Brian - the local police ran the SN - it's clean.

Richard - the pistol you referenced is probably a "shooter". From my limited knowledge, I can see that it's in worse shape than mine, has mismatched internal parts, has the wrong magazine and was rebuilt at Rock Island Armory - all of which reduce the value to a collector.

Mine is not one that an experienced collector would want, either..... at least I don't think so. Those guys are looking for the Holy Grail of 1911s..... but at the same time they're pumping the value for the beginning collectors so the underlying value for all of the pistols is strong.

Without the beginning collectors, the experienced collectors wouldn't have anyone to buy their lesser important guns, so they sit around BSing each other - all the while drawing an admiring crowd of wannabe "big-time collectors".

Gun collecting is a great hobby if the prices are reasonable, but once it passes a reasonable amount, it becomes almost like a pyramid scheme - sometimes proving the Greater Fool Theory.

From what I've researched and had explained - reading between the lines, my pistol seems to me to fall somewhere in the middle ground. It's all original (parts and finish) except the magazine..... and that's an easily remedied fix.... but the finish is not so good it will command a premium price.

What I wanted to hear was that it was worth more than $2000 or less than $1000. To me, if it's worth more than $2000, I won't shoot it because I can sell it, buy a shooter and pocket $1000, letting someone else fall in lust and stroke it for a while. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

If it's worth less than $1000 - I can't buy much for the same price that would feel the same in my hand, so I might as well shoot it and consider any further wear devaluation as "rent". <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Frank