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Thread: Help with newly-acquired Colt 1911 455 Webley

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    22nd February 2016
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    Help with newly-acquired Colt 1911 455 Webley

    I need some help from the esteemed members here.

    Last week I was contacted by a guy looking to sell off a few older bolt actions that each were missing a few parts. I agreed to meet up with him and when I did, he said he also brought two other guns with him. One was a 1911 that looked refinished, and the other was a Walther PPK with 90-degree safety.

    I made an offer on the lot of 5 guns, and he agreed.

    The Colt is a 1911 in 455 Webley. It does appear refinished, but the rampant colt behind the slide serrations is still clearly visible, along with several of the other markings that normally disappear with any buffing. So my guess is it was professionally done. Doing some reading, I guess the majority of them were?

    It's strange, because all the parts seem to be correct for a 455 besides the barrel. The magazine is correctly Eley - 455 marked, and 45ACP rounds won't fit properly in it. The other smaller parts seem correct for the vintage. The barrel is vertical 'S' and 'P' marked on the left side. That points to a late-war (don't know if it's WWI or WWII... I didn't continue reading) Springfield. However, I took the barrel out and placed a 45ACP round in it... and it just didn't look right. A bit more play around the chamber walls than I expected, and it seemed like the round went in too far. So I'm not sure if I'm imagining it, or if it was re-chambered for 455??

    That was a bummer, but because of where it came from, there's a possibility the correct barrel is laying around somewhere, or was mistakenly swapped out in another gun. I asked the fellow to take a look around the next time he went to his relatives house (where this came from). I told him it was the difference of a factor of 2 or so in the pistols' value. (don't know if that's true?)

    What are your thoughts on it?

    Link to pictures: http://imgur.com/a/2CsD6
    Reason: fix link tags


  2. #2
    Join Date
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    That serial shipped ~Aug, Sep 1918. I agree with refinished and aftermarket grips. I don't know about 2x value difference in this case but the original barrel would help.

  3. #3
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    22nd February 2016
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    Thanks for the SN# help Doran. What do you think the value difference is? Refinished ones that haven't gone through any caliber conversion (and that have the correctly proofed barrel), have been selling for no less than $3k on GunBroker. In the condition this ones in, what would it be worth? I'm looking for a replacement value.

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Gunbroker prices probably as good as any. Be sure to check Completed Items under Advanced search with actual sales that didn't have or met reserves; sellers can ask any price but actual sales the best indicator.

    View actual sales similar to what you have and deduct any differences like your aftermarket grips. A set of period grips cost several hundred dollars. Add anything like your magazine that actual sales didn't have. Your magazine also worth several hundred dollars.
    Last edited by Doran; 24th February 2016 at 03:19.


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