picked this up today at the Cave City Gun show,

it locks up like a bank vault, has a 1.5 lb single action break,
bore as good as the out side. old real stag grips.
3 digit serial number 8xx, some nickel loss on grips frame and underside of trigger guard holster rub?

can anyone tell me if colt marked their nickel guns anything like smith where smith marked the frame with an N

lettering and colt emblem are sharp and crisp

I have seen nickel pythons in the box with bright hammers and triggers, and have seen nickel troopers with blued

so I am wondering about the nickel, but heavily leaning original

what say you?

I like those pre-Pythons, have a 6" first year model.
Don't think Colt identified their nickel finish like Smith did.
Wonder if the nickeled sights could be a clue?

I do not believe nickel was a standard cataloged finish option for the 3-5-7, but no doubt Colt would provide it if you were willing to pay extra. At that time you could fairly easily get whatever you wanted on a custom basis at a price.

colt fever states that they did offer nickel in the latter era of the 357, mine is a first year gun, and as you stated special orders ( nickel plated 357s ordered by Fla. hwy patrol) were always and option in that time frame.
I's still researching and trying to find out if you can letter a colt like you can a smith

Yes, Colt has an "Archive" letter service.

Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC > Customer Services > Archive Services

__________________
Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Nickel wasn't offered as a catalogue finish until 1960 on the Model 357. They came with nickel sights so your's looks good. You could however order nickel plating before that time. Only a Colt Archive letter will tell the tale. For an Archive letter go to the link:

Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC > Customer Services > Archive Services

Sweet,congrats!

__________________
Life is short,live it fully.

Looks like an Officers Model Match with a short barrel. That's about what the pre-Pythons were. I like those grips. Much better than the targets.

__________________
Dr. B

request for archive letter sent online so I guess I will know in a coupl of mounths

Much better-looking than that hideous vent rib barrel.

Very nice revolver. I have the same length barrel on mine, but in blue.

Based on the rear sight housing being plated, I would bet on this being an aftermarket job

Is the rear sight blade also plated?

Lettering and rampant Colt still sharp.
Notches look good.
If not factory someone did a great job.

Sights look good, seems that nickel.colts of that era used the bright sites

Take a careful look at the small 'VP in a triangle mark' on the left side, front of the trigger guard,
That is the Verified Proof (or some call if the Violent Proof) of the Colt Range Final Inspector.

It is stamped as the very last thing done to the firearm prior to packing it up. A final inspection and proof mark on the gun.

It is hand stamped after the fully assembled and finished firearm went through the proof and targeting process at the Colt Range.
So, the mark should be punched 'thru' the finish (blue or plated),,and not be underneath it.
In stamping thru the finish, the plated finish especially is generally broken somewhat at the edges of the mark. The sharp upset edges of the metal turned upwards from the mark should still be there and not blurred or rounded over if it has been aftermarket buffed and then plated.
Check carefully by eye or better yet w/a loop. That small mark can tell you a lot about the finish on the Colt.
It will not let you know if any of the small parts apart from the frame itself have been re-done of course or if all the parts are orig to the gun,,but it's a good start in looking over the gun checking for originality.

Beautiful gun. I have two Troopers made in 1968. Both are blue. One is a .22 and one a .357. Always loved the first generation Troopers and 357s but never bonded with the Pythons...

There are two Colt Troopers on GunBroker right now that have nickel finish. One is an original Florida Highway Patrol gun. In both cases the entire rear sight assembly, hammer and trigger are nickel plated... All of the nickel plated Colts I have seen at gun shows over the years from that era are the same.

Bob

ps...I can still remember the first nickel Python I ever saw in about 1969/70. It was a 6" and the owner was firing his first shots at the Lyman Blue Trail Range in Wallingford, Connecticut... By then end of the first cylinder most of the plating had blown off the cylinder and the end of the barrel... There are no words to describe his "distress"...

I have same gun except blue and 6”. Could be the ugliest gun I own as finish is almost gone. Mechanically perfect and as smooth if not better than my 75 Python. With 148gr hbwc it is probably the most accurate gun I own. Grips that came with gun are butt ugly but surprisingly comfortable to shoot

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If it is factory original with that finish, you have a pretty rare piece. With the three digit serial number, you have a very early one. If the rear sight leaf is rounded instead of squared off, it is among the first ones produced.

I am aware that they applied the VP stamp AFTER final finishing on blued guns, so blued guns you will see a slight "break" in the finish.

However, on nickel guns, I'm pretty sure they applied the VP stamp BEFORE nickel plating the gun.

What will happen when a stamp is done on a fresh nickel job? You are going to break through the plating and compromise the integrity of that nickel job. Colt certainly would not compromise the nickel plating and create a starting point for flaking.

My opinion.

I would guess it was sent back to colt at some point for a refinish.Its well done.The grips are icing on the cake.Cant wait to see the letter

That's a beauty. I consider it more interesting and impressive nickel with stag like that than my E-nickel 4" Python.

I have the blued cousin of yours. Action is like butter, very smooth. They may not have the longevity of an N frame Smith under hard use but its hard not to like it.

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Colt's 'VP proof' is the last thing done,,it's stamped on a fully assembled and completely finished gun.
It goes right on top of the finish regardless of bluing or plating.
Yes it will break through or upset the plating in many instances, but that's how it was/is done,,,and a good way to tell originality.

Same with the Winchester proof mark on bbl and frame/recv'r.
If the frame happens to be a plated or even an engraved & plated recv;r,,the WP proof is right thru the plated finish and sometimes right into the engraving pattern itself depending on the coverage given.

letters finaly back
shipped in a 3 gun order to, Blish,Mize,and Silliman hdwe. Atchison Kansas 4/23/1954

but was originally blue



who ever did the nickel was an artist, everything is crisp and lettering is sharp

That is a very nice gun . I bought a 6” at a gun show last week . It had a non factory ok refinish and pac colt grips . Did not pay a lot for it but it’s great action sold me , will shoot it tomorrow . Like yours very much .