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  #1  
Old 01-19-2014, 11:23 AM
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Swissman Swissman is offline
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Default Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop

Many moons ago strayed a young man trough the streets of Zurich which
hasn't got a good reputation. Back in this time one found on every corner
small shops which offered the things that the common people needs day for day.
No H&M, McDonald, Walmart exist or other shopchains tooked over downtown
of Zurich. He passed by the window of an antique-shop which solds asian-
furniture, flintlock-replica and other decoration-stuff. But in all this things, this
young man saw something silvershimmering and he recognized the shape of a
Colt SAA. He was already bitten by the Cowboy-bug, and he walked into the
shop to have a look at this nice replica. While he handled this thing he found
out that the gun could be a real Colt. The pricetag was right and he left the
shop to plunder his bankaccount. Soon he went back home with a Colt SAA.
He never fired the gun, but he really likes it. Someone gold-plated this nickel-
version, which was not a good idea. The most of the gold disappeared in be-
tween.

After many many years and with the advent of the internet, he asked a gun-
dealerto gave him some information about this maybe real Colt SAA.
They found out, that the gun was produced in .41 Colt in 1893. The gun was
sold to a big dealer in New York. The inscription on the barrel and the horse
at the cylinder shows, that the gun was altered by Colt to .45 Long Colt. But
it is not clear, if the guns was sold first as .41 Colt or if it was changed before
the shipping.

Anyway, I was curious to have a look at the gun, and the clubmember brought
it today to the range. I offered him to take some picture and show the gun to
some gun-nerds in the internet. He agreed and so I am happy to introduce
you this very special Colt SAA. We are not sure, if the grips are ivory, we
have no information about the engravings etc. But we can tell you that the
timing, lockwork and lockup is still great.

The light at the working-bench in the shootingclub was not good. One spot-
light at the sealing, but we hope you like the pics anyway. I reduced them to
1200 x xxx pixels. So if you like to see fullsize, click at the picture.
We will be happy to read your comments, opinions and information.

Swissman and the (I guess) lucky owner.


























We hope you enjoyed the show
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  #2  
Old 01-19-2014, 11:44 AM
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diamonback68 diamonback68 is offline
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Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop  
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Default

First off the grips are ivory, but looks like someone tried to "antique" them with some brown dye of something. The engraving is certainly not professional, looks like it was done with a punch and Dremel tool or an electric pencil. I'd be proud to have it though.
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Last edited by diamonback68; 01-19-2014 at 11:50 AM.
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  #3  
Old 01-19-2014, 11:47 AM
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Qball Qball is offline
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Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop  
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Default

Man that was unreal

How come i'm NEVER that lucky

Hat of to your friemd
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  #4  
Old 01-19-2014, 12:03 PM
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arjay arjay is offline
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Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop  
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Default

Very neat! It's a shame we'll never know how it came to end up in a little shop in Zurich.
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Old 01-19-2014, 01:00 PM
Wyatt Burp Wyatt Burp is offline
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Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop  
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Great gun! The barrel looks like one of the replacement barrels Colt put out in the 50's with the address on the right side. The etching reminds me of Wolf & Klar style but not quite. What a great find.
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  #6  
Old 01-19-2014, 01:12 PM
Big Cholla Big Cholla is offline
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Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop  
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I am going to hazard a guess that gun passed thru Japan prior to WW I and the 'custom' work including the gold plating was done there and at that time. I saw a SAA that looked very much like this one in either 1958 or 1959 while working at a Reno Gun Shop. I bet that someone had that work done and the SAA eventually wound up in Europe. The quality of Japanese engraving has gotten much better over the years after WW I. ............ Big Cholla
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  #7  
Old 01-19-2014, 01:54 PM
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Big Cholla

This might be possible, when I think the he found the gun in a shop for asian furniture.
Thank you for the information

Swissman
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  #8  
Old 01-19-2014, 02:07 PM
M29since14 M29since14 is offline
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Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop  
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I am no SAA man but what Dick says makes sense to me. The poor thing has been abused there is no doubt, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth feeding and boarding.

I hope someone comes along and tells us about the dates. Probably won't happen. I'm sure that isn't something Colt would do. It appears the weapon was customized at that time, but who knows... ?

It's "an interesting conversation piece" but indicative of why one should "Stay out of them joints!" (As we would say here in Indiana. )
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  #9  
Old 01-19-2014, 05:29 PM
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rcnixon rcnixon is offline
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Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop  
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What a long, strange trip it must have been from Hartford to Zurich. Based on what someone said here, possibly the long way around, too. If only it could talk!

Russ
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  #10  
Old 01-19-2014, 09:02 PM
therevjay therevjay is offline
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Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop  
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If your friend is willing to spend the money I see no reason he couldn't get a Colt letter.
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  #11  
Old 01-19-2014, 11:13 PM
Old 44 Guy Old 44 Guy is offline
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Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop  
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I can't read the serial number but it's a black powder model dating before 1898 or there a bouts.
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  #12  
Old 01-19-2014, 11:20 PM
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snubbyfan snubbyfan is offline
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Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop  
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A first gen. Colt SAA? I'd want to touch it just to feel the history.
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  #13  
Old 01-20-2014, 08:35 AM
rhmc24 rhmc24 is offline
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Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop  
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Default My Find

Maybe seen before, but I love these gun-find stories. Now one of mine ---





In Europe I learned to haunt used furniture stores and got maybe couple dozen pieces in couple years, mostly single shot percs. This my only US made example, Nice, France for $18 in 1950, .44 Russian. I carried it over part of Africa with a few minor adventures. Lettered it shipped 1896 to Lengerke & Detmold in Paris. Left side of barrel finely engraved "Fini par Gastinne Renette", fancy VM engraved behind the hammer.

Gastinne Renette is known for the cased duellers of half century earlier.
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  #14  
Old 01-20-2014, 09:00 AM
islamoradamark islamoradamark is offline
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Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop  
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wow great stories and super find s really like the pictures thanks you
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  #15  
Old 02-07-2014, 09:44 AM
Green Frog Green Frog is offline
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Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop  
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We Americans tend to think we have all the good Smiths and Colts here in the US, but we forget that enthusiasts around the World have appreciated them for over a century and they (the guns) have traveled accordingly.

Another possibility might be that the gun was owned by a US Serviceman stationed in various parts of the World in his career. Upon his death, or retirement, or reaching a state of financial embarrassment (don't ask how I know about the latter) it may have been sold to someone who really didn't know or appreciate what it actually was. I guess we'll never know, but it would be fun to just fondle it for a while and let it purr out hints of its history like an old, satisfied cat!

Both of those are great finds, and I'm sure the folks on one of the single action forums would enjoy seeing the Colt as well.

Regards,
Froggie
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