Third Party Press

Has Anyone Seen This Freak Show

I have looked at his stuff for 25 plus years. Some has been oK, not many. He was buddies with Dave B/Surf City and much of Dave's iffy inventory seemed to find its way to his table. If you buy anything from him you best know what you are looking at. Dave and he had some good refinishers, and I suspect another well known author was in the same circle. Buy the gun, not the seller nor the story. It is tough out there. Wish him the best with his health issues.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/792131038

I think I may have had this sent to me on approval years ago, like 10+. If it is the same pistol then it is a "restoration" and not a high end one. If it is the same pistol, and I should know tomorrow, then the two best legit Colt restorers at the time told me, yes, a restoration, and no, not their work, that their work was far better. It would fool a non-M1911 collector at arms' length, but that's about it. If it isn't the one I briefly had and returned, it looks identical. Look at the price.
 
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/792131038

I think I may have had this sent to me on approval years ago, like 10+. If it is the same pistol then it is a "restoration" and not a high end one. If it is the same pistol, and I should know tomorrow, then the two best legit Colt restorers at the time told me, yes, a restoration, and no, not their work, that their work was far better. It would fool a non-M1911 collector at arms' length, but that's about it. If it isn't the one I briefly had and returned, it looks identical. Look at the price.
Looks like a Turnbull to me, and no way, no how is it worth anywhere near what it's bid up to even if it's not. There are clearly a lot of people with more money than brains.
 
Looks like a Turnbull to me, and no way, no how is it worth anywhere near what it's bid up to even if it's not. There are clearly a lot of people with more money than brains.

Yep. He is a very nice fellow and was helpful to me. I contacted him to ask if the 1917 M1911 I was going to buy was one of his restorations. He looked at three of my pics and said, "no, it's not one of mine, my work is much better than that."

EDIT: I can't find my notes / records which would show the serial on the M1911 1917 I returned. However, it was eerily similar to the now $12k+ one at Gunbonker awkshun. I'm not a M1911 collector so I can't say and the pictures aren't good enough. However, at $12k+ hopefully the lucky winner is going to have an inspect and have a knowledgeable restorer look at it under a loupe.
 
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Tke, it looks like the M1911 1917 I returned. I think it was Bill Adair who was very helpful to me, stated for sure it was restored, but not one of his. That lettering comparison you see is what sunk it. That slide is roll stamped, i.e., with dies. The lettering on the one I had, like this one, is not roll stamped. It looks like the letters were individually "chiseled" out after it was stripped and machined. At that time I think the price was close to $3,000, which was very high then. It probably got cycled through Buehn, etc. If this is not the one I examined it is one just like it. Again, from a distance it looks great. Up close it sets off warning bells. I note that the pics on this auction don't allow detail viewing. If a restoration it's a $2500 pistol, tops, as a curio, a shooter. It's what almost 700% more than that now?
 
Tke, it looks like the M1911 1917 I returned. I think it was Bill Adair who was very helpful to me, stated for sure it was restored, but not one of his. That lettering comparison you see is what sunk it. That slide is roll stamped, i.e., with dies. The lettering on the one I had, like this one, is not roll stamped. It looks like the letters were individually "chiseled" out after it was stripped and machined. At that time I think the price was close to $3,000, which was very high then. It probably got cycled through Buehn, etc. If this is not the one I examined it is one just like it. Again, from a distance it looks great. Up close it sets off warning bells. I note that the pics on this auction don't allow detail viewing. If a restoration it's a $2500 pistol, tops, as a curio, a shooter. It's what almost 700% more than that now?

Did you not read the description!

