax bracket.

[Nightvisionary]

I know a guy who buys new boats and Sea-Doos like I buy pistols. I think there are a lot of variables here depending on your tax bracket.

I appreciate those kind of guys because they tend to be the same kind of people I buy my guns from at fire sale prices.

[Nightvisionary]

About 10 years ago you could buy all of the USGI mix master carbines you wanted for around $700. I purchased one around that time. That's a 46% increase in value in 10 years. The only reason that happened is because the import supply was being depleted and is now zero.

The CMP 1911's may have a few more years before the supply runs out because the Army had 80,000 of those. Any real appreciation won't be realized for many years. There's so many of those I expect the market for the correct examples to be somewhat diluted because about 10% of the pistols coming into the CMP are unarsenaled collectible pistols. Maybe 8000 into the market eventually.

That may be true but inflation alone accounted for about 18% -20% of that increase. By comparison Mosin Nagant M44 carbine prices have increased about 300% during that same time period.