1944 Colt 45

[djbeverly]

I inherited this gun and have seen many different price ranges. Anyone have an idea?

[Marshallj]

Plating really hurts the value. 

[everforward]

Welcome. You say that you inherited this pistol….was the person who had it a veteran…? It wasn’t uncommon for those who managed to bring home a sidearm to have them nickel-plated, along the lines of having a war trophy.

 

Case in point is that it’s no longer original, the original finish is long gone…… apart from that it looks to be a complete 1944 Colt 1911A1. The value would depend on the buyer, really….. if the pistol had some provenance as to who carried it and if they were responsible for refinishing it, it would add to the worth IMHO….it is history.

 

Just by itself it only has shooter status, $800- $1200 perhaps. Hard to say for sure. It’s cool, I like it.

[USMC8287]

Information off of the Colt serial number lookup.
Serial NumberModelManufacture Year

1643515MODEL 1911A1 MILITARY1944

If you can locate solid provenance on the weapon from the veteran then that will help the value a lot. Great pickup congrats! 

[djbeverly]

I thought it was platted. My grandad was in WW2 but this wasn't his issue gun unfortunatly.

[UndeadSlayer]

On 5/2/2026 at 10:05 AM, Marshallj said:

Plating really hurts the value. 

Can plating even be removed?

[thorin6]

Plating can be removed, but it's a long process and it doesn't help the markings or the value.  There's a company in Florida that will do it, but it can take them up to a year to do it right (to include blueing the parts after the plating is removed).

[Blacksmith]

50 minutes ago, UndeadSlayer said:

Can plating even be removed?

There is a de-plating process, but you'll end up with a gun that's worth the same as if one would have left it plated.  As it is, you'll have the nicest pistol at the BBQ.

[djbeverly]

Thanks for the information guys. I guess I will have a cool piece at the cook out lol.

 

[Rhscott]

This one had its plating removed then re-parked. Colt numbered slide and frame, all original minus grips.  Replaced pins and springs. 1943 gun.

 

 

[djbeverly]

Man that is beautiful. I am not sure where this gun I have came from. My aunt would buy stuff all the time so there is no telling.

[djbeverly]

What does it cost to have the plating removed?

[Rhscott]

23 hours ago, djbeverly said:

What does it cost to have the plating removed?

 

Now? No idea.  Point is that it can be done with good results.  This one was done about 10 years ago. Was plated and then duracoated and all that was taken off.

[thorin6]

At Ford's Custom Guns in Florida, it appears that stripping the plating and then bluing the parts could run up to $1000.00, with a turn-around time of 9 months, but don't quote me on that, you can go to their website and ask.

[Paulruss]

That turned out really nice

[dunmore1774]

It might be worth joining the CMP forum.  Many discussions on refinishing and recommendations on people who may be able to do it

[Blacksmith]

For a good number of years, I did pre-purchase authentications and valuations on USGI 1911s / A1s.

 

In that time, I saw just about every permutation of bubba-fied mess, bullseye conversion, and other maligning of original examples.

 

While that still makes this just one guy's opinion, I wouldn't put another dime into this pistol. 

 

She is what she is, and her nickel finish is part of her history.  It's also a throw-back to an arguably better time when militaria was largely still historical artifacts - and not a "what's it worth" Olympic event. 

 

An exception would be if it's a "labor of love", and one would pay to de-plate and refinish it for their own appreciation.  But in terms of enhancing value, you're likely to spend more than the pistol ends up being worth - in dollars - to do so.

 

My recommendation would be to have a qualified gunsmith ensure that it is safe to shoot.  If it is, I'd plop an upgraded spring set in it, add a shock buffer, and enjoy shooting light loads through it every so often.  This is an old war horse that may appreciate stretching its legs again.