Colt Good news

[Rye Miles #13621]

You think SAAs are outrageously priced take s look at what Pythons are selling for!

NIB 21/2" Pythons unfired in original box are bringing upwards of $7500-15,000!

And selling at those prices!

Any NIB Python is easily worth $5k and up

Good condition used Pythons are selling for $2500 and up... Way up depending on configuration

Colt wheel gun prices are through the roof!

I know Shorty, it is unbelievable!

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Howdy

 

There are plenty of used Colts out there. Yes, they may cost a pretty penny, then again they may not. It all depends. Sometimes you just have to be at the right place at the right time.

 

The two Colts in this photo are both 2nd Gens. The one at the bottom only cost me about $600 a bunch of years ago because it was a 'parts gun'. The grip frame parts are not original to the gun. Do I care? Not one bit. The dealer was honest and told me upfront it was not all original. Sometimes it makes sense to establish a relationship with a dealer, not treat him as a thief. You never know when it may pay off.

 

A bunch of years ago I was talking to the biggest Colt dealer in New England. I asked him if he still had that nice 7 1/2" 2nd Gen at the top of the photo. I had not seen it at any of the shows for a few years. Turns out he still had it and he cut me a nice deal on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I bought this 38-40 1st Gen Bisley at auction a few years ago. It came up late in the auction and I did not have to bid against a lot of other bidders, most had gone home.

 

 

 

 

 

Same with this funky 1st Gen Bisley, converted to 44 Special. The serious collectors were not interested in it, I was.

 

 

 

My point is, if you really want a Colt, you may have to do more than just show up once at a shop and complain that there are no Colts around. I go to a couple of really big gun shows every year. There are always used Colts for sale. ALWAYS! You want a Colt, you may have to be persistent, do your homework, and you may have to pay a bit more than you think you should.

 

Just a couple of months ago I helped a young guy buy his first Colt, a nice 7 1/2" 2nd Gen. He paid $1400 for it. I told him that was a really good deal today and he should grab it, which he did.

 

 

 

Colts are also hand fitted so there's more attention to detail.

 

 

Not really. That 7 1/2" 2nd Gen of mine had a mainspring that could have doubled as suspension spring for a Mack truck. Don't remember now if the spring is thinned down or if it is a new spring. But it definitely needed work. After receiving attention from the best gunsmith in New England the trigger now breaks at 2 1/2 pounds and the action is silky smooth.

 

 

 

 

 

What do you get with a Colt that you don't get with and Uberti? You get a hardened bushing in the recoil shield around the firing pin hole that helps prevent peening over and burrs raised by the firing pin.

 

 

 

 

 

You get machined parts, not cast parts. You get a machined hammer that has the knurling done properly with a separate knurling tool, not sloppy cast in knurling.

 

 

 

 

You get real bone Case Hardening, not cheap, imitation case hardening. Yes, you get better steel too, that has been hardened better.

[Rye Miles #13621]

Well said Driftwood! Nice pics too!

[backshootin beauford mcgee]

No hidden agendas here, I just have an honest curiosity. Lots of knowledgeable Colt folks on the Wire it seems. Haven't ever owned a Colt but own several tuned Ubertis. They all run like sewing machines. What exactly is the difference at 4X the cost? Better steel? Better, longer lasting parts? Brand name? Difficulty of being a small business in the U.S.? Uberti obviously makes enough of them to turn a tidy profit. Of course I've heard enough about Colts to realize they are the gold standard but why so expensive?

Never owned a colt single action either. But, my guess is that the reason for 4 times the cost is the cost of union labor and union benefits, taxes on a business in the northeast and government regulation costs. If I could find a new or like new 1873 in 4 3/4 barrel in 44-40 with Nickel Finish and rosewood grips with donkeys on them ..... I would try one.

[The Wichita Southpaw]

Howdy

 

There are plenty of used Colts out there. Yes, they may cost a pretty penny, then again they may not. It all depends. Sometimes you just have to be at the right place at the right time.

 

The two Colts in this photo are both 2nd Gens. The one at the bottom only cost me about $600 a bunch of years ago because it was a 'parts gun'. The grip frame parts are not original to the gun. Do I care? Not one bit. The dealer was honest and told me upfront it was not all original. Sometimes it makes sense to establish a relationship with a dealer, not treat him as a thief. You never know when it may pay off.

 

A bunch of years ago I was talking to the biggest Colt dealer in New England. I asked him if he still had that nice 7 1/2" 2nd Gen at the top of the photo. I had not seen it at any of the shows for a few years. Turns out he still had it and he cut me a nice deal on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I bought this 38-40 1st Gen Bisley at auction a few years ago. It came up late in the auction and I did not have to bid against a lot of other bidders, most had gone home.

 

 

 

 

 

Same with this funky 1st Gen Bisley, converted to 44 Special. The serious collectors were not interested in it, I was.

 

 

 

My point is, if you really want a Colt, you may have to do more than just show up once at a shop and complain that there are no Colts around. I go to a couple of really big gun shows every year. There are always used Colts for sale. ALWAYS! You want a Colt, you may have to be persistent, do your homework, and you may have to pay a bit more than you think you should.

 

Just a couple of months ago I helped a young guy buy his first Colt, a nice 7 1/2" 2nd Gen. He paid $1400 for it. I told him that was a really good deal today and he should grab it, which he did.

 

 

 

 

Not really. That 7 1/2" 2nd Gen of mine had a mainspring that could have doubled as suspension spring for a Mack truck. Don't remember now if the spring is thinned down or if it is a new spring. But it definitely needed work. After receiving attention from the best gunsmith in New England the trigger now breaks at 2 1/2 pounds and the action is silky smooth.

 

 

 

 

 

What do you get with a Colt that you don't get with and Uberti? You get a hardened bushing in the recoil shield around the firing pin hole that helps prevent peening over and burrs raised by the firing pin.

 

 

 

 

 

You get machined parts, not cast parts. You get a machined hammer that has the knurling done properly with a separate knurling tool, not sloppy cast in knurling.

 

 

 

 

You get real bone Case Hardening, not cheap, imitation case hardening. Yes, you get better steel too, that has been hardened better.

 

Great reply DJ. Great collection too! I agree I don't think there's a great shortage of used out there, just a shortage of "bargains". At big gun shows here in the Air Capitol every couple of months, they usually have them.

[Rye Miles #13621]

Never owned a colt single action either. But, my guess is that the reason for 4 times the cost is the cost of union labor and union benefits, taxes on a business in the northeast and government regulation costs. If I could find a new or like new 1873 in 4 3/4 barrel in 44-40 with Nickel Finish and rosewood grips with donkeys on them ..... I would try one.

It's NOT just union costs, while that's part of it it's not the whole reason. Read Driftwood Johnson's reply above and his explanation of the better parts that are made and used by Colt. They are a far superior firearm to Uberti. I have a pair of Uberti's that I shoot all the time, no offense to Uberti but they just can't compare to the quality of a Colt.