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fidel castros gun

stirratstirrat Member Posts: 48 ✭✭
edited September 2012 in Ask the Experts
someone just showed me fidel castros pistol from the 50s with good documentation. 1911a1 anyone have any idea what i can pay for this


thanks

Comments

  • bnocentibnocenti Member Posts: 58 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    You have 2 kidney's right?
  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,649 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nowadays with all the knowledgeable computer nerds hanging on every other street corner, there is no such thing as "good documentation". Unless you got a video from Fidel himself declaring that it's his Colt, I would take any other kind of documentation with a big dose of salt.
  • GrasshopperGrasshopper Member Posts: 16,704 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Pay as much as the condition of the pistol merits- We had a fellow here that had a Colt that belonged to Pancho Villa,,only problem was that it was made after he died.-[:I][B)][8][:0]
  • stirratstirrat Member Posts: 48 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    lots of pics of the owner with fidel and pics of the gun. cuban fighter pilot defected. castros pilot before revolution. gun was a gift from a forign president has castos name and date.
  • stirratstirrat Member Posts: 48 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    if i can get a pic of castro with gun any clue on possible value
  • GrasshopperGrasshopper Member Posts: 16,704 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Can't say we didn't tell you-
  • nmyersnmyers Member Posts: 16,875 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Photos of a celebrity with a gun usually aren't detailed enough to see the serial number.

    If you have a Colt factory letter showing that this gun was special ordered by a hardware store in Havana for Fidel, well, that's a great start. Or, DOD documents stating that this particular gun was given to a Bay of Pigs soldier....

    But, it's rare that someone with a valuable gun says "What will you give me for it?" That alone should make you wary.

    Neal
  • Riomouse911Riomouse911 Member Posts: 3,492 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The base worth of the gun is determined by the make, model, factory variations or rarity of manufacture, caliber, and condition. This can be checked by searching for similar auctions or sales for similar 1911a1's on GB.

    "Rock solid" provenance with regards to a notorious owner (Fidel) will add to that value I'm sure, but what it's "worth" above the base is strictly what the market will pay. One of a kinds like these are not easily valued until AFTER they sell.

    Regretably, many thousands of fakes are created every year in order to cash in on that variable... and lots of buyers are taken in by paying well above actual value as a result. This is why you're getting these responses; unless it's a certifiable pic of Fidel actually carrying and holding THAT particular gun, things can be very difficult to sell above what the gun's base value is.

    Good luck, I hope it turns out for you!
  • Ray BRay B Member Posts: 11,822
    edited November -1
    Excuse me, but why would anyon want a gun or anything for that matter that belonged to that clown?
  • stirratstirrat Member Posts: 48 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    the guy is like 80 yrs old. i do not think it is bs. i would give it 95% that it is true. tons of pics with him with fidel and che cavara from the 50s. pic of his plane he defected on. i can probably verify the defection. flew his military plane here. he also has a dagger with che's name on it that he supposedly got from che in mexico and also a belt buckle from fidel with fidels name on it. he was supposely in exile with fidel in mexico for 2 years before the revolution. i believe the story is true.
  • Spider7115Spider7115 Member, Moderator Posts: 29,714 ******
    edited November -1
    What kind of "good documentation" do you have? Is there a verified chain of custody or is it just a written claim that it was Castro's? How did the person acquire it? Maybe Fidel wants it back!

    There's an auction coming up soon featuring a Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver claimed to be "owned by Frank James". It was purchased in the 1930's from the James family by a doctor and is being sold from his estate. It even has "Frank James" engraved on the backstrap but maybe it wasn't THE Frank James or maybe it was added in an effort to deceive someone. Many years ago, I saw a nice Colt SAA at a gun show and a friend of mine wrote down the serial number (he did this with every 1st Generation SAA he came across, including caliber, markings, barrel length, finish, etc.). The following year, we saw the same exact Colt at another gun show with "W. Earp" engraved on the backstrap! True story.

    Zerelda James, mother of Frank and Jesse, made a nice living by selling guns "owned" by her sons, which they never were. Although most of the guns were claimed to belong to Jesse, I'm sure she sold a few that "belonged" to Frank as well. That Colt Navy may have been passed down through the family but still doesn't prove it actually belonged to Frank.

    The main point is just because someone says it's true doesn't mean it is. It might be true, it might be a lie, or they may truly believe it. Nonetheless, without positive provenance, it's worth the same as any other 1911a1. Without irrefutable proof, buy the gun but don't buy the story.
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