Found a 1991A1 made in '91 have question

[neil mitchell]

I found this gun locally and it looks like it hasen't been fired alot .Trigger has been replaced ,has wrap around grips and FLGR.Parkerized and comes with original box,papers and extra mag. No holster wear no scratches ,gun looks new.I plan on removing the slide to see what's inside and also will ask to shoot it before buying.
The man is asking $595 and from what I see on Gun Broker etc that seems like a good price.
My question is were there any issues with the first 1991A1s ? And what do you guys think about the price?

Thanks
Neil

[pa_guns]

Hi

Sounds like a good price. I'd be sure that with all the other mods, the guy hasn't messed something up.

Bob

[neil mitchell]

Thanks Bob, I will look closely at it.

Neil

[Hunter]

I believe the 1991A1s were some of the best pistols Colt made.
I have 2 and love them both very much.:D

[elijdub]

Depending on condition, that doesn't seem like too bad of a price to me either. But i'm always a little leary of any gun with modifications. Not neccessarily to the extent that i won't buy it...i just take the into account. How serious are the modifications? Can the gun be brought back into "stock" condition. I personally believe that any permanent modifications to the pistol lower the "worth" (from my perspective) and would look very closely at the workmanship (as Bob says above). Depending on who installed it, and the "make", a FLGR can be a part that required modification of the gun, or not...

Here's a nice NIB model.. The auction probably won't stop at $500 (as the reserve hasn't been met) but it will be interesting to see what it sells for...and my give you an idea of the "value" of the model you're looking at.
http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=98316285

[1911Tuner]

I have a trio of'em. Two were made in '91...one bought in the fall of '91 and the shortly after the first of the year in '92. They were made with 84 numbers between them. The third is a late-year '92 production.

The first two have broken the 300,000 round mark between them, with a tightening/refitting each...and are both on their third barrels. The later one is approaching 50k with its second barrel, and was lightly tightened and refitted early on.

All three are still operating with many of their original parts. Collectively, they've experienced maybe 2 dozen malfunctions over the years, even with reloaded ammo using my funky home-cast bullets. One has never malfunctioned after the initial start-up, and all it took to remedy the issue was a little added extractor tension. Since that day...Nada. Zip. The extractors in the first two were replaced during the rebuild at 75,000 rounds, and went on to do spare parts service in my range box...one of which has been ticking along in a friend's Springfield for about 2 years.

I also have an early 2001 production NRM...which is the same gun with polished flats on the slide. After an initial rough start due to an MIM extractor and light 3-Point Jams...it's been as reliable as an anvil. Tightened and refitted early...MIM sear and disconnect replaced...it's now wearing a new barrel...and is one of my range regulars, though it doesn't see hard use like the older ones. Estimated count is between 25 and 30 thousand rounds.

[elijdub]

300,000 rounds...!!!!! WOW!

[rnjj1219]

I agree that the 1991A1 are excellent pistols and it sounds like a good price. I also agree that the mods should be checked carefully. A stock Colt is a great shooter right out of the box so it would be interesting if you could contact the original owner to see what mods were made and why. I know a lot of mods can just be personal preference but why tinker with something that already works?

[neil mitchell]

Thanks everyone for the comments.

Eli, what should I look for as far as mods to gun barrel,slide etc for the FLGR?

Thanks
Neil

[pa_guns]

Hi

These are "production" pistols. There is a bit of variation pistol to pistol. I have never seen any of the Colt pistols simply "give up". Some need a bit more tuning than others.

Barrels are the main thing that are going to wear out.(Springs don't count) A barrel that looks pretty bad can still shoot fairly well. Visual inspection will tell you a lot in that department.

Bob

[1911Tuner]

300,000 rounds...!!!!! WOW!

Yup...and until just recently, none have ever been run with a shock buff. Ever. No cracks...no battering...no problems. (Anybody care to venture a guess as to why?)

I started using buffs in the two higher-mileage pistols mainly because they're gettin' a bit long in the tooth, and figured that they could use a break.