357 Magnum 1911 and Prewar Colt Ace Auction Preview, Inherited Gun Consignment & CA DOJ Self-Registration

Auction Preview: 357 Magnum 1911, Prewar Colt Ace 22s, and a Chiappa Rhino

Saturday’s auction at Gunslinger is stacked with unusual pieces. Leading the list is a 357 Magnum 1911-style semi-automatic pistol, a configuration that raises immediate questions about engineering. Running a 357 Magnum through a semi-auto platform requires a recoil spring built to handle significantly higher pressure than the 45 ACP the 1911 frame was designed around, and whether the gun cycles reliably on 38 Special loads is an open question. It is a rare configuration and, as Jeff puts it, a real kick to shoot with no apology for the pun.

Two prewar Colt Ace pistols are also on the block. The Colt Ace is a 22 Long Rifle version of the 1911 built from the factory in that caliber, not a slide conversion kit dropped onto an existing frame. Both examples in this auction come with Colt factory letters confirming original shipment details. One dates to 1934 and has a Coast Guard provenance. Both are documented with the correct two-tone magazines that are original to the model. Factory-lettered, documented prewar Colt Ace pistols with known military and government service histories do not come through often. The lot also includes a Chiappa Rhino revolver, which fires from the bottom chamber of the cylinder rather than the top, putting the bore axis lower and reducing muzzle flip. It is an unconventional design that has built a following among shooters who have actually run one. Rounding out the preview is a collection of approximately thirty collectible pocket watches and a pair of Accuracy Arms precision rifles, one in 338 Lapua Magnum and one in 308.

Dean in Burbank: How to Consign an Inherited Firearms Collection of 400 Guns

First-time caller Dean from Burbank has inherited a collection of approximately 400 firearms as the executive trustee of an estate trust. The guns are all registered and legal. He wants to know how consignment works when the pieces are not yet in his name, and whether Gunslinger will come to him given the size of the collection.

Jeff’s answer is direct. The California Department of Justice cares about where firearms are going, not where they came from. As long as the guns do not pop as stolen in the system, the transfer side is straightforward, and all Jeff needs is an ID from someone with authority over the collection. In twenty-eight years of doing this, stolen guns do surface occasionally, and most of the time it is because the original owner reported the firearm missing decades ago and never removed it from the stolen list. That is an administrative issue, not a criminal one, and it gets sorted.

On the question of whether Gunslinger will travel for a 400-gun collection: yes, without hesitation. Jeff notes that Jimmy recently picked up a collection of 1,400 firearms out of Sacramento, so 400 is a routine run. They have a van and a truck and will be in and out before Dean has to think too hard about it. The shop number for follow-up is 714-939-1172.

California Assault Weapons List: Can You Still Transfer or Auction Pre-Ban Compliant Firearms?

Dean’s collection includes firearms that appear on California’s so-called assault weapons list but that met the legal requirements of that list at the time they were registered, meaning they were properly registered under the original Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act. He wants to know whether those pieces can still be transferred or sold at auction.

Jeff confirms that there are legal pathways, but the details are specific to each firearm’s registration status and the nature of the transfer, and explaining it properly takes more than a radio segment. He tells Dean to call the shop on Tuesday and they will work through it. The short version: properly registered pre-ban California assault weapons are not necessarily dead ends, and there are both in-state and out-of-state options, including buyers in Nevada where the regulatory environment is considerably more straightforward.

California DOJ Self-Registration for Inherited Firearms

Dean also asks whether he can keep some of the guns for himself rather than selling everything. Jeff explains the path. If Dean is not a direct descendant of the original owner, he cannot simply take possession of the firearms as an informal inheritance. He will need to go through California DOJ’s self-registration process, which is handled online at DOJ.ca.gov. The form is a self-registration submission, the fee is $19 per firearm at last check, and the DOJ will respond with a determination. It is not instantaneous, and patience is required, but the process is functional. For a collection of this size, calling the shop Tuesday and working through the specifics in detail is the right move before touching anything.