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AMT hardballer sn# question

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aklawok View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aklawok Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: AMT hardballer sn# question
    Posted: 11 Oct 2018 at 4:11pm
  Does anyone think this is just a custom sn# and not sn#1?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote XP001 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 2018 at 5:10pm
"Here's a lovely AMT Hardballer. This one is unique in that it has real Mother of Pearl grips with the S/N of “DLR-1”. We know this came from an AMT Employee, and think it was a dealer sample. We feel the MoP grips are original to the pistol due to the serial number. However the grips are not marked or numbered. This would be a great addition to any 1911 collection. Metal Condition: Very nice stainless finish with no signs of abuse. Stock/Grips Condition: Grips are in great shape with no chips. Hairline fractures due to the real Mother of Pearl used. Grips are lightly mounted to prevent cracking them. Bore: Bright bore with strong rifling. Some signs of shooting. Action: No issues noted. Accessories: None Curios & Relic Eligible: No Serial Number DLR-1"

They really are pushing the "mother of Pearl" grips value not so much the "first one made" serial number #1 as the noted it was an employees' personal gun. How they link the grips being original to the pistol because of the serial number is beyond me. The employee could have installed them later or had them installed when the gun was made, who knows! This is a early Hardballer as it was made in Arcada, Ca, there are a few more early feature there also.

Just a future note here, some employees were allowed to use a "personal" serial number option. I'm also sure in the early stages of a small gun co. some would allow you as a normal customer to pic your own number as they had time to do this custom feature. I also know custom gun makers always give this option for a fee or it's a built in special feature they offer.
Some people will always buy into a "1" as the first but initials in front of or behind of numbers usually indicates a "personalized" serial number.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Luvz2Shoot Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 2018 at 8:09pm
I would tend to agree.
 
I chuckled at the part "We know this came from an AMT Employee, and think it was a dealer sample".  First thing that popped into my mind was, if you know it came from an employee how could it be a dealer sample?
 
Other things got me wondering, not just only having the set of MoP grips are, where are the original grips?  Where is the box, manual, any paperwork?  Anything else with this "rare item" other that just a pistol with a custom serial number and unmounted MoP grips?
 
It is early and a unique serial number.  Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dances with AutoMags Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 2018 at 8:24pm
I would guess that DLR is "Dealer" and not someone's initials.  I would put the correct grips back on it.  Harry was only at the Arcadia location for about a month before he moved to Irwindale.  This is a rare gun but with no paperwork ?  Ermm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Luvz2Shoot Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 2018 at 8:50pm
DLR = Dealer.  Never looked at it that way.  Thanks!  Thumbs Up
 
Only around a month at Arcadia?  I guess this is an early model and could be considered "rare".
 
As you mentioned, too bad there isn't any paperwork.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote XP001 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 2018 at 11:24pm
I never thought DLR meaning "dealer" either, duh! So maybe it was a dealer sample till they "upgraded" that model and then sold/gave it to the employee, which he then put on his MOP grips. That sounds more likely than not. Also they may have figured since they moved they needed a "current" address on the dealer sample gun and they dumped this to an employee? Always questions with AMT! Anybody else got ideas?
I also didn't know they were only at Arcada for a month? REALLY?!
I have a few of them in my stockpile with box and papers, I'm sitting on a gold mine, LOL! I even think they are NIB!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote USA 1776 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Oct 2018 at 12:27am
Sorry to disagree, but if Harry was in the habit of using DLR to designate dealer samples, wouldnt we have seen other guns w/ this prefix? Has anybody seen more of them? I'm in the "employee gun w/ aftermarket grips" camp on this one.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote XP001 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Oct 2018 at 1:17am
I'm going to guess maybe he thought it was a good idea to use DLR as a salesman sample but after he they moved and he had to make another with the new location he re-thought this idea. I'm not sure who worked at AMT but it would be nice to know some of these oddball questions that come up. Still would stick to the more common practice of thinking it was a customer custom number he wanted till proof shows otherwise. It's not this is worth big bucks in this shape anyway, no box, no papers and has been shot at least a few rounds AND if it was a sample it was shot more!
Just a nice 1911!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aklawok Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Oct 2018 at 10:13am
  Boy! Like hogs on a truffle! Was not expecting such a mystery on this one lol. Still close to triple market value. Looking for a longslide came upon this one.
WHEN IN NOME, DO AS THE NOMENS!
ITS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD, BUT YOU CAN SEE IT FROM HERE!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote XP001 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Oct 2018 at 2:36pm
What is the market price for MOP grips? Are they that rare? Once you remove them what do you have left for the early version HardBaller. Unless you want an early version to round out your collection, why get one? This has been shot also so loss of value as a collector as well as no papers and no box.
Everybody has to start somewhere to their collection I guess.
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