Value of custom guns....

[TanklessPro]

I have a friend that is looking to sell a custom 1911. It is built on a Taurus PT1911 frame and slide. All of the internals have been replaced with Wilson Combat, Cerokoted, and looks nice. I know you can pick up a Taurus 1911 for around $500. How do y'all put a price on custom work?

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Really depends on who did the work and the desirability of the original gun.

If he has paperwork that a well known smith did the work then he may get a % of his money back.

Given that it's a Taurus which isn't usually seen as very desirable I don't think he'll see much if any mark up on the base pistol.

Custom pistols are a lot like hot-rod cars. The guy who does the work rarely sees a return on his investment. You do it because you like it.

I place a value on known, quality work and if it is work I value I am willing to pay for a % of it. If it's work a guy did himself which may be wrong on decrease the value of the gun I either pass on it all together or want to pay less than the base pistol since I don't know what I'm getting.

 

[RussB]

$350 is a fair price for a used Taurus PT1911. The mods add nothing to its value...they actually reduce it

 

[TIMC]

$350 is a fair price for a used Taurus PT1911. The mods add nothing to its value...they actually reduce it

That for the most part can be a false statement, while it may be true on a collector firearm its not so much on a modern firearm. If you take a GOOD base gun and improve it the value will go up. However with a Taurus maybe not.

 

[RussB]

That for the most part can be a false statement, while it may be true on a collector firearm its not so much on a modern firearm. If you take a GOOD base gun and improve it the value will go up. However with a Taurus maybe not.

I can only share my experiences regarding used, modified handguns in my area. It really comes down to what someone is willing to pay

 

[mgmorden]

That for the most part can be a false statement, while it may be true on a collector firearm its not so much on a modern firearm. If you take a GOOD base gun and improve it the value will go up. However with a Taurus maybe not.

The thing really boils down to what people consider an improvement though. One man's treasure is another man's trash.

Basically, barring work done by a very well known gunsmith, GOOD mods might help the gun sell a little faster, but they won't increase the value much. Bad (or even just mediocre) mods will drop the value.

 

[9mmepiphany]

The important thing is who did the work and if it is work that you wanted done. I can't think of any well known 1911 smith who would work on a Taurus.

If the work is done by an unknown or the prior owner, I'd reduce my offer to the value of the used gun minus whatever it would cost me to reverse the work...or have it redone.

I have a 1911, built on a Colt 1991, that was built by a up and coming pistolsmith, that would likely have sold new for 4 figures. I didn't pay that for it and I don't plan on selling it, so it really doesn't matter what it would sell for...that is the way you have to approach having custom work done

 

[jmr40]

$350 is a fair price for a used Taurus PT1911. The mods add nothing to its value...they actually reduce it

This


Custom guns are just that, Custom. It would be extremely rare for someone to want the exact gun. Anyone who wants a custom gun wants it customized the way they want it made.

Then there is the question of who did the work. Work from a well known smith on a quality gun might help increase price. But custom work on a Taurus may well have been done by Bubba. At least that would be my 1st thought if I saw it for sale.

While probably not possible in this case I've found it best to put the original parts back together and just sell the gun, then sell the custom stuff separately.

 

[jjones45]

When and if I get custom work done on a gun it won't be for resale value it will be because I want it done to meet my wants and needs. You just can't expect to get your money back on a custom gun. You would be better off returning gun to stock form and selling the upgraded parts separate. Only thing that adds value would be sights and grips IMHO. However you might find someone willing to pay that extra for said "custom work", he has you on the hook doesn't he?

 

[BYJO4]

The value depends alot on who did the work, the base gun, and make of parts. Most people wont recover the cost of custom parts or work they did to the gun.