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  #1  
Old 10-14-2017, 06:24 PM
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I think these came out in the late sixties of early 70's.
Anyway a pre 70's Colt at a shooter price was hard to pass up.
Came with the correct display box and accessories.
Nickel is hard to photograph.
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Old 10-14-2017, 06:51 PM
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The dirty little secret is you can often buy a commemorative for less than a shot up similar vintage gun. You get the same workin's and a pretty finish to do your best at wearing out.
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Old 10-15-2017, 10:33 AM
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I'm not a commemorative fan either, but that one is much less gaudy than some. I like it and would have been tempted at the right price. Nice pistol, contrats.
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Old 10-15-2017, 11:15 AM
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It was semi-humorous when working at an LGS and have people come in to trade or sell their various 'banquet guns' from N***, Quail Unltd., Ducks Unltd., Rocky Mtn. Elk, F.O.P., Buckmasters, etc, etc.
Bless those folks hearts, most thought they had something that could almost pay off national debt. It almost hurt to tell them otherwise.
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Old 10-15-2017, 11:47 AM
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Back in the late 90s I got myself a hankering for a genuine Colt Gold Cup. I went down to LGS to see what they had. The salesman was a friend and said "Take a look at this."
It seems that a few years earlier, Colt made up a bunch of US Shooting Team Commemorative Series 80 Gold Cups. Nothing super fancy, just some nice gold lettering with that beautiful royal blue finish. MSRP was $1200 which was about twice the going rate for a standard Gold Cup at the time. They didn't sell. In fact, quite a few of them were returned to Colt by the distributors.
Even though most had never been out of the box, technically these were now used guns because they had been sold once before. So Colt offered them to stocking dealers at a HUGE discount.
My LGS bought 6 of them and had them priced over $100 less than the standard model Gold Cup. I bought one and have been happily shooting the snot out of it ever since.

Last edited by Grayfox; 10-15-2017 at 11:48 AM.
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Old 10-15-2017, 01:24 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grayfox View Post
Back in the late 90s I got myself a hankering for a genuine Colt Gold Cup. I went down to LGS to see what they had. The salesman was a friend and said "Take a look at this."
It seems that a few years earlier, Colt made up a bunch of US Shooting Team Commemorative Series 80 Gold Cups. Nothing super fancy, just some nice gold lettering with that beautiful royal blue finish. MSRP was $1200 which was about twice the going rate for a standard Gold Cup at the time. They didn't sell. In fact, quite a few of them were returned to Colt by the distributors.
Even though most had never been out of the box, technically these were now used guns because they had been sold once before. So Colt offered them to stocking dealers at a HUGE discount.
My LGS bought 6 of them and had them priced over $100 less than the standard model Gold Cup. I bought one and have been happily shooting the snot out of it ever since.
Without pictures, it never happened.
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Old 10-15-2017, 03:31 PM
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I bought a Colt Frontier .22 "Nathan Bedford Forrest" commemorative just because of the irony. Colt blinged out the Klan's founder tribute gun. They had to do it on purpose, right?

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Old 10-15-2017, 03:50 PM
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I bought a Colt Frontier .22 "Nathan Bedford Forrest" commemorative just because of the irony.
A guy on another forum I am a member has posted several similar Colt NF .22 Comems for sale - with no takers. Part of it might be the price he is asking which is outrageous. At a recent local gun show a guy had several of the same for sale and they too sat collecting dust. Commemorative's are a fickle market and it seems the gaudier they are the slower they are to sell.
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Old 10-15-2017, 06:45 PM
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I've witnessed the same phenomenon in my area...
A pawn shop near me had a Beretta 92FS commemorative that was just plain ugly, in its gaudiness. It sat under the glass for quite a while, and as I recall, it was priced considerably lower than a typical non-commemorative would have been. It was as new, in its presentation case.
I think a well-made gun of any type needs no embellishment to be a thing of beauty. It's nothing more than "gilding the lily."
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Old 10-16-2017, 11:29 AM
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Agree with above. Thread reminds me of all the Winchester commemorative models which should have been made on the 1873 model instead of the 1894. Period incorrect to begin with and way too many made anyway. Friend paid $600 for an Oliver F. Winchester in 38-55 back in 80 I believe. Wonder what he would get for it now?
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Old 10-17-2017, 10:40 PM
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Quote:
Agree with above. Thread reminds me of all the Winchester commemorative models which should have been made on the 1873 model instead of the 1894. Period incorrect to begin with and way too many made anyway. Friend paid $600 for an Oliver F. Winchester in 38-55 back in 80 I believe. Wonder what he would get for it now?
The Winchester Commemoratives are a slippery slope. I own two but they are SHOOTERS and I got them for essentially 'shooter' price. A lot of the Winchester Comems are becoming shooters since many (maybe most) have no real value as commemorative but are great shooters. My first was a 1968 Buffalo Bill Comem and I got it for a great deal as it had been in a safe for over 30 years and in great condition. I had always wanted an octagon barrel Winchester and at the time it was my only option. Just a couple years ago I found a 1966 100 year comem with a 26" octagon barrel and again got it for a great price with the original box. The problem with some of the Winchester comems is I do NOT believe they were ever test fired and were never intended to be shot and therefore were never 'finish fitted' at the factory. My Buffalo Bill has a great action, is very smooth and cycles everything but the 100 year 1966 has some feeding and action issues that are work in progress. If a person wants something different and likes Winchesters finding a nice comem for a shooter is not a bad way to go if it is had for the right price. A few of the Winchester comems ARE holding value (and some rising) but it's not many and then they had better have EVERYTHING with them as new - including the original 'hang tag' on the lever.

