Why do Colt revolvers go for so much $ these days?

I understand the basic principles of supply and demand, but why do you all think Colt double action revolvers are demanding such high prices these days? I realize they are not made anymore, but are there a lot fewer out there? Did they go for more $ when initially sold? Do people think they are superior in quality to Smiths and Rugers? What is the deal?

The Colts have always brought a premium over S&Ws in my neck of the woods.

After I bought a Colt, I saw why, it was a more refined and finely crafted product. Not stronger or more accurate than a like model Smith, but there was a difference IMHO.

The being out of production does tend to increase the value of those still around. If Smith went out of business tomorrow, the used Smiths' value would start looking like the Gold charts.

I agree with M1gunner, the "rabid" or is that "ravid" ??? collectors of some items that are no longer available tend to drive those prices up, and have for years been MORE "pricy" more so now even, its onlt "some" models in the other makers S&W or Ruger, that drive these "avid" collectors to dig deep..........
as far as auctions go, it only takes two drunks BOTH wanting and bidding on ANYTHING, to drive the prices "skyrocketing"..........
yes, around here too, the Colts are no doubt, the 'big ticket" stuff, BUT< and it is 'emphatic',they must be top notch, A-1, about as new in the box , to get these prices...ANY blems or missing stuff or issues, the prices will drop dramatically

I think it simply has to do with the fact that they aren't being made anymore. I paid what I thought was ridiculous money for a 97% condition '50's vintage, 4" Python a few years back. Now that I see what they're going for these days, I don't think I got such a bad deal on it. They are not getting any easier to find.

NRA DOC said:

I understand the basic principles of supply and demand, but why do you all think Colt double action revolvers are demanding such high prices these days? I realize they are not made anymore, but are there a lot fewer out there? Did they go for more $ when initially sold? Do people think they are superior in quality to Smiths and Rugers? What is the deal?

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They were always very costly. My 1980 Python cost $400 new .
That was a lot of money in 1980.
Still I now wish I had bought a new one every quarter or so--What a return on investment!!!!!
At auction they bring $2000 and sometimes more.

It's because the Colt buyers never compared them with a Smith & Wesson model 27-2 or older model 27. The Smith & Wesson model 27-2 is Far superior to a Colt Python. I have both. Not to mention the S&W model 17 K-22 or the Outdoorsman. Colt has never had anything even close to compare with them. In all fairness to Colt...they may have a little better buff job and shinier bluing, but that's it.

Ever heard of a Match Target Woodsman? I think they will outshoot a K22 and give a M41 a run for the $$$$. At todays prices they are more than either the K22 or the M41. Colts finest autoloader. My opinion. Big Larry

I paid $85 for my new Cobra in 1968 when a like S&W went for $65. I still have the Colt but cannot see where it is really any "better." I bought it b/c my service weapon was a 4" Colt .38. I still have the Cobra and it still shoots great, as do my older Smiths. Go figure . . .

Ever hear of a Colt Officer's Model revolver?
These were made in various types from 1904 to 1969.
They were built specifically for formal target shooting and from the early 1900's to the early 1960's when the revolver was the King of target shooting, they held all the records, not S&W.

Ever hear of the Colt Python?
It was America's only semi-custom hand built, hand tuned double action revolver. Only the Dan Wesson's accuracy ever matched the Python and even the Dan Wesson usually couldn't because they were in and out of bankruptcy so much you couldn't be assured of getting a good one.

Ever hear of the Colt Detective Special?
From 1927 to the early 1960's it was THE undercover and detectives revolver.
It so dominated the market that it was more a badge of office than the badge itself.
It so dominated the market that S&W didn't even bother to offer a competing revolver until the Chief's Special of 1950.
The Detective Special was famous as being the best quality and most accurate snubby revolver ever made.

This is not a knock on S&W, but Colt revolvers were always seen as being just a step above S&W revolvers, and were priced accordingly with good reason.

I beg to disagree

I had a Python. I traded it because I didn't like the action compared to any of my non-model S&W's.
I have a 1940 Officers Model King Super Target. Its really cool with all its King modifications and Roper grips. No comparison to the feel of a 27.
I have a Detective Special, it doesn't compare to my Chief or my 2" Combat Masterpiece. These are just my opinions, but they are from experience. Personally, if I had $2000 to blow on a revolver, it wouldn't be one of the seemingly hundreds of RARE unfired pythons new in the box that are always on gunbroker and never seem to sell. Give me a 5 screw N frame 357 in 5" and I could probably save several hundred dollars in the deal, problem is, they always sell before I can get hold of one of them. Hmmmmm.......

colt made some very fine revolvers and i own a number of them...i think the python for example can hold it's own with any and all...one point however...the 44 mag.....S&W so dominated that market that colt did not offer a competing model (anaconda)until 1990...what 33-35 years after S&W?the M29 was famous as being the best quality and most accurate 44 mag.of any era....

