colt 45 pricing?

[sailor74]

I would like to ask what any of you think, would be a good price for a pre 70 model colt commercial 1911 in excellent original condition.




I have seen prices from 1000 to 1500 dollars.

Like this one.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=128258672

Thanks for the advice.

Richard

[Miltiades]

Typical price range

I believe the $1000 to $1500 price range you quoted is fairly accurate. The gun auction you linked is for a gun in "mint" condition that appears unmodified, so it would appeal to a collector and might go in the top end of your price range.

I have one pre-70 Colt, a Gold Cup I bought about 17 years ago for $600 and have refinished, modified and shot quite a bit - perhaps 5000 rounds. It is a good shooter and probably has a lot of use left in it. It was made in 1968. I personally value it at about $1000 but would never sell it.

I think you have to decide if you want to buy a collector item or a shooter, because in guns that old there are definitely those two categories of condition and price. Here is mine:

[B Strong]

"Value" and "price" are often two entirely different things.

Here in California, because of the the "Safe Gun" roster, we have an artifical market for pistols like the series 70 - $1,000.00 - $1,500.00 is indeed the going rate, but I know that pistols in like condition go for under 1K in free states.

I recently found my receipt from 1981 for a Combat Commander - $380.00 something including tax.

I'd be willing to buy in at the going rate for an NIB example, but so many of the Colt's were modified to one degree or another of skill that sometimes the used examples have to be put right before putting them to use.