I have an interest in all small arms of WWll . Can anyone supply me with a short list of reputable dealers of the 1911 , 1911a1-a4 .45 cal. ?
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I have an interest in all small arms of WWll . Can anyone supply me with a short list of reputable dealers of the 1911 , 1911a1-a4 .45 cal. ?
That's not an easy request. You can watch Auction Arms and GunBroker and when you find something that you like, call it to our attention and we can give you our two cents worth of advice. It is pretty much a buyer beware situation out their, so it is up to the individual collector to learn as much as possible about the "subjects of our affection" before we start shelling out the big bucks to buy anything. Also try to befriend some serious, veteran collectors that won't mind showing you the ropes, so to speak. If you handle many correct, original pistols, you will soon be able to spot something that is not right and maybe even fake, very easily.
If you don't have a copy of Charles W. Clawson's Collector's Guide to Colt .45 Service Pistols, that would be a good starting place. Go to http://www.coolgunsite.com and order a copy. That and a very informative CD that has literally 100's of untouched pictures of 1911s and 1911A1s, will cost you about $60.00.
Oh, I forgot to ask you.....what's a 1911A1-A4?
I would consider "Jack the Dog" on Auction Arms a Reputable Dealer but even he can make mistakes so ultimately it still falls on you to know what you are looking at.
My 1911 .45 Mentor/Guru is John Holbrook. He told me early on that there are Four things that I needed to know as a collector especially at gunshows where there is potentially many collectors looking for the same things that I am.
#1 Have plenty of cash in your pocket.
#2 KNOW what you are looking at.
#3 Be able to make quick decisions/ be decisive.
#4 When you see what you want, "Jump on it like a Chicken on a June Bug!
...located in Galena Illinois ; Has anyone dealt with them ??
Do you mean Simpson's in Galesburg, Illinois? If so, Simpson's is very good for buying parts but I have never purchased any Firearms from them.
Simpson's specialty is Lugers. They offer a wide variety of other guns including 1911's and 1911A1's. They are somewhat knowledgeable on 1911's & A1's but not nearly as much as in the Luger area. They do try to determine the correctness of the 1911's they see and have some knowledgeable folks in the store, but relying solely on that can be a problem. They do provide a three day inspection. I agree with the above post regarding Mark Wiprud [Jack the Dog] and would also mention Marc Wade of Stormy Mountain LC, who also has a number of 1911's on his website. Antique and Collectable Firearms and Militaria Headquarters (fr) He also sells alot of different guns so is not a 1911 specialist.
Amen to that. We just had out huge show in Lakeland, Fl and one guy came back to find what he wanted was sold! He told me he walked away hoping to soften the selling price. There is a limited offering in collectible guns so when you finally see what you want at a show and can afford to buy it go for it! /KenQuote:
Originally Posted by Duane Hansen
"Dittos". Bob
I know someone who bought a handgun from Simpson. Looked good externally, but he found it was rusted inside when he disassembled it. They told him they don't look inside guns, just outside. They refunded his purchase price, but he had to eat 2-way shipping.
Collector's Firearms in Houston, TX. I have dealt with them many times and they have a lot of great stuff.
The short answer is to know the guns well enough that you don't have to rely on dealer reputations to make decisions about whether a pistol is original and correct or not.
While a seller's customer service record may be important to some, the key is to buy a good gun in the first place. Ask questions and request enough and proper photos if buying online or mail order. The responsibility and the consequences of any purchase ultimately lie with the purchaser.
I find dealer feedback ratings are useless for the most part with some sellers. Just because a buyer is happy with his purchase does not speak to how knowledgeable he is, or to how original or correct the pistol is. Great customer service and honesty is not a substitution for originality.
I typically try to buy face-to-face. That eliminates the question of how reputable the seller is. It does, however, raise the question of how knowedgeable and experienced I am with the pistols I try to collect. that question is answered everytime a knowledgeable collector views something I bought.
Learn first...buy later. Just my opinion.
I would like to buy a WW11 Colt ; does not have to be "correct" in all aspects as far as individual parts are concerned but has a good barrel and is a shooter . If anyone out there can steer me to somebody who is willing to sell I would appreciate it . Again ; condition does not have to be perfect ; if re-parkerizing is required , I would take it upon myself to have this done . Main thing is that it is a sound weapon with no rust .
---Thanks for all the info ; In the past I was an avid reader and contributor to the Culver Shooting Pages which,as you well know , is not defunct.
Toad, if you just want a WWI Colt, but don't care about authenticity, just look on any of the auction sites... there is no shortage of pistols with incorrect parts out there.
For a USGI shooter, which I don't recommend, I'd recommend (how's that for confusing?) a permanently altered and refinished pistol. There is no sense in destroying a perfectly good collectible when it is not necessary.
There are plenty of solid pistols that have no collector's value. That's all you need for a shooter.
Of course, I'd rather buy a new manufacture shooter and have a better pistol with a warranty for less money than most old USGI pistols sell for.