Because that Pony stamped on the side is strong Kool-Aid

Colt fans are loyal to the death to their gun of choice, you should see some of the Colt forums. They call S&W an "off brand" and if you post a pic of a Ruger you might as well just put a paper bag over your head and get ready for a storm of flames....if you shoot a GP100 you are an unwashed peasant to a few of these guys....and don't even mention the dreaded "T" word that comes from Brazil......not ALL Colt guys are like this, but some are what I call "Colt snobs" as in, "Why would anyone collect anything else?!?!" Which is cool, actually......we are all "loyal" to our gun brands, I like to see people so deeply rooted in their loyalties like that.

Plus, Colt was the 1st in the revolver game, being the first guy to market them commercially. It's debatable whether or not Sam Colt made THE first revolver, but he was the first to be succesful at it. Colt made his first one in 1836 and Colt wheelguns have seen service in every war up through Vietnam. There's a lot of history there, and a lot of loyalty.

As far as prices, you can still get ex-LEO and security Official Police and Police Positive .38's for $300 if you look around, these were Colt's basic service revolver and they made a ton of them. I'm not a "Colt guy" but I own a few, my Police Positive is a fine gun, so is my King Cobra. I'll probably never own a Python but I'll take holster worn OP's for $300 all day long.

The only thing that turns me off to Colts is their need for periodic "tuning". If your Colt goes out of time, and you don't have the skill to fit a new hand, good luck finding a gunsmith who will work on a Colt revolver.......sure, they may go many 1,000's of rounds without a need for a "tune" but my S&W's and Rugers will never need this. It takes a lot more for a S&W to go out of time, but if a Colt is "loose" it is not in shootable condition. If you're looking at used Colts, and it locks up like a Smith with a little play, it's close to being out of time, or may already be.

No doubt the "Snake Guns" are extremely well made and very accurate, but I don't think the average guy is gonna see a difference over a 27 or 29.

My pet theory on this cost thing is that the generation that is currently into collecting guns is going to have to sell sooner or later and then the prices are going to collapse.

The thing with Colt revolver prices, is that the "new" generation, the 20-somethings aren't going to be as into Colt wheelguns as the "older" generation who for the most part, currently collects them. There will always be Colt fans, but as older gentleman sell off part or all of their collections as they advance in years, or they pass away, there will be less people willing to pay thousands for these guns.

Most guys buying the expensive Colts are guys in their 40's-60's and older, who are established in careers or retired and have the money to buy them, and they are alse the guys who grew up when these revolvers were still "in their prime". I feel guys like me, in their early 30's, are the last generation who remembers seeing new Pythons, Smith 586's, Dan Wessons, Ruger Security Sixes, etc.for sale NIB in gun shops and being used at the range, and this was the norm, not "some oddball guy with a revolver". When my Dad bought his brand new 6" 586 in 1989 it was still a "mainstream" handgun, one of the best you could buy and .357 was still THE round of choice for LEO's and civilians for home defense...... before the 9mm poppers and plastic stuff started coming in. Now at gunshows I struggle to look for wheelguns in a sea of black plastic stuff. Colt revolvers have become a "niche" market, albeit a usually expensive one, but the bubble will pop eventually.

It happened with Classic Muscle Cars,a lot of guys lost big money buying up GTO's and Chevelle's for $200,000 for minty ones, lots more for rare stuff, and now they're lucky to get half that......the economy got hit hard and prices fell.....the bottom fell out on what a lot of people thought was a "rock solid" investment. The cars that were supposed to be worth millions today aren't anywhere close, the classic revolver market, I feel will do the same at some point. It may take 30-50 years, but I think a lot of classic guns have found their price and will just rise with inflation from here on out.

The average 23 year old guy isn't going to be out there looking for $2,000 Colt Pythons or $3,000 Generation 1 Model P's. They just weren't exposed to them in their youth and they don't have as much "cool" factor. I figure the reason I am a "wheelgun guy" is because I grew up shooting them, cops still had Smiths and Colts in their holsters when I was a kid, all the "cool guys" on TV and the movies had wheelguns, so that's what I grew up thinking was cool.

One reason all quality revolvers are going up in price is that a dollar is not worth a dollar anymore. And everything else is going up and up, as you've probably noticed.
People are turning paper into something real they can own that'll go up in value, if for no other reason than the money they paid for it won't buy as much next year.
Gold, silver, Colts, Smiths. All good exchanges for srinking cash.

GF

It's all condition, condition, condition

I have seen minty all correct Internation Harvester M1 Garands sell for $5,000+ on GunBroker, and then at a recent gun show I saw a pile of Turkish return beater M1's for $350 a piece. It all depends on how rare it is, how nice it is and what someone will pay for it.

The guy with a NIB Colt Python is sitting on a possible investment, if in 20 years he can find a buyer. A guy with a pile of holster worn Official Police revolvers won't see much of a profit, in fact these are lower than I have seen them in years. I remember "thinking" about a decent Official Police 6" for $450 at a gun shop, and I passed on it. Someone else bought it days later.......my dealer was like "someone snapped up that Colt you were looking at, said he had been looking for one"...... Now there are better looking OP's than that one relisting on GB for $300 and finding no buyer.

Buying a Colt or a Smith & Wesson is like choosing between a Harley or a Jap bike.

