Maddog McCoy SASS #5672 Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 A couple months ago, I was looking for a pair of Colts to use for my main match guns and was not really finding what I wanted. I was at a gun show, and I stumbled on to a single Colt and I bought it. It is a 2nd generation NRA 357 with a 4 3/4 barrel. It has a good balance and when I tried it in my holsters, it came out smooth and fast and did not hang up like my current main match gun do on occasion. I did not get the box or paperwork with the gun which the collectors would want so it is more for shooting in my mind. However, I have looked the revolver over very carefully and it is unfired and it appears to have only been indexed one cylinder as I only see a turn line at the first bottom cylinder. Right now, it is in a box in my safe and has been there since the first day I got it. Here's the thing, I only shoot 44's (Russian, spl, mag) and don't have any other 38/357 guns other that a GP100 I have for a truck gun. I sold the last of my 357 cowboy guns last year and was not planning to shoot that caliber any more. I wanted to get (2) 3rd gen 44spl colts in 4 3/4 or possibly Cimarron's for new main match guns but I can not decide if I should sell this one to fund the guns in the correct caliber or wait and get a match to it and then go to a 357 rifle. They only made 700-800 of the NRA guns in this configuration so it may not be easy to find a match other than a regular 3rd generation or a new production Colt. If I keep it, it will probably be a year before I can get the rest of the 357 guns and then I would also need a new shotgun belt as it has 44 loops on it or I would have to have some 38 loops added to it. Is a 2nd generation gun better that a 3rd generation gun or a new production gun? Is a 2nd Gen Colt worth considerable more than a 3rd or new production? I have only had 3rd gen Colts in the past so I not sure about the difference. So, what would you do? Keep it since you like it and the feel of it or sell it and continue to look for the guns you wanted to begin with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Naw, 2nd gens are not worth hardly anything, I'll give ya $100.00!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Seriously, 2 gens in good condition get as much $$$ as 3rds and sometimes very much more. I'd keep it if you like it and get another in .357 to shoot with it, maybe even an Uberti. That's what I'd do anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oklahoma Dee Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Do research on the history of the Colt 2nd Generation revolvers. There are many books on them. Check out auction sights or online gun shops that have them for sale. You can join gunbroker or gunsamerica and then do a historical sales search on your particular revolver setup. Goatneck Clem, a SASS member is a wonderful resource of information on most Colts. You will get a mix of information and opinions, some good, some not so good. Without the original box and paperwork, the value drops. Prices vary with the condition, year of production, setup, how much your asking, who has the money, who wants it and how bad, how bad someone needs to sell it.....etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish Pat Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Shoot it and enjoy it. You can always get money back out of it when you sell it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The O'Meara Himself Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 I would keep it unfired in the safe and search for the .44s you want. If you find some, buy them and then sell the .357. That's what I would do in your situation, although I couldn't imagine myself ever able to afford Colts. The O'Meara Himself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Hombre Sin Nombre Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Unfortunately, without the box it has lost way more collector value than should realistically matter, but that is the way it is. It's also a 357, which is the least desirable to collectors. And possible strike three is that it's a commemorative which are typically the lowest level for colt collectors. What makes being a commemorative even worse is that many of them made during the second generation were never meant to be shot so they can be pretty rough. The upside is it's the most desirable barrel length. The other upside of course is that it's a real colt, and even if rough it can be smoothed up into a fantastic shooter. I hope that helps some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Brules Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 It really is not "normal" for a SAA to score the cylinder under normal handling and firing. The timing is off. Were I you, I would get a real SAA expert to go through the action and other important tolerances and workings of the revolver, and make it perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Jones, SASS 2263 Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 What Redwood and Cat said. My opinion is to buy the 44s now, if you can find Colts and sell the Commemorative. Being a Colt, the price of the one you have will, in all likelihood, go up, as will the price of any Colts you buy. As an example, a recent thread in the Classifieds offered two consecutive serial numbered Colts, in 44 special, 4 3/4" bbls with 44-40 cylinders and action jobs for $4,000. I don't know if anyone bought them. There are a bunch of Colt 44 Spls for sale on the Gunsamerica web site to give you an idea of prices, as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish Pat Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 I looked them up in my Blue Book of Gun values. Made 1971, made 5,000 but not all were shipped. New in Box with all extras average price is $1,495.00. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crooked River Pete, SASS 43485 Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 I have a pair I shoot every match, timing and finish are perfect. A set of action springs made them as smooth as any gun I've ever handled.I paid about 1/3 less for the commemoratives than just plain 2cd gen guns, best deal there is for shooters.Both of mine were unfired. Second gen guns are the best in my opinion, modern metals old time craftsmanship. I would offer it for trade for the caliber I wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 6 hours ago, Crooked River Pete, SASS 43485 said: I have a pair I shoot every match, timing and finish are perfect. A set of action springs made them as smooth as any gun I've ever handled.I paid about 1/3 less for the commemoratives than just plain 2cd gen guns, best deal there is for shooters.Both of mine were unfired. Second gen guns are the best in my opinion, modern metals old time craftsmanship. I would offer it for trade for the caliber I wanted. Aren't those the ones you bought from Cole Alan, a pard of mine, at Tusco a long time ago? I owned those for a short time (if they're the same ones) .357 right?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddog McCoy SASS #5672 Posted March 9, 2017 Author Share Posted March 9, 2017 Hi all, Well I got it back out of the safe last night and looked it over very closely after reading some of these. It had a very faint turn line on the one cylinder so I could not sell it as unturned and unfired, just unfired. It did not score the cylinder as commented in an earlier post, you can just see that it had been turned. For a collector gun, this is important to them. As shooter, who cares? One that note, I indexed it a couple of things to check the timing and it locks up well and has no play in the cylinder with the hammer back and a slight amount of trigger creep ( I could feel it start to move and then it released the hammer) but not enough to worry about. It has a great balance to it . The only thing I did not care for it is has a heavy hammer spring (factory) compared to my Colts I currently use for matches. I sure if I replace them with lighter springs it would be fine. I still have not made up my mind yet, but if I get some good pictures of it over the weekend, I will post them here for you all to see. Thanks for the replies, Maddog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crooked River Pete, SASS 43485 Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 "Aren't those the ones you bought from Cole Alan, a pard of mine, at Tusco a long time ago? I owned those for a short time (if they're the same ones) .357 right?? " No, a friend of mine bought those. Mine are the engraved ones I shoot every match but they are .357. I did put spring kits in the Cole Alan guns and they also shoot great, very slick. For the OP, http://www.gunbroker.com/item/604413574 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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