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Antiqued my Colt SAA.


Warden Callaway

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Wow. That was your brand new one? Talk about reducing value of a gun by 2/3rds. That's pretty brave, but as long as you're happy with it that's all that matters. I would do that to an Uberti, but never to a Colt. I prefer the look of honest wear myself.

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2 hours ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

How'd ya do it?

OLG 

 

Well,   my sick joke.  I didn't antique this Colt SAA 2nd gen made in 1971 5.5 in 45 Colt.  But I traded for it today.  We figure the guy that antiqued it scrubbed of around a $1,000 worth of value.  

 

1848509822_ColtSAAantiqued2Feb2020.jpg.92466f973ebea1e2eda8d84666aedc01.jpg

 

Here is the other side. 

 

I'm undecided on plans for the gun.  I'm thinking of getting it nickeled to match the other 71 Colt.  

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33 minutes ago, Warden Callaway said:

 

Well,   my sick joke.  I didn't antique this Colt SAA 2nd gen made in 1971 5.5 in 45 Colt.  But I traded for it today.  We figure the guy that antiqued it scrubbed of around a $1,000 worth of value.  

 

1848509822_ColtSAAantiqued2Feb2020.jpg.92466f973ebea1e2eda8d84666aedc01.jpg

 

Here is the other side. 

 

I'm undecided on plans for the gun.  I'm thinking of getting it nickeled to match the other 71 Colt.  

 

Looks like he wasted a box of red Scotchbrite on it. :rolleyes:

OLG 

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Sawmill Mary and I went on one of our adventures yesterday that included stopping at two of our favorite toy stores.   Both places know I'm looking for "shooter" Colt SAA.  The second shop had gotten this one in just the day before. He was almost embarrassed to show it to me.  But it appears solid and the action feels really good.  He had contemplated getting it nickel plated or refinished but rationalized the cost would outweigh any increase in value.  

 

I took down an old shotgun that I was wanting to trade anyway.   I think I made a good trade. Even got a little boot! 

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Having it nickeled just might be a really good idea for that gun.  Just a light polish to get rid of the Scotch Brite scratches and then the nickel.  Easy Peasy.  Shouldn't affect the Roll Stamps at all.

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2 hours ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

Having it nickeled just might be a really good idea for that gun.  Just a light polish to get rid of the Scotch Brite scratches and then the nickel.  Easy Peasy.  Shouldn't affect the Roll Stamps at all.

 

How about bead blast ane Cerakote in some hot colors?  :D

 

BTY,  I popped the grips off and the hammer spring has been butchered to an hourglass shape.  I'm thinking no more than 1/8" wide near the top.  But it looks to be an older thick spring so not ultra light.

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1393744487_ColtSAAantiquedspringsFeb2020.jpg.82a82fc7b689c458ca4d125004b00e22.jpg

 

The hammer spring has been ground and has wire edges and rough grinding marks.  The legs on the bolt/trigger spring have been narrowed.  Hand has been stretched by putting a dint in body. There is a dint on both sides.

 

I'll hone the hammer spring to knock down the rough edges. 

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13 hours ago, Warden Callaway said:

 

How about bead blast ane Cerakote in some hot colors?  :D

 

BTY,  I popped the grips off and the hammer spring has been butchered to an hourglass shape.  I'm thinking no more than 1/8" wide near the top.  But it looks to be an older thick spring so not ultra light.

Do it up like the new Ruger Wrangler! Black cylinder and burnt bronze frame!

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7 minutes ago, smokedawg SASS#60968 said:

Do it up like the new Ruger Wrangler! Black cylinder and burnt bronze frame!

 

I always wanted my Colt SAAs to look like Roogers!  :D

 

I should have done more prep work before shooting.  The C45S loads were tight loading and some tough to extract. They came out with black gunk on the cases.  On inspection,  the chambers were caked with black gunk.  Started out with brush and then carb cleaner and brush. They were still not clean.  I put the cylinder in a small can with steaming hot water and Simple Green.  After more brushing they look clean.  The cylinder is back in the hot tub. 