Last edited by Mistered; 10-17-2017 at 10:50 PM.
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Old 10-19-2017, 07:57 AM
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I too shy away from Commemoratives as I never really liked them.

That said, when I was into SASS/CAS big time, I purchased a matched set of Colt SAA .22 LR Bat Masterson's in Nickel with fitted cases - both NIB (sort of as understudy guns to my 45 Colts). Other than having "Bat Masterson" Roll Marked on the Barrels you would not know they are Commemoratives - besides the fitted case they came in with the letter Bat wrote to Colt with the spec's he wanted the gun to be.

I think they were built in the 70's and have had thousands of rounds through them - fun fun fun!!
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Old 10-19-2017, 09:37 AM
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The three commemoratives I own I purchased for shooting revolvers and I still believe they are attractive. Two are the 100 year NRA Centennial Colt
Single Action Army Revolvers, caliber 45 Colt and 357 Magnum, 4 3/4" barrel. The only difference between NRA and a standard Colt SAA made in the 1971 time frame is the NRA script on the barrel and the NRA escutcheons in the stocks rather than the usual Colt. Of course the NRA's have the high polished blue barrel and , cylinder, and grip with a color case-hardened frame. The other is my favorite S&W! A S&W model 19-3 Texas Ranger! The differences between the Ranger and a standard model 19-3 with all of the usual trimmings is truly different and I do enjoy those differences. The small Texas Ranger markings on the barrel and the large TR Shield on the right side of the frame, everyone is aware of this, it is the other differences I enjoy. #1 hi polished blue, #2 the right side of the trigger guard has slightly been cut away about 3/4 in length making it thinner, #3 the wide target trigger which is smooth rather than serrated, #4 the target stocks are smooth, no checkering and the escutcheons are the TR Star, #5 the back strap of the grip is also smooth, no serrations. And I do believe this to be the first S&W Commemorative made in what I call modern times. The Big Boys will have to sort out my last statement as I am not certain of this.

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Old 10-19-2017, 10:59 AM
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I don't know if I have a commemorative or not, but I bought a Winchester that is stamped on the barrel "Model 94 Winchester Classic". I wanted a 94 with a octagon shaped rifle barrel, not a round carbine barrel. I don't mind the stamped "engraving" on the receiver. I don't mind that it is not a pre-64. I bought it at a right price, it is in the configuration I wanted, and it is a working rifle for me.

I do have a Winchester that is a commemorative rifle, but not like what anyone would expect. I had a friend who was 64 years old. He liked rugby. He played in college,and for his age he was one tough old buzzard. One day he decided to play rugby with some young men in their early to mid 20s. He had a heart attack and died on the field. As soon as I heard the bad news, I immediately bought a new Winchester Model 1892 Deluxe Takedown rifle in .44-40. That is his rifle. I know he would have liked it. I haven't fired it. Maybe never will.
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Old 10-19-2017, 11:33 AM
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The less gaudy the more I like them, If it's only grips or a side plate, it's easily fixed. If the whole gun is engraved and gold inlayed with mother of pearl grips and neon trim, I tend to shy away.
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Old 10-19-2017, 12:07 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mauser9 View Post
Agree with above. Thread reminds me of all the Winchester commemorative models which should have been made on the 1873 model instead of the 1894. Period incorrect to begin with and way too many made anyway. Friend paid $600 for an Oliver F. Winchester in 38-55 back in 80 I believe. Wonder what he would get for it now?
I have an NRA Centennial (1871-1971) Model 94 rifle (not the musket). My dad who was not a gun guy won it in raffle back in the 1980s. He gave it to me in 1992. I have had it ever since and never shot it. A beautiful rifle with very little engraving on the receiver and a medallion in the stock. Books value it at $750. A local dealer offered me $500 trade value for it and said someone would probably buy for a nice deer rifle. Dad died 7 years ago and I just could not let it go at that price. Guess it will stay with me to pass on to grandkids.
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