When I got on the PD, I was 20 years old and could only buy an off duty from the Police equipment section, so i bought a chief (one of 2 authorized weapons, second being the Colt, but they didnt sell it) As soon as I was 21 I sold the Chief and bought a Colt Detective Special. It had 6 rounds, had a bigger grip that fit my hand had a shrouded ejector rod and beautiful bluing. The trigger pull on the DS was sooooo smooth.

To me the S&W is more utilitarian, the Colt is beauty, a work of art.

I currently own a Colt Combat Commander and a DS. I do not carry them because I do not want to ruin the finish.

I own a 5946 (Dept issue and given to PO's upon retirement) The weapon is beautiful, but utilitarian. You cant hurt the finish and shoots beautifully. I own a CS9 DAO, small, fairly lightweight and my concealed carry weapon. I also have a CS45, great gun, I mainly got it because I want to collect all 3 of the series.

I believe my chief was $175 while my DS was $280 in '83 and '84 respectively. I am sure the Ds would have been lower if they sold it at the equipment section.

stantheman86 said:

Because that Pony stamped on the side is strong Kool-Aid

Colt fans are loyal to the death to their gun of choice, you should see some of the Colt forums. They call S&W an "off brand" and if you post a pic of a Ruger you might as well just put a paper bag over your head and get ready for a storm of flames....if you shoot a GP100 you are an unwashed peasant to a few of these guys....and don't even mention the dreaded "T" word that comes from Brazil......not ALL Colt guys are like this, but some are what I call "Colt snobs" as in, "Why would anyone collect anything else?!?!" Which is cool, actually......we are all "loyal" to our gun brands, I like to see people so deeply rooted in their loyalties like that.

Plus, Colt was the 1st in the revolver game, being the first guy to market them commercially. It's debatable whether or not Sam Colt made THE first revolver, but he was the first to be succesful at it. Colt made his first one in 1836 and Colt wheelguns have seen service in every war up through Vietnam. There's a lot of history there, and a lot of loyalty.

As far as prices, you can still get ex-LEO and security Official Police and Police Positive .38's for $300 if you look around, these were Colt's basic service revolver and they made a ton of them. I'm not a "Colt guy" but I own a few, my Police Positive is a fine gun, so is my King Cobra. I'll probably never own a Python but I'll take holster worn OP's for $300 all day long.

The only thing that turns me off to Colts is their need for periodic "tuning". If your Colt goes out of time, and you don't have the skill to fit a new hand, good luck finding a gunsmith who will work on a Colt revolver.......sure, they may go many 1,000's of rounds without a need for a "tune" but my S&W's and Rugers will never need this. It takes a lot more for a S&W to go out of time, but if a Colt is "loose" it is not in shootable condition. If you're looking at used Colts, and it locks up like a Smith with a little play, it's close to being out of time, or may already be.

No doubt the "Snake Guns" are extremely well made and very accurate, but I don't think the average guy is gonna see a difference over a 27 or 29.

Click to expand...

The Colts will go out of time if you shoot them. I have a python from the custom shop. Bought in 1980 for $480.00. I've had to peen(stretch) the hand twice to bring the timing back to spec.. That won't happen with any Smith. I had a diamondback in .22 for 27 years.(nickel) Nice gun but I sold it for a profit and bought a 617(better gun in my opinion).
Most Colt owners(my son is one) keep them in the safe and seldom shoot them. Their double actions are pretty and nice but won't hold up to lots of shooting without some tune ups. What really happened to Colt was that they were made with union labor and they priced themselves out of the market for the average shooter. Bought an Anaconda when they were first announced in 45LC. It had the newer MKII action and was very loose in tolerences on the inside. It went down the road after a couple of years. I love my Smiths in all flavors. To me 27's are superior all ways to the the python.
My only gripe with Smith is they copied the useless python full under lug to most their revolvers. I much prefer the original Smith half lug barrels.

Do you like blonds or brunett`s? In this day and age s&w is at the forefront. Many years ago it seemed to be colt. I never have claimed to be a competitor or bullseye shooter etc. What I did do many years ago was have A LOT of guns go through my hands. I enjoyed reloading and compareing them off the bench. If I were to write up a list of smiths and colts that I owned that have come and gone, except for the newer models in the last 25 years, I havent missed much.
Shooting off the bench overall I feel colts have given me better groups.
Now the biggest drawback to colts from everything I have read, is the perception that it`s hard to find good gunsmiths that can understand them or work on them. Still, I never shot one enough for that to be a factor for me. With me, I always had a lot of guns I was turning over and usualy was always trying something else. Also for me smiths usualy felt better in the hand as far as useing magna stocks as opposed to colts service stocks. However thats something we all solve with custom grips if its a issue.
These days smiths are far more available. Fourty years ago there was a lot of colts too when I was starting out. I have two pythons and I also have a 27-2 that I bought new around 1971. It wasnt my first as I recall several more, one in 8 3/8" and another 5". I shot them against a colt officers model match and a 4" .357 trooper I used to carry.
Colts are fine guns that arent being made anymore. Thats simply why they cost more. A casio probley keeps as good or better time than a rolex too.

Because they look and work so nice!