I agree as a shooter in it;s current form or as a donor gun as a restoration project, either way the offers thrown your
way would probably be somewhere under the 1K mark.
With a moden 44spl cyl in place and the mechanics & specs up to par,,it'd be fine for mild 44spl loads.
Someone polished, re-roll marked the frame w/ in accurate markings and then re-case color hardened it. The hammer looks to be the correct style for the era. The trigger guard matches and has been polished and reblued. I suspect the same of the backstrap. Trigger may be original. looks like the thin style.
So there's a decent starting point for a restoration, but what is there will need another complete pro-polishing to factory specs and re-marking.
Then w/ factory letter in hand to show how it left the Colt Palace,,a replacement cyl and bbl of original spec and probably an ejector assembly also. All marked, polished and finished in appropriate Colt blue & c/c. Then a set of original or original style perfectly fit grips are needed too. Probably one piece walnut.
A big dollar investment if you are paying someone to do the work.
When you're all done you have a restored Colt 1st generation revolver that everyone stands around and kicks the tires and slams the doors on no matter how well it's been done or by whom.
If the factory letter says the gun shipped to Wyatt Earp, it'll make some difference of course in that you saved a piece of history,,a few will still condemn you for removing any possible vestige of Mr. Earp's DNA from the hammer checkering. Can't win no way.
I'd leave it alone and use it as is,,sell it for what I could get for it not expecting anything more than 1K.
My personal choice would be to use it for a project gun to build a custom SAA on, engraved, maybe plated, ivory etc. The caliber is just fine,,maybe the marking could read 44 Russian and S&W Special. So what if the era isn't correct,,it;s a custom project..
