Posted: 10/2/2024 9:30:21 AM EDT
[Last Edit: LaunchControl][Edited]
I'm thinking about selling my 1942 Colt 1908 GOP but I'm not sure what would be considered a fair price range these days. It's an early blued gun with the original wooden box, 3 mags and the original cleaning rod. I would say it's somewhere around excellent going by NRA standards. 
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Tough to say,as there were a lot less of the 380 as opposed to the32, though neither is exactly common. If you have provenance associating it with a specific general that adds value IF the general is fairly well known and has a combat record. I see the 32’s go for in the 4 grand range. Being the far less common 380 maybe 5? Just a guess. |
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Not 100% sure, but I believe the magazine's are not correct to the gun. Back then I believe all were 2 tone. Part blued, and the rest raw metal. Like this.Attached File |
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Originally Posted By Snert: Not 100% sure, but I believe the magazine's are not correct to the gun. Back then I believe all were 2 tone. Part blued, and the rest raw metal. Like this.https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/159169/2tone_jpg-3380910.JPG Cyanide dipped after bluing to harden the feed lips. Beautiful 1908. The condition is phenomenal. |
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I'm getting down to the last box, the others have all been destroyed...
I'm getting down to the last box, the others have all been destroyed...
I hate to ask but are you sure it's an original and legit USP GO 1908? They're terribly easy to fake and a ton of fakes are out there  If you have original paperwork or documentation, or FOIA paperwork, it would for sure make life a lot easier for selling it.Looking here http://www.coltautos.com/usgopistols/index.html I'm not sure they were issued with a wooden box? It looks like they came in a standard cardboard Kraft box? Here's an example Edit - I don't mean to be insulting or insinuating anything! Having almost been taken myself it's really easy to get wrapped up and not find out some specific details until much later in the ownership cycle. Shit happens and it's easy to get sold a bill of goods, is all I'm saying. It was a lot easier to get scammed before the internet and widespread documentation dissemination. More than once I had to explain to my dad that the "perfect M1911" that he bought was incorrect in some way (like early Ithaca hammer on late Ithaca gun or vice versa, or the wrong slide stop or MSH, or that the "original finish" he was told is a post-war park job, things like that) |
"Oh, bother," said Pooh, as he pulled the pin on another grenade...
| From the one picture it looks to be in decent shape, remember the general issues guns weren’t really used much and are typically in pretty good shape. Yours looks like it has some scratches. I’d bet the wooden case is an after market addition to present it nicely. Can we see the other side? |
| If you really want to sell and get top dollar an auction house that specializes in high end stuff like rock island auctions. Yes they take a cut of sale with seller’s premium, but generally get best price and you don’t have any hassles dealing with potential buyers shipping etc. |
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Originally Posted By Sierra5: That is pretty awesome. Have you attempted to get a Colt letter on it? Colt letter won’t really add anything here, as all it is going to say is shipped to Springfield armory sometime during WWII. It won’t give any additional provenance over information / documentation already in hand that ascribes it to a particular general. A government bill of sale transferring it to the particular general is what would be best in this case |
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Originally Posted By captain127: Colt letter won’t really add anything here, as all it is going to say is shipped to Springfield armory sometime during WWII. It won’t give any additional provenance over information / documentation already in hand that ascribes it to a particular general. A government bill of sale transferring it to the particular general is what would be best in this case Yeah I just meant overall history, I knew it wouldn’t show the govt disposition but showing it went to the govt on a non standard issue pistol could add to things. |
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Originally Posted By JamesJones: Interesting, I didn't know that they issued these to generals. Post WWII they had a good number of these in inventory, and when someone made general, they had the option of the 1903 32 or 1908 380 be assigned to them, with the option of purchasing from the government. By the 1970’s the supply was exhausted ( which tells you there were a pretty good number of them procured considering how many soldiers were promoted to general from 1945-1975 or so) and they started making a armory chopped 1911 ( the precursor to the commercial officers model ) once the beretta became standard issue, the military offered a GO serial number profit M9 with fancy grips. They currently have a GO level finished M18 now as a choice. During WWII with M1911series guns in short supply, the 1903/1908 were purchased on contract, and some were even issued to higher ranking non combat officers like dentists and MD’s to a.levitate the shortage of 45’s. I don’t recall the quantities but it was fairly sizable. |
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Originally Posted By LaunchControl: I'm 100% sure that it's real. I knew the son of the Brigadier General that carried it. Not trying to be a jerk, but because he "said it is" does not make it true. If it were mine, I would start with the colt letter. Hopefully it will come back proving it was sold to the US government. I would then go the route of tracking down "who" it was issued to. This would be the proof a buyer or insurance company will need. Might also work in your favor... could find out it was issued to a high ranking General, more valuable. Then may find it was gifted to your friends father at some point, maybe a retirement thing who knows. But unfortunately, just because someone says it "IS" does not make it true. If you want I can see if my friend has the Colt book that listed a lot of serial numbers and to whom they were issued to. He had a collection of 1903 and 1908's along with the expensive books giving the collector very detailed information. He sent most of his collection off to Morphys auction over the last year. He is 84 and none of his kids or family are into firearms. He has a couple general's guns he is holding on to, all have documentation to back them up. I honestly do hope yours is a true generals sidearm. |
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Originally Posted By captain127: Snert- the picture clearly shows a U.S. property marked 1908, so it definitely sold to the Government. In addition to use as GO pistols, others were delivered to the OSS for clandestine operations, which seems strange with the big US property mark on them. Attached File Attached File Attached File |
| The serial on those reissues begin with GOP. Mine is 136XXX made in 1942 according to Colts serial lookup. Mine also has the correct stampings on the trigger guard and rear frame (under the pony) that those remakes do not have. |