Purchased a possible custom 1911, need help I.D’ing

[farscott]

The only things I would change on that gun are the recoil spring and, if needed, the mainspring. It is possible the gun is setup for soft target loads. I would start with a standard 16# recoil spring and compare it to the spring installed. If the recoil spring in the pistol has a much lower rate, checking the mainspring is then needed. Or you can shoot powder puff loads in it. Say 230-grain at 650 fps or so or the Federal 185-grain Gold Medal wadcutter load (185-grain at 770 fps). Change the recoil spring and mainspring to 1911-standard to shoot hardball.

As far as value, that one is hard. While Jim Clark is a name smith and the pistol has historic value being built on a Colt commercial 1911A1, Bullseye is not the sport it once was. The modifications lock the pistol into target shooting. The number of shooters is down and the rules have been changed to open up the sport to more pistols and to optics. A new RRA Bullseye Wadcutter pistol with modern cosmetics/features (checkering, beavertail, sight rib) and fit is about $2500. I would guess that pistol would sell for about $1000 locally IF one could find a Bullseye shooter or a Clark collector.

[Rex G]

Deleted. (I had thought this one got lost in the ether, so re-did it. Better version, below.)

[Rex G]

let me ask you guys one other thing. what do you think it's worth? The more I find out about it, the more I'm inclined to keep it as is. About all I'm going to do is change the grips. I'm thinking it may be worth more than I paid for it.

You have an iconic piece of firearms history. I’d say that it is priceless. Of course, there is a “market value,” but that varies with trends, geography, and economic conditions. 2020 is very much a down time for high-end 1911 pistols. This would not be a good time to flip it, if that is what you have in mind.

[Rex G]

Here is a Clark Custom 1911, at a dealer. Excellent condition, by their rating system. ~$2K.

Their archives can be searched, too, for similar firearms sold in the past. They have previously sold a number of Clark Custom firearms.

[ralph]

You have an iconic piece of firearms history. I’d say that it is priceless. Of course, there is a “market value,” but that varies with trends, geography, and economic conditions. 2020 is very much a down time for high-end 1911 pistols. This would not be a good time to flip it, if that is what you have in mind.

Don’t worry, I’m going to keep it. As of right now the only thing I’m going to change is the grips, and the grip screws. I contacted Clark Custom, they don’t have this one in their computer files, but they still have paper records, it is definitely a J.E.Clark built pistol. Hopefully, they can dig up some history on this pistol. In my e-mail, I also asked if they could tell me what spring rates they’d recommend for shooting ball, and what springs I’d need to change..I’ve got a feeling that this will be a joy to shoot.. I’m going to take my time, and make sure this is set up right.

ETA:
For those of you who are curious, I paid $500 for it, I think I did ok..

[fatdog]

I had those same Clark grips on my bullseye gun circa '85 when I started shooting "2700" as we called the game back then. Mine was a Remington Rand CMP pistol that had been built with a "Micro" brand bushing, barrel, sights, etc. by one of Clark's competitors. I ran 185gr cast SWC behind 3.5gr of Bullseye for those softball loads. That required a 10# recoil spring.

By the early 90's bullseye was dying fast and the action shooting stuff, IPSC (later USPSA) was exploding. Not having the funds in those days to buy a second gun I had mine converted to a "hardball gun" by a local gunsmith, although it retains that original barrel to this day as a USPSA single stack gun.

I am afraid I seriously doubt the market value or demand for those guns now, even though it is a Jim Clark build. Bullseye is an essentially dead sport at the club level now. Yes I know they still draw hundreds for Camp Perry every year but find me a club level match anywhere with more than a dozen competitors this weekend.

I would not criticize the decision to keep it as it is for historical value or nostalgia. Nor would I criticize the decision to pull the unnecessary parts and re-spring/re-sight it as a viable single stack gun. It is possible to do the latter and come out with a very accurate gun that can shoot full power ammo....mine is such now. I am betting that a Jim Clark built bullseye gun reborn as a hardball gun would indeed be a tack driver in terms of accuracy.

[farscott]

Wow, $500 for a Jim Clark, Sr. pistol. That is a great deal but reinforces how soft the Bullseye pistol market is. If the pistol was in the same condition that it left the Colt factory, it would be worth three times as much. Customized by a recognized master, and it dropped in value by two-thirds.

[DDTSGM]

Wow, $500 for a Jim Clark, Sr. pistol. That is a great deal but reinforces how soft the Bullseye pistol market is. If the pistol was in the same condition that it left the Colt factory, it would be worth three times as much. Customized by a recognized master, and it dropped in value by two-thirds.

Bullseye is indeed dying off. I don't know if we have enough time in on the shooting sports to say that things are cyclical and that pistol shooting sports with the sole emphasis on precision marksmanship will make a comeback.

It could be that bullseye and match rifle make a comeback under a Biden Administration, let's hope we don't find out.

[awp_101]

ETA:
For those of you who are curious, I paid $500 for it, I think I did ok..

It would have cost me another $275. $250 deductible at the ER to get my shoulder back in place, $20 to replace the jeans after tearing the pocket getting the wallet out and $5 to replace the wallet itself after tearing it open...

[ralph]

I had those same Clark grips on my bullseye gun circa '85 when I started shooting "2700" as we called the game back then. Mine was a Remington Rand CMP pistol that had been built with a "Micro" brand bushing, barrel, sights, etc. by one of Clark's competitors. I ran 185gr cast SWC behind 3.5gr of Bullseye for those softball loads. That required a 10# recoil spring.

By the early 90's bullseye was dying fast and the action shooting stuff, IPSC (later USPSA) was exploding. Not having the funds in those days to buy a second gun I had mine converted to a "hardball gun" by a local gunsmith, although it retains that original barrel to this day as a USPSA single stack gun.

I am afraid I seriously doubt the market value or demand for those guns now, even though it is a Jim Clark build. Bullseye is an essentially dead sport at the club level now. Yes I know they still draw hundreds for Camp Perry every year but find me a club level match anywhere with more than a dozen competitors this weekend.

I would not criticize the decision to keep it as it is for historical value or nostalgia. Nor would I criticize the decision to pull the unnecessary parts and re-spring/re-sight it as a viable single stack gun. It is possible to do the latter and come out with a very accurate gun that can shoot full power ammo....mine is such now. I am betting that a Jim Clark built bullseye gun reborn as a hardball gun would indeed be a tack driver in terms of accuracy.

That’s a viable option. I understand it’s somewhat of a time capsule,so to speak, resighting, and respringing the gun to run ball ammo is very attractive to me. I’ve no doubt that the end result would be stupid accurate.I did discover an issue with it, and I’ll probably have to send it back to Clark..When dropping the slide using the slide stop, I get hammer follow through..Given the pistols age, unknown round count, this isn’t entirely unexpected.. I’m going to wait and see what Clark has to say about my inquiry regarding this pistol, and then make a decision.