Colt 1911 dated 1914

[lethemgo]

Years ago I bought a 1911 that a guys dad bought from Alameda sherffs dept if I remember right. Gun had been confiscated and later serial # scrubbed and renumbered. Value was not what it would have been otherwise by condition and year it was. Dated to be from 1914 as far as we could tell. Decided to sell it but talked to a guy that had been doing 1911 stuff for years but getting up in age and not really dealing much anymore. We stripped it down and everything looked great as to dating the gun. His suggestion was to put a different barrel in it and sell it because the barrel was worth close to what I could get for the whole gun. So I bought a new old stock barrel and did that. He was going to hook me up with a guy who still looked for old parts but since has passed away. What he told me was the barrel was worth $400 to $600 because it was only used from 1914 to 1918. Said it has some of the best rifling he'd ever seen from that time period. It has a P over an H on the end of the barrel. Told me to try the reno big gun show but then all this covid stuff hit and stuff was canceled. Tried to get a picture of letters on barrel but me tablet only does so good. The paper is what he wrote for me reference.
Tried to upload pic but no luck today!

[slamfire1]

In the hands of somone with money, it is possible that pistol could be restored to a period correct finish and parts. However, such builds always cost more than the pistol is worth.

Those very old pistols are very rare, and you are lucky to have one, regardless of condition.

[GM4spd]

Restoring is expensive and yes that barrel is worth the price you were told. Pete

[highpower]

Since the serial number was scrubbed and the finish is not original or in poor condition, there is no real value in it except as parts.

This is what it would have looked like when new(er):



I assume that your barrel looks like this?

[lethemgo]

I sold it to a buddy for a fair price and kept the barrel. I told him about the barrel as I didn't want to lead him astray. The gun was actually in very good shape and didn't want to let it go but at the time I had 2 others and I need of some cash. Now just to find someone who could use this barrel for a nice restore. Figure out a price and get it sold. Going to the red bluff gun show in a couple weeks but chances selling there may be tough.