Would you send a Series 70 to Novaks?

[hdman30]

Hi all. I've been out of the Colt 1911 market for some time, so I need a bit of advice. I recently purchased two mint original Series 70 Colts, a Gold Cup and a LW Commander. Both guns are bone stock. I was thinking of sending them, (at least the LW Cmdr.), to Novaks for custom work. What's do you think?

Thanks!

[Substance-P]

I have a few guns I am going to be sending to Novak's shortly. I had them customize a Browning HP of mine and the difference was pretty incredible. I would suggest calling and talking with them if you have questions, they are great to talke to and will give you their honest opinion on whether or not a particular service is a good fit for you and your gun.

What are you planning on having done and how do you plan on using the guns in the future?

[hdman30]

I probably should have phrased the thread better. I was wondering if custom work would detract from the value of a Series 70.

[Substance-P]

In general, whenever you alter a stock Colt (even if its a perceived upgrade) you detract from the collectability of the gun. Keeping the stock parts can help. Having the work done from a well known smith, like Novak, and keeping the documentation of the work done can also help to make the gun still desriable (however, it is desirable to a different type of collector, not your typical Colt collector).

A good rule of thumb is that when you customize a gun, you generally end up losing at least what you put into it off of a resale and potentially more depending on what you do to it (refinishing vs replacing a grip safety are in different leagues).

It seems as though the guns that have the hardest times selling on boards like these are the ones that have been customized (although, they usually are not from shops like Novaks and don't have very clear records).

Will it detract from the value of a series 70, yes. How much depends on what you are having done.

[Hawkmoon]

I probably should have phrased the thread better. I was wondering if custom work would detract from the value of a Series 70.
To someone who likes custom guns - no.

To someone who likes Colts - yes.

Speaking strictly for myself, unless it's something very unusual (like a pre-Series 80 9mm Combat Commander) I won't even look at a pistol that's not original. And if it has been altered in ways that won't allow me to return it to original configuration -- I'm not interested.

I am aware that not everyone feels quote that strongly about the issue, so don't bother to take me to task over it. That's just the way I feel, and it applies to my Jeeps as much as to my pistols.

[d90king]

That is a very tough question for some of us..... For me there are few things that are nicer than a bone stock Colt. On the other hand there are also few things that are nicer than seeing a master pistolsmith work his magic on a Colt. For me it depends on the condition of the pistol when I am looking at a out of production or older Colt. If the pistol is beat up and not well cared for and you can breath new life into it, then by all means run with the ball. :eb: I just had a WWI repro worked on by John Harrison that is truly stunning and one of the most accurate guns I own. I chose that gun because I love the roll marks and history of the pistol but also because it had a small ding on the front strap and wasn't perfect to start. (I also had 2 more that will stay stock) The value side of it I think Hawk hit the nail on the head. They are two different markets stock vs Customs and most buyers are like Hawk. If you have the right smith do the work you will have something that others will pay for if its Jimbo in his garage not so much.... Novaks work is top notch but there are also others who are putting out outstanding work. If you want to get a good look at customs check out Louderthanwords.us most of the top guys in the business are on there and it is a great resource for info in the custom pistolsmith arena. Best of luck with your decision. Since we all love pics heres a pic of the WWI by John Harrison. ;)

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t5/d90king/DSC00238.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t5/d90king/DSC04900.jpg

[AZ Husker]

Your guns are not that rare. If you're wanting a great shooter, and like Novak's work, I'd get that Commander to him as soon as possible. Realize, you probably will never recoup your cost if you decide to sell it, but if the mods are for you, you'll keep it anyway.

[d90king]

Realize, you probably will never recoup your cost if you decide to sell it, but if the mods are for you, you'll keep it anyway.


Not sure I would always agree with that statement. It will depend on the smith who did the work and the extent of the work done. Also the base gun used can be a factor. Remember there are smiths that either have closed their book or have a 5-10 year waiting list. There are others who have stopped building or are dead. For example if you had Larry Vickers build you a pistol when he was building them you would have doubled or maybe tripled your money in todays market. If you are talking just run of the mill gunsmiths doing the build I would agree with your statement but there are many exceptions. I also agree that customs are very personal and not guns you will be willing to part with.

[Joni Lynn]

For me it would depend on what you wanted done to either of the guns.
Novak's does nice work but there's a good chance you'll never see much return on the money spent if you were to sell them. However if it's to make something more to your liking and you plan to keep the gun for a good time then it might be a good idea.
I had an original series 70 Gov't and a series 70 Gold Cup both were sent out to be worked over. The Gov't turned out well but the guy that built the Gold Cup made a lot of mistakes which I had someone else fix. Now they're both superb 1911's, reliable, accurate and what I wanted.

[1911 45 acp]

Just my two cents. I have a 1973 Colt Commander, it was a very nice gun when I got it. As I have gotten older the small sites became hard to see for me. Since it was my CCW pistol I took it to KING'S GUN WORK'S Had them place thier outstanding King Tappen sites on it, clean up the action, and a very nice set of coco bolo grips along with thier drop in grip saftey.
I would not have done this much to this pistol if I was going to sell it. Plus it made a good pistol Great. One of the great things about the 1911 is you can have it your way if you want. I'll keep this pistol for the rest of my life.

[Jim Watson]

If you are concerned about resale value, oil them up and put them on the back of a shelf so you will not be tempted to modify or even shoot them. For every Swenson or Pachmayr Combat Special there are thousands of handsome, good shooting custom guns that will not return their cost.

If you want to shoot them, get them fixed up to suit yourself and let the heirs fend for themselves.

[Oscar123]

You are permitted to do 3 things with an original Colt,

Keep it while your alive.
Shoot it.
Change the grips and mainspring housing (in that they can be replaced
back to the original configuration).

If you alter it in any way 50 years from now you will be hated and despised
by a large group of people world wide.

[Joni Lynn]

:D Oh goody, I'll have a fan club! :)

[1911 45 acp]

Thank you Ocsar. Nothing I've done can't be returned to stock, but it's my Colt and it's better now then when it left Colt. Big plus I can see the sights, with no hammer bite.

[Oscar123]

Although the post was in jest,maybe "hated & despised" was to strong.
let's say "disliked & frowned upon" .
Regardless of how it sounds I would bet strong odd's it is most likely true.

[ButchKent]

I only have one Colt that is truly original. It's a a pre 70 series CC. It was not in perfect condition when I bought it. It shoots great and still looks pretty good. I have changed the Grip Safety. My other Colts are a custom CC and a LWOM. I much prefer the accuracy and look of the custom CC. Since someone else messed up the LWOM, I plan to customize it or return it to original condition. Costs are about the same. So I'm struggling with which way to go. Since the LWOM is a series 80 and not of great collector value, I think I'll fix it up for a sharp CCW.

[1911 45 acp]

Butchkent:
Sponds like you have the same problem I had.
You have a good COLT but want to make it better. Nothing wrong with that, As I said before "The 1911 is a great pistol." Making it better is FUN and very rewarding.