A long desired Colt.

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

Hey, I've got something wicked cool to share.  My new (to me) Colt.

 

Yep, I always wanted one of these.   But uhm...  What's so special about this one that has long had me wanting to have one?



Oh!  That's what it is!

If you can't see it...



Yep!   I have at long last managed to find an SAA in the elusive .38 S&W cartridge!   The fact that it is a Bisley Model is nice, but I would have been just as happy with a standard SAA in the caliber.

Now, I understand that these things are exceedingly rare in this chambering, so I count myself lucky to have found one that was not asking for a ridiculous amount of money.   According the Letter that came with it, it was made in 1903.   

The action is very good with clear clicks and it locks up tight as a drum.   All in all, I think I have done well for myself.   As I said, I have always wanted a pair of Main Match pistols in the caliber, and now I do.   I will pair it with this...



Technically, it's a .38-44, but that's just a .38 S&W made longer, so I can run the short cartridge in here just fine.

Now all I need to do is find a rifle in the caliber.  Sadly, I tend to believe that I never will.  Having one custom made would probably be overly expensive. 

Anyway. I am most pleased.  

[Arth Ritis]

A bit smaller than what you brought out two months ago. Looks like quite the find! Congrats! And glad to see it has gone to a good home.

[watab kid]

very nice , congrats on finding that , glad you got something you wanted so badly 

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

1 hour ago, Arth Ritis said:

A bit smaller than what you brought out two months ago. Looks like quite the find! Congrats! And glad to see it has gone to a good home.

Heh heh, oh yeah. 

 

[Timothy]

Those are profoundly cool guns. Did the colt ship by itself, where did it go?

[Texas Jack Black]

 VERY NICE congratulations.

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

13 hours ago, Timothy said:

Those are profoundly cool guns. Did the colt ship by itself, where did it go?

Here is all the documentation that came with it.   (I have requested a "retype" from Colt in my own name and have asked them for clarification on the caliber.)

 

 

I think the last two are just something the local gun store threw together to look more impressive.  Still, it's nice to have.   Kinda like the original sales receipt, state registration, repair work receipts, or any other paperwork that might get attached to a gun over the years.

[Irish Pat]

glad to see you got a good one. Irish o Pat 

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

 I know this cartridge is supposed to have been a rare chambering.

Does anyone know how many were made in it, or at least where I could look up the information?

[Nickle]

There is a utube channel called 11 bang bang. Guy on there by name of Garret Woods.  Big time into colts. Has a bunch of videos about colt history.  Then countless hours on reload show talking about colts. Them guys really into colts!
    Anyway they all make out R L Wilson as a really crooked guy who faked colts.  Copied museum colts and switched them. .  Documented or faked guns to sell them. All kinds of crooked stuff.  They sure dont like RL Wilson or believe anything Wilson said or did before he died.  
 

Anyway i like your bisley. Cool gun.  Nothing like first gens!

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

6 hours ago, Nickle said:

 Anyway they all make out R L Wilson as a really crooked guy who faked colts.

On the one hand that is very disappointing to learn.    On the other, it's kinda cool to  have one of his letters, even if it is worthless, as a kind of a historical curiosity.  

I wonder what, if anything, that means for my pistol?   Could be be a fake?  If it is, it's been together for a very long time.   It has none of the usual signs of being a parts gun.   I may simply have a curiosity that can't ever be resoved.

[Nickle]

You wanted a first gen colt 38S&W and you now have one. Enjoy it. 
Colts are way next level compared to S&W. 
Its cool to see someone shooting something different than everyone else.  
if your club has long range side matches you should do well with yours. 

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

27 minutes ago, Nickle said:

You wanted a first gen colt 38S&W and you now have one. Enjoy it. 

 

Ultimately, that is my plan.   I may never know if it came from the factory in this caliber, but I don't care.  It is now.   And it's in great shape.  It sure looks authentic, and I am not gonna let it's association with a con man (Oh man, the things I have learned!) taint it for me.

I think that's the healthiest way to look at it.

I will probably have a custom carry case made to hold it and my S&W, since they will be used together.   Will I ever get another one?   Well, unless I can find another one that does not have a $10,000 plus price tag, probably not.   Much more likely to pick up another Smith, or perhaps something made by someone else in the caliber.  Granted, most everything else was a pocket pistol, and I have plenty of those.    Time will tell.

[Timothy]

Records show 10 bisleys made in 38sw very cool regardless

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

8 hours ago, Timothy said:

Records show 10 bisleys made in 38sw very cool regardless

Fascinating.
 

I did contact Colt to get a letter for it in my name.   They still insist it left the factory as a .44 according to their records.   In this case, I think the records are probably wrong.  (It can happen, especially back then.)   If it is converted, it was changed over 100 years ago, the coloring and other factors are just too perfect for it to be a more recent change.    But I also find it hard, but not impossible, to believe that someone would change to what even then was an obscure caliber.  If it was changed, it was changed at the factory.

At least, that's all what I choose to believe.   

 

 

[Timothy]

Maybe the 44/c on the letter meant 10 were converted for a one time shipment to mexico making it one of ten ever. Sounds plausible, and where the heck would you get a 38sw barrel to fake one? Only 63 in all 4 varients were produced total and flattops had different front sites.

Edited July 9 by Timothy

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

4 hours ago, Timothy said:

Sounds plausible, and where the heck would you get a 38sw barrel to fake one?

That's why I think it must be factory original, in at least SOME fashion.   I doubt Colt had spare barrels lying around, and having one made would have been next to difficult at best.  To say nothing of the cylinder!

I seem to have an affinity for rare and unusual configuration guns.   It's a curse, because finding them is difficult, expensive, or both.   Sometimes, you can find a good deal, but when the pool is so limited to begin with, it becomes that much more of a challenge.

I have seen photos of standard Bisleys, flattop Bisleys, and flatop SAAs in the caliber, but can't recall seeing one in a standard SAA.   And to the mix that Colt apparently also chambered some for .38-44, but apparently just marked those as .38 S&W, and it gets even more convoluted.   

Need to start a club for the 63 folks who have one of these!  

[Texas Jack Black]

 Go over to the Colt forum and post you will find out what it really was barreled for. Post your pics and letters.

  Best Wishes

[doc roy l. pain]

8 hours ago, Timothy said:

Maybe the 44/c on the letter meant 10 were converted for a one time shipment to mexico making it one of ten ever. Sounds plausible, and where the heck would you get a 38sw barrel to fake one? Only 63 in all 4 varients were produced total and flattops had different front sites.

It means that gun was part of a 10 gun shipment of Bisleys on that date to that location.  The others could have been completely different chamberings. Possibly even SAA’s and not Bisleys. 

Edited July 9 by doc roy l. pain