If you have other questions not listed here, feel free to contact me.

Q. What is the best Web Browser to view the site?

A. Internet Explorer seems to be the best browser to view the site. IE properly displays pages and links, while Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari and others sometimes do not. The Gallery is best viewed in Full Screen mode. Most left and right side pistol images are sized 1024 x 768.

Q. Who will benefit from a subscription at the web site?

A. Anyone who wishes to learn about the various handguns I collect. The Gallery has about 80,000+/- high quality images and descriptions for about 900 collectible handguns. Anyone who wishes to buy or sell will benefit from the Gallery and the informational services provided through the site. All those services are listed, described and priced under the M1911 Solutions tab on the site menu. We provide assistance to those willing to help themselves. For those only interested in buying, we do sometimes offer items for sale from my collection. For those who only wish to sell, I am an active collector always seeking to purchase for my collection.

Q. Are you an 01 FFL dealer?

A. No. We only provide informational services through the site. As a collector, I do seek to purchase firearms to enhance my own collection. I also sometimes relegate items to be sold from my collection. We use our local 01 FFL dealer to transfer all items shipped or received, in accordance with local, State and Federal law.

Q. Is there any real value in having a pistol inspected & described?

A. Yes, but you should probably ask some of the people who have had me inspect pistols for them. Please contact me for references. You might also ask someone who recently found out their pistol was misrepresented as being original.

Q. Are any of your guns in the Gallery for sale?

A. Yes. All the guns and other items in the Classified category of the Gallery are for sale or trade. See the specific listings for details.

Q. Who does the photography for the Gallery?

A. I do all my own photography for the Gallery and for the Collector Grade M1911 & M1911A1 Descriptions Solution, which includes a photo CD. All items sold in the Classified are also photographed by me and, when sold, have a photo CD with all the listing images included.

Q. How do I determine the value of a firearm I own or am considering to purchase or sell?

A. The first step in determining value is to verify exactly what you have through a thorough inspection. Value is typically based on originality and condition. An opinion can be offered. However, actual monetary value is always determined only by a buyer and seller when an item is sold. Anything else is merely an opinion of value. Any firearm is typically more valuable when it is properly represented and accurately described and marketed to the right buyers in the proper venue. I provide Solutions for buyers & sellers.

Q. How do I research the specific history of a pistol?

A. The specific history of most U.S. military small arms is not known to be recorded in any records that are accessible to the public. However, original shipping or procurement records for many small arms are provided through various sources, notably through the published works of Charles W. Clawson. I regularly research pistols through Clawson's. I have at my disposal a copy of the original Ithaca M1911A1 shipping records and a copy of the most current published SRS database that is no longer available to purchase. I resources available to me through various sources and numerous years of networking within the hiobby. I also have some limited records from the National Archives and other sources which list some specific firearms. You must furnish the full serial number to me before I will even attempt to research your pistol. Without the full serial number, it is a waste of time and money.

A thorough inspection of a pistol often reveals to me which parts, if any, have been changed since the pistol was manufactured. Specific wear patterns and condition often also indicate how a pistol has been stored or used.

Q. How do I sell a gun in the M1911info.com Classifieds section? 

A.  I am an active collector seeking to buy nice, original pieces.  I may buy your pistol. Please contact me.

You must first contact me and arrange to have the the firearm shipped to our local 01 FFL. I list in the Classifieds only firearms I have personally inspected, photographed and described. I will provide dealer shipping information and FFL. I handle promoting your pistol on the site with photos and information. Our local 01 FFL handles the actual transfer when it sells.

Q. How do I purchase a firearm listed in the Classifieds section of M1911info.com?

A. You must be a Subscriber and contact me through the site. I will provide the information to send payment and FFL/C&R.

Q. What happens to the information I provide by submitting a Wish List?

A. All information remains confidential and is not shared, except if required by law. I use the information you provide solely to help you achieve your collecting goals. I do not share the information with other members or collectors. If you do not want my help, simply do not provide the information.

Q. Why can't I access the Gallery?

A. You must first register as a member and subscribe to the site. All the detailed information at M1911info.com is provided only to Subscribers of the site.

