Wish me luck!!

[kilopaparomeo]

Was approached by a hunting/flying buddy to help his father-in-law who is helping an elderly gentleman (85 yr old) dispose of his gun collection to raise "retirement" cash.  

I agreed to take a look at what they had (via email) and the descriptions were terrible, e.g., one gun was labeled M1 Enfield and another Colt .38.

After asking lots of questions, getting (really bad quality) pictures and spending around 15+ hours researching, organizing, identifying, verifying, I have created a nice spreadsheet for the gentleman that details everything I know about the guns, their history and a low and high value range based on lots of internet searches.

My buddy's FIL asked if there is anything I would want to bid on.  Most of the guns are "hunting" guns (Remchesters), however almost all look to be in good shape and were bought 1950's and 1960's.  There's a few I'd love (Win 1895, S&W M1917), a few I already have (M1903A3s, Enfields), a few that my buddy is going after and a few decent guns (S&W M37 Airweight, pre-64 Win94, unfired Belgian Browning BAR, an early Ruger Single Six) that I'll bid for.

There are 3 however that really caught my eye.  All appear to be in very nice shape.  I'll see them hopefully in a few weeks.  Biggest issue is now that the gentleman has seen my valuation, he is thinking of getting a consignment house to handle the transaction.  I'm hoping to bid for a group before that happens.

The guns are

1) a 1918 manufactured Colt 1911.  May be a "Black Army".  Looks like it is in very good shape.  Would fit nicely in my US Military collection

2) An 1865 Spencer Carbine in .56-56 Rimfire.  Nice shape also

3)  A Winchester 90 in .22 LR.  I didn't know much about these but they appear to be very collectible and I've always liked the idea of a pump .22.

Sorry for the bad pics...these are all I have to work with also.  Wish me luck in the offer!

[twyacht]

Nice kpr, be sure to shop around for an auction/consignment outfit that doesn't gouge the proceeds at incremental levels.

If the "x" pistol is worth $500 or less they take "10%"
"                                 $1000                       "20%"

etc,...

as a former antique junkie who has attended many estate auctions, and similar events, research the market. They often ebb and flow with the times.

Collector/antique firearms may be in an "up" swing in demand or not, I don't know. But the auction/consignment co. doesn;t care, as long as they get the items sold they make money.

Location is also important.

An estate firearm auction/sale in Chicago, won't work as well as in Austin, (as an example).....

Good luck and I hope for your trouble, you can pick one or three and get them at a great deal.

(uh,....put me down as a serious bidder for the BAR)

[tt11758]

Was approached by a hunting/flying buddy to help his father-in-law who is helping an elderly gentleman (85 yr old) dispose of his gun collection to raise "retirement" cash.  

I agreed to take a look at what they had (via email) and the descriptions were terrible, e.g., one gun was labeled M1 Enfield and another Colt .38.

After asking lots of questions, getting (really bad quality) pictures and spending around 15+ hours researching, organizing, identifying, verifying, I have created a nice spreadsheet for the gentleman that details everything I know about the guns, their history and a low and high value range based on lots of internet searches.

My buddy's FIL asked if there is anything I would want to bid on.  Most of the guns are "hunting" guns (Remchesters), however almost all look to be in good shape and were bought 1950's and 1960's.  There's a few I'd love (Win 1895, S&W M1917), a few I already have (M1903A3s, Enfields), a few that my buddy is going after and a few decent guns (S&W M37 Airweight, pre-64 Win94, unfired Belgian Browning BAR, an early Ruger Single Six) that I'll bid for.

There are 3 however that really caught my eye.  All appear to be in very nice shape.  I'll see them hopefully in a few weeks.  Biggest issue is now that the gentleman has seen my valuation, he is thinking of getting a consignment house to handle the transaction.  I'm hoping to bid for a group before that happens.

The guns are

1) a 1918 manufactured Colt 1911.  May be a "Black Army".  Looks like it is in very good shape.  Would fit nicely in my US Military collection

2) An 1865 Spencer Carbine in .56-56 Rimfire.  Nice shape also

3)  A Winchester 90 in .22 LR.  I didn't know much about these but they appear to be very collectible and I've always liked the idea of a pump .22.

Sorry for the bad pics...these are all I have to work with also.  Wish me luck in the offer!

Put me down as a serious bidder for the Enfield.   


Hell, get him to let you put them in the "Classifieds" section of this site and you'll sell them all.....then charge him a small commission.......like the 1911, for example.

[Pathfinder]

Don't be shy in flat-out asking to offer on the 1911 separately (or one of the other 2 if that's what you want). Kind of a thank you to you for doing all of that work and alerting him to the true value of the collection.

That 1911 is way cool - MB probably will want it for his Gangster Stuff.

BTW, what the heck is that "clip" reference in the 1911 photo? ? ? ? ?

[kilopaparomeo]

Don't be shy in flat-out asking to offer on the 1911 separately (or one of the other 2 if that's what you want). Kind of a thank you to you for doing all of that work and alerting him to the true value of the collection.

That 1911 is way cool - MB probably will want it for his Gangster Stuff.

BTW, what the heck is that "clip" reference in the 1911 photo? ? ? ? ?

Yes, I've invested around 15 hours so far...I'll not do much more until he figures out if I can have first crack at these or if he is going to go through a broker.

Yes, the 1911 is #1 for me, Spencer is #2 and after that I'm ambivalent.  Hope to pick up 6-8 guns out of this.

Clip?  Yes, given that he seems to know some of his guns, that's weird, but then again he was calling some S&Ws "Smith and Weston".  And he called a No 5 Jungle Carbine a "M1 Enfield Carbine".  You never know about some people. 

[Sponsor]

[Big Frank]

It's always nice to see an old M1911.

[tombogan03884]

Looks like an interesting project.
By "M1 Enfield carbine" he may have thought it was a "MARK" 1, (Although I think the jungle carbines were all mark 4's or 5's )

What is a "Black Army 1911" and why is it collectible ?

A guy I used to know inherited 2 Spencers. He eventually sold them since the lack of ammo made them nothing but "wall hangers". (VERY VERY cool wall hangers    )

PS.  Good luck   

[kilopaparomeo]

What is a "Black Army 1911" and why is it collectible ?

A guy I used to know inherited 2 Spencers. He eventually sold them since the lack of ammo made them nothing but "wall hangers". (VERY VERY cool wall hangers    )

"Black Army" 1911's are from 1918 at the end of WWI when the Army was rushing to get 1911s in service.  They made a simplification in the finishing process and skipped the beautiful commercial grade blue and went to a black finish.  While they aren't as pretty, there aren't many of them and thus they are collectible.

Spencers are wallhangers if you try to shoot the 56-56 rimfire...individual cartridges run about $30 a piece to collectors.  However, there are several people who make replacement breechblocks and allow you to shoot centerfire 56-56.  There are a few makers of the brass.

[tombogan03884]

Thanks KPR.
I didn't know about the replacement breech blocks, the only 2 details I remember were the loading through the butt and the muzzle looked about the size of a municipal sewer pipe  

[m25operator]

Been there done that, get your deal solidified, went to an estate sale for a range member, We ( club members ) were to get 1st pick, anonymous buyer bought all the guns unseen, then we went for the sale of the large parts collection and within 20 minutes a buyer bought it all for dirt cheap, 3 pickup truck loads, we could only buy what we had in our hands. Don't play, go for it.