Colt SAA in 38-40 Is It Any Good?

[Pop Watts]

Hi All.
Could I ask for some advice please.
Here is an 1873 SAA Colt for sale in Australia.
38WCF.
What do you guys think of the two pics I have posted.
Does the finish look original?
Are the grips correct?
I have not got the serial number, so dating it would be hard I guess.
The truth is that I know very little about these guns and any bit of advice you could offer would be helpful.
Price here in Australia is $4500. With the Aussie dollar buying less than 70 cents US, that would make the gun about $3000 US Dollars.
Is it worth it?

[M. M. Wright]

OK! The case colored hammer puts at pre 1936 manufacture, after that all hammers were "bright side". It appears to be in extremely good condition at least finish wise. I think that even if it were re-finished it is worth the price.

The faint turn line around the cylinder means that it probably is correctly timed but internals are not terribly important as they are fixable without breaking the bank.

Is it something you must buy from just pictures without seeing the gun? Here it is customary to grant the buyer a 3 day right of refusal so if everything is not right you can return it.

The eagle grips would only be correct for 1882 to 1896. Since it has the "black powder" frame (screw retained base pin) they may be correct.

I really like the caliber.

Looking at the picture again I see no "verified proof" mark on the left front of the trigger guard so it must be 1st gen. We really need that serial no.

[jdad]

1st gen. gun.....all original based on the pictures.

Here's a later 1st gen., with lots of pictures, for comparison.
http://gunauction.com/buy/13446588/

[Pete44ru]

.


I wouldn't need to know the SN to grab that beauty, Pop !

Very nice find, indeed...........


.

[Lassiter]

Yes Sir, very nice indeed!! I would scoop it up for sure

[Lefty Dude]

Turn line on the cylinder means, Some one has dropped the Hammer from half-cock with the bolt up and touching the cylinder.
Dropping the Hammer from full-cock prevents this from happening. The bolt is in the retracting position in full-cock.
Colt owners are very conscious about this issue. Drop a Hammer from half-cock on a Colt, it might be the end of a Friendship, and if it is a Classic antique Generation one piece. Well, be warned of what might be said to the handler by the Owner of the piece.

[Lefty Dude]

Turn line on the cylinder means, Some one has dropped the Hammer from half-cock with the bolt up and touching the cylinder.
Dropping the Hammer from full-cock prevents this from happening. The bolt is in the retracting position in full-cock.
Colt owners are very conscious about this issue. Drop a Hammer from half-cock on a Colt, it might be the end of a Friendship, and if it is a Classic antique Generation one piece. Well, be warned of what might be said to the handler by the Owner of the piece.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

As MM pointed out, everything looks correct for a mid 1880's to early 1890's black power frame gun. The only thing that concerns me is the grips look a little too crisp. Notice the brass grip screw escutcheon is still bright. If it were 100 years old it would be dark patina-ed.

[Griff]

.38-40 Introduced in 1886 along with .38 Colt. Caliber marking on trigger guard ended in 1887, so after that. Cylinder bevel is correct for thru 1896. Grip Eagle type 2 were used thru 1896.

Edited to take away comment about ejector rod housing.

[Old Savage]

Griff stepping up

[jdad]

Griff stepping up

+1

[Old Savage]

And Nate.

[Griff]

Griff stepping up

No, Griff digging out his reference book. Could narrow it down a bit more if pics were better, but I'd still have no clue to whether it's a good deal in OZ. Finish is awfully good for a 120+ year old gun, unless a safe queen. I'd want to put my paws and eyeballs on it before I'd fork out that cash. Some say that "Fire-Blue" is durable, what I've seen on imports belies that... so if I seem squeamish, chalk it up to my inexperience w/1st gen Colts wearin' that finish.

[Lefty Dude]

The piece should have Bulls-Eye ejector rod head, IIRC.

[Griff]

The piece should have Bulls-Eye ejector rod head, IIRC.

Only until 1881. 1881-1887 oval flared; from 1887-1940 used oval flat.

[Lefty Dude]

Thanks Griff;
Good information here on this thread.
I have a Cimarron 45 BP frame that came with a BE ejector. Would not fit my holsters, so I ordered a regular ejector from VTI. Now all is good.

[M. M. Wright]

Well Pop, did you buy it? If I owned it here in the states I'd want about 10K USD for it. Too good to be a shooter but I have similar 44-40s which I shoot with black powder in SASS matches.

[PriseDeFer]

Just does not look kosher. Too peacock blue for being around very long. To these eyes.

[Pop Watts]

Well, I just bought it.
Will be a couple of weeks before I can get my hands on it.
When I can pick it up I will post some pics of it and put a few rounds through it.

[M. M. Wright]

Good for you! For some strange reason I feel compelled to "rescue" old Colts. Must be some OCD compulsion that's not been discovered. We should get a government grant to study that as we're all guilty of something similar or this forum wouldn't be here.

Looking forward to the pics and range report.

[Griff]

...I will post some pics of it and put a few rounds through it.

[Lassiter]

Lookin' forward to more on this one...........