I just took some pictures of my friend's Colt. This is the one he got yesterday and we are trying to find out if it is a real Colt. My photo skills are limited and the close ups were blurry so I posted the best ones. We took the back strap frame off the gun and tried to take the grips out of the back strap but he was afraid he might break them. They are one piece wood. Someone had carved a S into the bottom of one side of the grip. One question we have is about the site, it appears to be brass and we're wondering if this would be original. If anyone can shed some light on this gun we appreciate it.

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A couple more. I tried to take one of the top of the barrel but the lettering would not show up.

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I can't see clearly but those those Patent dates should read,

Pat.SEPT 19.1871
" JULY 2. - 72
" JAN 19. - 75

Also if there is a US marking on it near the dates it was Army issue if not then Civilian.The cylinder matches the number on the frame so it is original to the gun.It looks like an original.

Ken

Wow. The barrel used to be 7 1/2", obviously. They sure put the sight back on in a weird place. If it was ever refinished I can't tell in the pictures. Other people might. Those grips are phonomenal. Are there Colt markings on top of the barrel? Looks like the ejector housing is a little rounded from going in and out of a holster. I have a few Colt SAA's, but my eary blue worn Italian Hartford Model looks almost just like this. This gun here is one of those rediculous, bizarre gun deals that we all hope for. $400, huh? If you found this gun for sale on Guns International, for example, there would be a "2" in front of the "4" in the price, at least. And I might be off by four digits since I don't even look an more 'cause I can't afford them. Others here can correct me on value. I'm curious about the caliber on the trigger guard.

That's not a Colt barrel length. Too short for a 5.5-incher. Home gunsmithing?

T-Star

The barrel has been shortened and the sight blade (not Colt) re-attached.
I cant tell from the photos, but the serial number should be on the butt, trigger guard and frame (I can see it on the cylinder and TG).

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"I also cook."

Frontier modification sounds SO much better!

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"I also cook."

Those are the dates on the gun. I mistakenly wrote Jan 19,-73 in the first thread. We do not see US on it anywhere.

On top of the barrel it says "Colt PT FA MFg CO Hartford CT" I think. I lost the paper I had it wrote on and friend and gun are somewhere else right now.

It has 45 Cal. on the front side of the trigger gaurd.
What would the PT stand for?

PT means patent. Looks like the real deal to me, albeit slightly modified. Really, if you could find the "right" barrel in the same condition-------------.

"Lord. I've been good. I don't run red lights. I've never kicked my dog or wife. I don't vote for democrats. Remember that spider I found in the bathtub and I let him go outside? How come I can't find an old Colt for $400?"

Now that made me chuckle, I ask the same thing sometimes.

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Dom

Well if it will make you feel better, Billy is one of the nicest, friendliest and honest guys I've ever known. Everyone that knows him says this. He will do anything for a friend. He don't kill spiders either. He is scared to death of them and makes his wife kill them.(she is a real sweetheart also) Just good ole Alabama country folks. He even wears cologne to the gun shows, ask VM. HA HA, inside joke.

The folks on this forum will also be interested:

ColtForum: Home

So your buddy has his wife do his killin' for him, ay? My wife, too. When it comes to bugs, ants, etc., she's like Dr. Mengele around here. And what's "Calogne"? Ain't that that town in Italy I saw in Band Of Brothers? ...not this this has anything to do with that Colt.

The barrel if the original to the gun (cut or not) would have the last 4 digits of the ser# stamped on the bottom up near the frame in this early production. The ejector rod head would most commonly be the 'bulls-eye' type (full round w/ hole in the center), however they did start using the half round style just about this time. The brass front sight not original of course.

The hammer checkering looks correct. Hand done,,coarse,,w/an extra single line border cut at the bottom.

The caliber marking is correct on the front left side of the trigger guard. That one I had to go look up. It was moved there from the rear left side during the 30k/50k ser# range if I read the info correctly.

Normal finish for a civilian revolver would be the case color & blue, but some Colt English/London produced revolvers were done in full blue. They'd have a Pall Mall barrel address (if it still had the orig bbl!) and more than likely, but not 100%, would be in 450Boxer or 45 Eley. '45 cal/B' would be the common caliber marking for these on the trigger guard.

US Gov't Arsenal refinished & marked (US) 7 1/2" Colt SAA 45 revolvers cut down to 5 1/2 & refinished were done in full blue and are commonly called 'Artillery Colts'.

Used for what it was intended & even w/ an altered barrel it's still a very nice Colt. If it was refin. at one time it certainly wan't abusingly done.
An 'Antique' by Fed status, it adds some value as it transfers w/o hassle in most areas and many collectors and accumulators like that.
There are individual parts alone on the gun that are worth the asking price. A very nice find.

Looks good - But be careful - there are some good looking reproductions out there that look as though they've been around since the late 1800's. Anyway, a nice looking piece.

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... ed ...

That's a great gun to letter. It came out the year of the OK Corral gunfight. What if it lettered to Spangenberg's gunshop in Thombstone? That gun was right there during the Wild West. Someone wanted it shorter. I wonder who.

I was talking to Billy about a letter and he is going to send for one. Anyone know about how long it will take? I'll post the info when he gets it.

Looks like the real deal to me. Don't go changing barrels or anything else on it. Leave it as is and get a factory letter from Colt. I think they are running about $300 for a letter, but it wil add to the guns value.

Really makes you wonder what you would learn if those old guns could talk doesn't it?

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Vaya con Dios