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6 hours ago, Warden Callaway said:

1393744487_ColtSAAantiquedspringsFeb2020.jpg.82a82fc7b689c458ca4d125004b00e22.jpg

 

The hammer spring has been ground and has wire edges and rough grinding marks.  The legs on the bolt/trigger spring have been narrowed.  Hand has been stretched by putting a dint in body. There is a dint on both sides.

 

I'll hone the hammer spring to knock down the rough edges. 

 

Add as much radius as possible to the corners of the ground areas.

That will remove the stress risers caused from the corners. 

OLG 

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Howdy

 

Somebody 'antiqued' the 4 3/4" SAA at the bottom of these two photos before I bought it. It was made in 1968. All the blue had been removed. Just a trace of case colors left on the frame on one side, no colors left on the other side. If you look real close you can see where a smidge of metal was added to the top of the front sight.  After about 20 years of shooting nothing but Black Powder through it the barrel and ejector rod housing are starting to take on a pleasing bit of patina. This was my first Colt SAA, and because somebody had 'antiqued' it I got it for a terrific price, $680. It is my favorite revolver in the whole world.

 

The 7 1/2" SAA at the top of the photo left the factory in 1973. I actually lettered this one. It left the factory with a 12" barrel, but within a year it had been returned to the factory and the 7 1/2" barrel installed. When it came back from the factory it came with an extra 'long flute' cylinder that I never use.

 

pl4cqib7j

 

 

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On 2/22/2020 at 12:38 AM, Warden Callaway said:

 

...the hammer spring has been butchered to an hourglass shape.  I'm thinking no more than 1/8" wide near the top.  But it looks to be an older thick spring so not ultra light.

All my Colt SAAs and copies of it have the main spring so shaped.  Mine are about ¼" wide at their narrowest, and then smoothed and polished to remove grinding marks.  Bob Munden did my first one, it broke about 5 years in, and I copied it, then smoothed it up...  Then did it to the rest of the horde, that was almost 30 years ago, nary a broken main spring since.  

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  • 2 weeks later...

I shot my "antiqued" Colt SAA in a match last Sunday and did just fine.  The gun is in great shape.  But the antiqued finish just looks awful to me.  At this point I don't want to spend $450-750 or more getting it professionally refinished.  So I just "un-antiqued" it. 

 

1848509822_ColtSAAantiqued2Feb2020.jpg.92466f973ebea1e2eda8d84666aedc01.jpg

 

Before. 

 

1518082690_ColtSAA45reblueMarch2020.jpg.f5226e886dccdd5dafe002b508bdc742.jpg

 

After.

 

Just Beachwood Cassys Super Blue and Plum Brown.

 

I took 1200 grit sandpaper and knocked down the scratches and oxidation.  The backstrap and trigger guard took bluing really well. The cylinder and ejector housing ok.  I did the barrel maybe 10 cycles and it was still thin and blotchy.  So I went back and did it about another 20 times and it looks pretty good.  The frame,  I tried to fake color case with Plum Brown and blue. The frame took bluing in some places and refused to take bluing in others.  I got some nice copper and brown colors from the Plum Brown in places.  But other places it would not do anything or turn black.

 

Ok,  I like the looks much better now.  I don't think increased the value one cent. But I don't think I hurt it any. I didn't remove any metal so it's in no worse condition.  The finish will not be durable so it'll wear bright on edges rather quickly.  But then it'll look more like what a 50 year old gun would look like. And it won't be hard to hit it again with cold blue to put fresh makeup on it.

 

I also fitted the grips.  They had about a 1/32" overhang in most places. 

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2 hours ago, Geronimo Jim SASS # 21775 said:

Wow.  I think it looks great.  

Yep, better now.  I figure that if it was 1885 and I bought a gun, even a used one, it ought not look like  it was 140 years old!  I've been using my Colts now for over 30 years and they still have finish on 'em,  Even my EDC is 37 years old and still has the majority of its' finish on it!  "Antiqued" guns just appear abused to me.  YMMV, so if you like 'em, so be it.

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