Q. If I subscribe and then decide to cancel, will I receive a refund?

A. A. No. When a Subscription is activated, valuable information is made available to you. You may cancel your subscription, but no refund will be granted. Please see the Gallery Preview and decide whether the information I provide is worth the small price of a subscription.

Q. Do I have to use Paypal to pay for a subscription or for Services and Solutions provided through the site?

A. Absolutely not. I am old-school. The Paypal option for payment is provided as a convenience for you. It normally provides faster access to the Gallery and Solutions I provide. You cannot use Paypal to buy a gun. That requires payment by Certified funds through U.S. Mail.

You may send payment by U.S. Mail to P.O. Box 711 Shelbyville, IN 46176. After funds clear and we verify you have agreed to the Terms of Use on the site, we will activate your subscription. You can also pre-pay for services in advance, in order to take advantage of the volume prices I offer, or to reduce the chance of a delay if you need information quicQ. Why is there a $40 annual subscription fee to have access to the Gallery and Solutions offered?

A. This site is designed to provide Solutions for buyers and sellers. There are roughly 80,000+/- high quality images and  descriptions for about 900 collectible items...most of which are M1911, M1911A1 and Colt Government Model pistols featured on this site. New information is regularly added. I am typically available by telephone or e-mail. This is a full-time venture.

Forum sites are typically free. However, much of the information posted there is mediocre and laced with inaccuracies and outright misinformation. There is considerable time and expense related to providing current and accurate information. Some buyers and sellers, however, are opposed to paying for any quality reference information or real-time help. They regularly buy and sell for profit, and try to only use others for the information and experience they might have. The $40 annual subscription fee serves to help direct those folks elsewhere. 

I have elected to serve those who wish to learn or need help buying and selling, by providing useful and accurate information. I seek to serve those who see the value in the informational services we provide through the site. The $40 "door charge" serves to bring us the clientele I wish to serve.

Q. May I post, copy and paste or share any information provided on the M1911info.com site?

A. No. Please refer to the Terms of Use after you register as a member. All images and collector information provided for each firearm featured on the M1911info.com site remain the copyrighted property of M1911 Info, LLC and Scott A. Gahimer. All handguns shown are from a private collection. All information and photos are provided for the benefit of only subscribing members of the M1911info.com Web Site. Copyright infringement is actionable under the law.

Q. Why is there a cost to have a pistol inspected and described?

A. Each inspection is priced based on the estimated time it will require to perform the work. Each inspection/description service I provide takes anywhere from about 12 to 24 hours labor and materials.

When I perform a buyer/seller or gun show inspection, the time required is considerably less, as is the price. However, the overhead associated is the same.

Q. Do you provide a warranty or guarantee with the opinions and inspections you provide through M1911 Info, LLC.

A. No. I provide my opinion based on my knowledge, experience and stated limitations. You must determine whether my opinion is worth the cost of receiving it. I encourage you to subscribe, look at the photos and information I provide throughout this site and elsewhere on the Internet and decide if my opinion has any value to you. For more detailed information, please refer to the Terms of Use.

 

Q. Does it really cost $500 to inspect and describe a Singer M1911A1 pistol?

A. I've inspected more than 70 Singer pistols over the years. Most of those pistols had parts replaced. Some were refinished. Other reported Singer pistols I have inspected were outright fakes.

An all original Singer pistol is rare. They are typically valued in the $75K+ price range, depending on condition.

Values for authentic Singers that are not all original are generally substantially less...more like $25K-$45K. Most inspections I perform identify replaced parts or non-original finish, which affect value and save the prospective buyer from spending $75K or more for a non-original example. Inspecting an expensive pistol for prospective buyer typically does not "cost" him anything. It does, however, often "save' him thousands of dollars and all the trouble associated with purchasing a misrepresented piece.

It is just as important to have a $2000-$3000 pistol inspected, unless you have $1500-$2500 you don't mind losing. $2000 pistols are often refinished $500 shooters. There are far more $3000 refinished and misrepresented pieces on the market today than Singers. The less expensive pieces are normally easier to pass off as original. Finish is easier to replicate and parts are more available.

Many Internet sales and auction sites are full of misrepresented pistols that are sold everyday.