CMP to sell surplus military 1911

[old head]

read this yesterday.  Nothing at the CMP site yet.

https://bearingarms.com/tom-k/2017/11/21/congress-passes-bill-sale-milsurp-1911-pistols-cmp/

Old Head

[DaSwami]

Not my cup of tea, but I appreciate the history.   I probably couldn't/wouldn't afford a collector grade one, demand will be sky high.

[MotoG5]

Shooting and riding buddy and I were talking about this yesterday. He has bought from the CMP program before. We both do quite a bit of competitive shooting in the vintage military classes. Best guess it will take some time before these are available through the program and we are guessing that they may well be a bit pricey. Good to see it go down though.

[Sheepdog]

Maybe this will bring the prices down on all the 1911s that are already available. I was an armorer in the Army back in the seventies. If the CMP offerings are as rough as the majority of the pistols in my old armory, they will probably need several new parts to make them accurate and reliable. Still, it would be nice to have a genuine Colt GI Model...

[Gliderjohn]

Will be interesting to see what pricing will be. I was at an auction about three years ago that had two military 1911s. The one produced in WWI and rebuilt in WWII brought over $1,800. The second was produced in WWII. No mention of any further work on it. It brought over $1,500. Those little original sights are getting harder to use with each birthday for some reason.
GliderJohn

[rodekyll]

I'm appalled.

[cruzziguzzi]

If it were the old DCM selling them, I'd be excited but I expect CMP to play the funnel game and keep prices artificially high.

Real market, if these numbers are to be believed - which I do not - then opening without artificial restrictions should drop going rates for surplus (and existing) down to well under $1,000 per pistol for quite some time. Of course, excluding rarities.

Todd.

[sidecarnutz]

I remember my sub crew doing a pistol shoot in the early 80's with our old Government .45s. They were rattle traps and would produce a flyer on ever mag.

Made it almost impossible to earn a pistol marksmanship medal.

Next time around the Captain let us bring our own 1911's to shoot for qual. A lot more of the guys earned marksmanship that time around.

Both my commercial 1911s are way better than anything I ever used in the Navy. They could be nice wall hangers, but I wouldn't want one. Too much wear & tear over 70 years.

[Chuck in Indiana]

They could be nice wall hangers, but I wouldn't want one.

Me, either. A friend brought an old 1911 out to the farm this weekend. It functioned. I've shot better.   

[cruzziguzzi]

I remember my sub crew doing a pistol shoot in the early 80's with our old Government .45s. They were rattle traps and would produce a flyer on ever mag.

Made it almost impossible to earn a pistol marksmanship medal.

Next time around the Captain let us bring our own 1911's to shoot for qual. A lot more of the guys earned marksmanship that time around.

Both my commercial 1911s are way better than anything I ever used in the Navy. They could be nice wall hangers, but I wouldn't want one. Too much wear & tear over 70 years.

Barrel and bushing square most of that away and it might be a good idea to spare those parts anyhow.

Todd.

[motormike131]

  A few of us visit the local gun shop... firing range and put .25 cent holes in paper. I want'd a .45 like I carried in the Army... but sticker shock !  So I got a Rock Island .45 model GI.
  One of the guys has his fathers .45 from his time on a escort carrier dur'n WWII. I did some research.. it was built in 1918.. too late for service in WWI and was placed in storage... then issued for WWII. A very nice piece.. tight and shoots well. My Rock Island is great and at $400.oo well within my wallet abuse. My old Army .45 was..loose, but then I had no idea how old it was.
  I'd assume the units that will come on the market.. (someday, I'v heard this story for a couple years now) well be less then current gun show-shop prices.. $1200-1500.oo for average.

[not-fishing]

I've been waiting for nearly a decade.

The first CMP Garand I bought shot "minute of barn door". 

After I did a little work on it with a new stock it shot less than 2 minutes which was good.  (ME>2)

Then I purchased a Danish with VAR barrel and ME of less than one.  It was a great rifle than went to my former Marine son when he mustered out.

Now I have a match prepped M1 from National Match Armory that will far outshoot me.

Hopefully enough will come in to get the prices down to around the price for Philippine 1911's so that I can build a rattling Bullseye pistol.

[sidecarnutz]

Those 1911s from the Philippines can be quite good. I got a Rock island Tactical that shot well enough, I didn't mind selling my Springfield Armory 1911 to a friend. Very impressive 1911 for under $400.

But my Favorite 1911 so far is my Ruger SR1911. Perfect function and a terrific bulls eye shooter at 25 yards. A terrific American made 1911 for $600.

[DaSwami]

But my Favorite 1911 so far is my Ruger SR1911. Perfect function and a terrific bulls eye shooter at 25 yards. A terrific American made 1911 for $600.

Thanks for that tip, never even looked at those, good looking 1911!

I'm on the 9mm 1911 kick, I have a few RIA 9mm that shoot lights out for under $500....great fun!

[Two Checks]

I have a Citadel 1911 in .45 with custom grips and Wilson Combat mag (oem wouldnt feed right) and it is dead nuts accurate. We even got on paper at 240 yards after we figured out how high we had to aim. Great pistol at about $500.

[hidn45]

My late Father-in-Law had a surplus 1911, bought for a princely mail-order $12.50.  It was the flat housing, long trigger, hand-biter, not the -A1, but it gave me my lifelong love of the Army .45.  Rattled like a can of screws, & the ramp was so worn & smooth it would feed an empty case, but it certainly seemed to shoot good for me....

It was auctioned off with most of the rest of his accumulated firearms when he sold the farm - I couldn't even afford the starting bid at the time.....  :^(

I've got an Argentine copy now that reminds me of that old slabsides.  Doesn't shoot as well, but it plays a decent 2nd fiddle....