Gun folks ... Options

[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?

[EchoMirage]

norincos werent that cheap.

the serial number have a C or M at the beginning

[TSHACK]

... 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?

Mitchntx as you probable know the Norinco was a chinese firm. They made very good ammo too, & yes it was very cheap, That is until good old Bill C. put a stop to us getting it.
If some one here doesn't pipe in on the US army 1911 sooner, I'll look it up in a day or so, I have or had (not sure which right now) couple of books that talk about the different arsenals that made them & how to tell them apart.
Terry

This post has been edited by TSHACK: Sep 8 2009, 11:37 PM

[trackbird]

My "Army issue" info is pretty sparse. I'll probably leave this one to the other guys.

[mitchntx]

norincos werent that cheap.

the serial number have a C or M at the beginning

Yes, one has an M-1911A1-67

The Norinco, which is much better shape, says "Model of the 1911A1"

Pics (they're HUGE!):

http://www.lawmotorsports.net/Pics/Mitch/DSC_0189.JPG

http://www.lawmotorsports.net/Pics/Mitch/DSC_0190.JPG

http://www.lawmotorsports.net/Pics/Mitch/DSC_0191.JPG

[trackbird]

My experience with anything Norinco has been "decently functional, but not terribly high quality" (and some of their 22's are pretty "crappy" think "Kraco" or "Sparkomatic" car stereo's compared to Alpine). However, I don't have any first hand experience with their 1911's.

[mitchntx]

How about a Lorcin .380? Llama 357?

And there are a couple 22 cal revolvers and a pair of black powder pistols.

[trackbird]

Not familiar with the .380. Llama's have been around a while and seem to be reasonably reliable and pretty inexpensive (last I looked).

Mitch, Email me the full specs on everything (the condition, and/or photos) and I'll get with my friend and his "blue book of gun values".

[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.

[EchoMirage]

thats not the serial number, thats the model. m-1911 means 'model 1911'. look on the right side of the frame, just above the trigger.

[TSHACK]

I still haven't found my books on the 45's. I try looking agian tonight.

[robz71lm7]

How about a Lorcin .380? Llama 357?

http://www.sigsauer.com/CustomerService/klunker.aspx

(IMG:http://www.sigsauer.com/upFiles/CmsContent/images/Cash-Klunker-web3.jpg)


Sorry couldn't resist.

As others have said Norinco's were popular as a base for custom 1911's back in the day when they were available. Most reviews paint them in a more positive light than I would. It's non-collectible and worth somewhere in the 3's. I'm not up to date on WWII 1911's so my suggestion would be to ask someone else or take a walk over to 1911forum.com. As 2000Z-71 said the value could be anywhere. Good luck!

[mitchntx]

Thanks all for your input.

As you have probably gathered, I'm not in the market to sell, just curious about value and what I have.