Tis is a STUNNING UNISSUED, RARE MUSEUM QUALITY CONDITION World War I, COLT 1911 U.S Army .45ACP Semi-Auto Pistol MANUFACTURED in 1911 100% ORIGINAL, MATCHING AND CORRECT!Features include a 5" barrel with an MINT SHINY BORE, 7 round magazine, fixed front sight with adjustable for windage rear sight, lanyard ring, fantastic checkered WOOD DIAMOND grips and its original MILITARY BLUED COLT finish! OUTSTANDING WORLD WAR I AND 1911 COLLECTORS GUN!!! A GUN OF THIS CONDITION DOES NOT COME ALONG EVERYDAY!!! BLUE CHIP INVESTMENT GUN!
 
Did you not read the description!

Tis is a STUNNING UNISSUED, RARE MUSEUM QUALITY CONDITION World War I, COLT 1911 U.S Army .45ACP Semi-Auto Pistol MANUFACTURED in 1911 100% ORIGINAL, MATCHING AND CORRECT!Features include a 5" barrel with an MINT SHINY BORE, 7 round magazine, fixed front sight with adjustable for windage rear sight, lanyard ring, fantastic checkered WOOD DIAMOND grips and its original MILITARY BLUED COLT finish! OUTSTANDING WORLD WAR I AND 1911 COLLECTORS GUN!!! A GUN OF THIS CONDITION DOES NOT COME ALONG EVERYDAY!!! BLUE CHIP INVESTMENT GUN!

Good grief you're right. What's wrong with me? (don't answer that, it was rhetorical).

On the M1911 forum this is what one posted, which was I alluded to above: "Bill did do his 'chasing' of the markings by hand and you can tell with magnification as the above illustrates. I didn't think of that but it definitely is a possibility."

The more I look at it, the more I believe this is the one that passed through my hands. I don't know M1911s and wanted ONE unupgradeable WW1 M1911. A buddy had this one. He has since passed away so it would have re-entered the market. I wanted to like it but something didn't feel right. It's not that it's "STUNNING UNISSUED", as I have unissued, like new WW2 firearms. Bill Adair flat emailed me that the one I had, which I believe is this one, was a complete restoration, but not his work because his work was much better. This for me is what give it away, and the analysis I did when making my decision to return it. If you compare the slide markings on the OP to a vetted original (which is why we have the Pic Reference Thread) you can tell it ain't right. The original slide markings were roll stamped on. Those are not. Micro Jo could probably aid in that analysis. It looks like the OP markings were "picked out" or enhanced by hand because the buffing took them down too much.
 

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What I really think amazes me is a pistol that is so rare, so mint, and so great. You only get 21 pictures. And not one picture of the pistol dissembled either. Why?
 
It's already buried. On Bing it's the 25th option if you search "dot45". A week and a half ago it was right near the top
 
So, I "reached out" to the seller on the M1911, and here's how it went...

Me: restored?

Them: no, 100% original and backed by three day inspection privilege. thanks for your interest.

*************************************

Me: 3-day inspection? I thought you folks had a life-time guarantee. Have you seen the discussion on-line re: this gun?

Them: No, we don't have time to look around. We are always working on future auctions. Obviously the gun in question is ridiculously high and I guarantee that non rated bidder in the lead goes underground and never pays. Then we have to go through the pain the a$$ Gunbroker refund process of the fees they will charge for a gun going that high and they will only pay if we relist it which will surely hurt the gun. Thanks for reaching out.
 
"Bill did do his 'chasing' of the markings by hand and you can tell with magnification as the above illustrates...

It looks like the OP markings were "picked out" or enhanced by hand because the buffing took them down too much.

In your picture you can definitely see it. I don't think you have to be an expert either as I feel it's that obvious. Without the direct comparison or close examination maybe not.
 
Well that 'Flowers1973' user had his 2 week jerk-off spree ended but some guy 'Spiritlaker' thought it was worth almost 17k and he's right back at it again. It would be curious to me to meet a few of these guys. I can imagine him just sitting on a pile of money throwing it at stuff. Is 'anti-researcher' a thing like anti-vaxer? I could see it.
 
Seller is no good. His BS stories about firearms found in a wall. Most are freshly refinished. I wouldn't buy a damn thing from him. He is one of the sleeziest sellers on gunbroker.


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