A Singer 1911A1 up for auction

[Sergio Natali]

I surely can't afford to bid on this 1911 but maybe someone here may be able to.
The auction will take place on 8 August next.

I know nothing about it except what is on the auction site. Just a heads up for those who may want to bid on a... (rare? ) 1911A1

Sergio


https://www.proxibid.com/asp/LotDeta...-Pistol-.45ACP

[alvin]

Each C&R category needs to appoint a "king" or "president". For 1911, Singer is probably the one. Who knows, it might not go high at all. Bid it as a wartime Colt, if it comes, it comes, if not, you lose nothing.

[Sergio Natali]

Alvin

I agree with you, but jokes apart the 500 pistols that Singer made in 1941 were not parkerized like this one but were all finished high gloss Du-Lite blued.
I'm afraid that Singer is probably another fake sort of thing, refurbished with parts probably coming from Colt (grips), front sight quite strange, magazine presumably coming from Colt-Scovill... nice holster though...

Sergio

[guns3545]

Sergio,

I agree. The pictures are poor but the are MANY questions about this pistol.

Would be a surprise if the bids went much higher than perhaps that of a reworked Colt Model 1911A1.

John

PS: This is what a real Singer looks like.

[Sergio Natali]

John

Unfortunately SINGER guns are among the most forged 1911s.
The above of your picture is absolutely a dream!

Regards


Sergio

[Zorba]

Nuts, I have 3 Singers...








... Sewing Machines!

[John Sabato]

Originally Posted by zormpas

Nuts, I have 3 Singers...

... Sewing Machines!

Well then you can appreciate that the Singer 1911A1 guns were made with the same precision and pride as the sewing machines...

That is what was meant by this quote below (after he saw a Gillette razor blade factory in the USA)... and he was right!

"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." - Isoroku Yamamoto

Too bad they weren't able to use some of that kind of manufacturing expertise and power to produce a better pistol than the Nambu... (sorry I just couldn't resist )

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by zormpas

Nuts, I have 3 Singers...

... Sewing Machines!

My mom had one in our basement back in the '50's...Flip-top; opened like a book, then the top was the table...Sewing machine flipped up 180º and locked in place...Give the hand wheel a twirl and press down on the foot treadle...Solid cast iron, baked black enamel, gold lettering...Drawers for bobbins, needles, spools...

Cast iron frame & treadle assembly...Lots of interesting levers, nickel plated...NO electric motors...

I never saw anyone ever use it. Both my [older] sisters had moved out by the time I was seven or so...

Great fun on a rainy day!

It disappeared while I was overseas...

[rhuff]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

My mom had one in our basement back in the '50's...Flip-top; opened like a book, then the top was the table...Sewing machine flipped up 180º and locked in place...Give the hand wheel a twirl and press down on the foot treadle...Solid cast iron, baked black enamel, gold lettering...Drawers for bobbins, needles, spools...

Cast iron frame & treadle assembly...Lots of interesting levers, nickel plated...

My mother had one exactly like you described. It had a round leather drive belt. I watched my mother use that sewing machine for hours. She made all of our clothes(three sons) except for socks and underwear. My grandmother had an older model and she could really make that thing sing!! Ah, such fond memories.


As the old saying goes "it runs like a Singer Sewing Machine" which meant it ran perfectly.

[Zorba]

Originally Posted by John Sabato

Too bad they weren't able to use some of that kind of manufacturing expertise and power to produce a better pistol than the Nambu... (sorry I just couldn't resist )

Yea yea! Have you ever even SHOT a Nambu?!

[Sergio Natali]

Originally Posted by John Sabato

Well then you can appreciate that the Singer 1911A1 guns were made with the same precision and pride as the sewing machines...

That is what was meant by this quote below (after he saw a Gillette razor blade factory in the USA)... and he was right!

"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." - Isoroku Yamamoto

Too bad they weren't able to use some of that kind of manufacturing expertise and power to produce a better pistol than the Nambu... (sorry I just couldn't resist )

John

I agree you're absolutely right, too bad genuine one are so scarce (and expensive)!


Sergio

[John Sabato]

Originally Posted by zormpas

Yea yea! Have you ever even SHOT a Nambu?!

The answer to your question is Yes, ...in my youth and inexperience, but I learned that I should not tempt fate or risk bodily injury to myself or others by shooting firearms that look like they were made by convicts with files (while they were still behind bars...)

[ithacaartist]

Originally Posted by John Sabato

The answer to your question is Yes, ...in my youth and inexperience, but I learned that I should not tempt fate or risk bodily injury to myself or others by shooting firearms that look like they were made by convicts with files (while they were still behind bars...)

John,

I've never experienced a Nambu, but since I've learned that the action of the Baby Nambu was very much the inspiration for Ruger's Mark series pistol, I appreciate at least that much about them.

I just bought a Ruger Standard, made in 1980, at an auction. After a good cleaning, it eats virtually any .22lr I've put into it, causing me to wonder somewhat why I've been diddling around with these old Erma .22's!

[DavidJayUden]

If you have never experienced shooting a Nambu, I'd encourage you to hold your nose and buy one. They are still relatively cheap, probably $800 should buy a good one, not a last-ditch effort, and with numbers everywhere, rust bluing and straw colored small stuff, they aren't all that far behind their German brethren. Upside is a trigger pull just this side of heaven and good function, the down-side is they look like a Chinese toy, are underpowered, AND cost about $1.00 per shot.
But to a Luger-bug like myself, they are an interesting diversion.
My $.02
dju

[Zorba]

Its actually a pretty well made pistol, no worse than a Spreewerk P.38, and mine at least is "stupid accurate". And ditto on the Ruger Mark being partially modeled after the Nambu - it wasn't our beloved Luger that was the inspiration, it was the Nambu! The Nambu takes down a LOT easier than a Mark though...

But at $1/shot, I don't shoot mine as much as I'd like!

Now the T-94 was a different story!

[alvin]

I have never fired Nambu. Had a T14 and a T94 in the past, but no ammo.

The tone of the following youtube video is very negative on T14. A gun looks so nice having so many problems is abnormal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc87joWmHFo

But, I am curious after watching this video -- I will buy a nice T14 back in future, to see whether it's only their sample got all those issues, or those issues being more common...

[sheepherder]

I think I posted the May 1981 Guns & Ammo review of shooting the Type 14 Nambu. If it got lost and anyone is interested I'll post it again.

[Zorba]

Originally Posted by alvin

I have never fired Nambu. Had a T14 and a T94 in the past, but no ammo.

The tone of the following youtube video is very negative on T14. A gun looks so nice having so many problems is abnormal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc87joWmHFo

But, I am curious after watching this video -- I will buy a nice T14 back in future, to see whether it's only their sample got all those issues, or those issues being more common...

My experience was actually fairly similar to the video - it was a Jam-O-Matic - until I took the extractor out, cleaned a rather small amount of crud that was under the lip of same, re-lubricated and re-assembled. Shot fine after that. Oh, also replaced all the springs when I first got it.

With that said, due to expense and scarcity of ammo, a real life reliability test just isn't possible.