[mitchntx]

... going through my Dad's stuff and came across two 1911s.

One is a Norinco and I recall him saying it was a cheap knock-off. The other says "US Army" on it.

So, how can I trace the army version to know if its authentic?

[2000Z-71]

Mitch, I'd like to help but I would probably need some additional information. The Norinco is a Chinese made copy of the 1911, they're functional, not collectible. A lot of guys use them as a base for a custom build because of their forged frames and slides and that they use the older Series 70 fire controls. Value is probably around $350ish.

From what I can tell in the pictures the military issue 1911 is not a Colt, but that may not be a bad thing. There were a lot of manufacturers of the 1911 during the war, Colt, Remington-Rand, Ithaca, even Singer the sewing machine company. Some of those manufacturers are rather rare. Military issue 1911's are a world onto themselves and not my area of expertise. There's a higher value placed on guns that are all original versus arsenal refinished. You might want to try poking around some of the military sections of the various 1911 forums to see if you can find out more. Value could be anywhere from $350 to possible low 4 figures it just all depends on manufacturer, original vs. re-arsenaled, etc.

Lorcins are pretty much the Yugos of the gun world, they really are Saturday Night Specials. Seriously, save it for when somebody has a gun buy back program and will trade you a $50 gift certificate and you'll probably be money ahead.

The Llama revolvers are a Spanish made revolver similar to a Smith & Wesson. Opinions vary from on their quality but overall seem to be fairly reliable and inexpensive. Value could be from $150-$300 depending on condition.

The .22 revolvers without knowing the manufacturer or model I couldn't help with.

Any details about the black powder revolvers? There's the original Colts and Remingtons which are collector's items. There's a lot of Italian and Spanish made copies of them. Colt brought back a series of the black powder pistols several years ago with the original Colt markings and picked up where they left off with the serial numbers from the 19th century. They bring a premium over the copies. Ruger also made the Old Army cap and ball revolver. prices on those have been steadily going up since they discontinued them a couple of years ago.

Hope this helps.