Is it as easy to have as much fun collecting and shooting Colts?

[hkcavalier]

I've been a S&W guy for 10+ years and just got into Colts this year. There just aren't enough interesting S&Ws that turn up locally and most of the "niches" have been filled.

A few thoughts:

If you only focus on the Seven Serpents, you will probably have a tough time. Those are what everyone is going for right now. I chose to focus on pre-WWII double-action guns because of this. There are lots of gems there.

They are tougher to work on as an amateur. The timing in older Colts is not for the faint of heart.

Original grips will be tougher to find. Colt changed their grip frame dimensions far more than S&W. I can fit K frame round butt grips pulled from a S&W made yesterday to my 102 year old M&P revolver. I cannot do that with many Colts.

Unlike S&W, Colt still makes collectible guns. Their dumping of the MARSOC .45s on the market a while back is a good example. I would argue a significant number of new Colt SAAs are purchased and then stored away, NIB and unfired outside the factory. If you want a nice shooter SAA you can buy replicas from the beautiful Standards down to the Italian ones (which are still pretty nice for the most part).

I'm pretty much focused on revolvers, but of course there are tons of collectible Colt autos and rifles too. Most of the guys I have run into on the Colt forum tend to stick to one category; it's tough to become an expert on them all.

 

[Texas Star]

You clearly need books.

Among the first:

The Handgun, by Geoffrey Boothroyd, Crown Pub, Co., about 1970

History of the Colt Revolver, 1836-1940, Haven and Belden, 1940

The Colt Heritage, R.L. Wilson

Sixguns, by Elmer Keith. Get the later 1961 ed.

 

[Jellybean]

I've been out of the buyers market for quite a long time now and don't know what the market is like for either maker.

But as a shooter...I had wanted a Python for a long time but the prices were a little on the insane side. When I finally came upon a somewhat reasonably priced, used shooter I talked to a co-worker that had several of them. I had never shot one and was feeling hesitant, so he graciously let me borrow one of his, with the warning that the trigger pull was very light. I never did buy one, if his gun had a very light trigger pull and was still that bad, compared to my S&W's, I didn't want one at any price.

I did end up with two Colt revolvers though, an Army Special and an Anaconda. The Army Special sat in a gun store for a very long time on consignment, it had come in with another model chambered in .38 spl., which sold very quickly, but the .41 had no takers. If I hadn't found a .41 Colt bullet mould it might still be there. The Anaconda sat in the store for a long time too. The dealer said he had no problems selling a 6" Anaconda in .44 magnum but there was absolutely no interest in a 4" .45 Colt version. Their trigger pulls are similar to the Pythons and neither one gets shot much. The difference in quality between the two is very noticeable though.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

On this board, Colts are not the competition-they are the "other".

 

[ArsenalFan]

As others have pointed out, collecting and shooting Colts is a lot of fun, but is made a bit frustrating by the lack of a single overall source of comprehensive information. One general information web site I've found helpful with regards to Colt swing-out cylinder revolvers is ColtFever (ColtFever).

 

[Guevera]

Here's a nice old Colt revolver you can probably get pretty cheap:

 

[ubronM]

For a manufacturing date

this isn't a bad start:

Colt's Manufacturing LLC

 

[bmcgilvray]

I'm "dually afflicted."

While I admire the design and execution of classic, traditional Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector revolvers of the pre-lock era best of all, I'll embrace me some classic Colt revolvers made prior to the introduction of the Mark III double-actions.

I tend to admire the work-a-day models rather than the Python or the other so-called "snake gun" models. The Army Special, Official Police, Police Positive, Police Positive Special and model derivatives of these all appeal to me. I cherish the lone Single Action Army on hand and the elegant and stately New Service is my very favorite Colt revolver.

Government Models and a Woodsman are revered here and I'd love to add some Pocket Models to the menagerie.

Colts are gratifying to shoot at the range, pack in the field, or even use for personal defense. I've not had issues with timing, but then most Colt revolvers here aren't used as heavily as are the Smith & Wessons. I'm partial to having "prancing ponies" on the sides of my 1911-guns which have always served well.

More gratuitous Colt-ness, old and not-so-old.

 

[vrichard]

Colt auto`s are nice.
Dick

 

[Engineer1911]

I own 4 Colt 1911s because I was in the right place, at the right price, and had money in my pocket. I owned a Python 38 Spl Target and two Trooper Mk III revolvers. The Python was a warm dog dropping, but the Troopers went to new homes at a profit.

 

[Mrnurse]

Whats a Colt?... this aint a Horse traders forum brother.... to be honest Ive owned several and can say the trooper and lawman I had were awful... Bad triggers... as in heavy. Ill stick with Smiths thank you... 27/28 is fine.