another 1911
 

i

Hey Rick... try

http://www.1911forum.com/ for answers to your questions...

i

Another good forum is
http://www.jouster.com/cgi-bin/pistol/pistol.pl? and they don't require registration.

It may be a trick of the light or the camera, but that pistol looks to be heavily buffed with corners rounded and holes "dished". You indicate it is plated, but the picture seems to show it as blued or reblued and I don't think the grips are factory.

The four digit serial number would indicate it was made in 1929 or 1930, the first years of production.

An all original .38 Super of that era in new condition could bring $3800 or so, and more for factory nickel, but any use or change of condition brings the value down pretty quick. A reblued or replated pistol would run closer to $500.

HTH

Jim

i

Rick, if the pistol is not really buffed all to heck, then I would try to get a better picture. Maybe using a light filter or a different camera setting will make it look better.

Nickel plating can be removed electrically by reversing the process that put it on. Most plating shops can do it, but make sure you deal with one that will take in a gun without a major panic. Another route is to call Colt and find out if they will restore the finish.

I have lost track of the cost of that sort of stuff, but it just might not be worth it.

Jim

i

Given the vintage of the pistol, I am pretty sure the plating is nickel, not chrome. That is good news, as nickel is much easier to remove.

Several years ago, I bought two S&W breaktop revolvers (.38 S&W) that were originally nickeled. As with most nickeled guns of that era, the nickel plating had peeled off and the uncovered areas were rusty. Just for the heck of it (I paid $25 each) I had the nickel removed, then polished the guns carefully and had them reblued. They don't look like the original factory finish but they do look like the current S&W blue finish.

I then put on wood grips made for the Model 36 (the only difference is length) and they look great. You noted, of course, that I polished the guns myself. No way do I trust the average gunsmith to do it right, especially when simulating something like the Luger rust blue using tank blue.

Jim