I was allowed to take a gander at a true piece of art: an old Colt M1911 pistol. There have been millions of these (according to Wiki, 2.7 million were procured for the US military alone), but this one may be a little special. The vast majority of the pistols were the improved M1911A1’s… but this is an M1911. Its serial number is 4482. That’s four thousand four hundred eighty two… out of at least 2.7 million. (That’s 0.00166, or in the first 0.166% of the production, if it means anything.) Reportedly, this particular pistol was made in 1913 for the US Marines, but I don’t know if that’s certain.
It’s by no means in mint condition, but it’s in certainly well-kept condition and complete, and it sends rounds downrange reliably and accurately.
So, the question is value. The owner is curious if it would go for a truckload of money, or if it should remain a family heirloom.
