Colt SAA engraved
What would be the best way of determining who engraved this Colt SAA revolver? Whoever did it, well... they did an exceptional job. It's a real beauty to look at.
Would contacting Colt be the best way of determining if this is a factory colt engraving? Or is there another road I should go down? Any and all opinions would be great.
Would contacting Colt be the best way of determining if this is a factory colt engraving? Or is there another road I should go down? Any and all opinions would be great.
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You could try getting a Colt letter but that's an old black powder model. It was common in the 1800's for high-end sellers like Abercrombie & Fitch to order Colts "in the white" and have them engraved by their own artisans. This is commonly referred to as "New York engraving". I suspect your Colt may be one of those. Still, a Colt letter should tell you the retailer it was shipped to and whether or not it was engraved at the factory. It's definitely professional workmanship and a beauty! 0 -
Grips look like the finger groove Catalin synthetic "ivory" brought to public attention on one of John Wayne's movie sixguns. 0 -
Nice looking old Single Action and the engraving is very nice, but I don't think it is period. The single action has been buffed, but the engraving is sharp in places, so either it was buffed, engraved, and refinished or it was buffed and original engraving was refreshed and then the Colt was refinished.
A Colt letter will confirm how it left the factory. If the letter indicates "soft", then it was sent unfinished to a Colt dealer (Hartley and Graham, etc.) and was engraved/finished by them to meet their customer's needs. Usually less cost to their customers than having Colt do similar work. Factory engraving commands the highest premium, but soft shipped Colts that were engraved by the buying dealer command a substantial, but lessor premium.
Based on the hammer's position and the trigger's position it appears that the trigger sear and possibly some hammer notches are broken.
What is the serial number range of the Colt?
Edit 1: Thank you for the serial number. A Colt letter will probably date it to late 1885 or early 1886.0 -
quote:
What is the serial number range of the Colt?
Serial number is 117192. All matching.0 -
I talked to Beverly at Colt today and ordered some letters . I also don't believe it is factory . Beverly stated 120 day wait for letter .
IMHO any black powder frame SAA all matching is worth getting a letter. It will increase value if you ever want to sell.
EDITas Spider pointed out the colt research letter will cost more depending on the model. I had to pay $100.00 each for the 1911's and MORE then that for the SAA. The one that broke my heart was the First Generation in 38 Special that records were in the Fire. Very rare gun but no letter so I had it engraved. The value of a letter is IMHO well worth the price of the letter.0 -
Hi
How much does it cost to get a letter from Colt? I have a 36 cal pocket pistol. Nickel plated.
All numbers match. Been in the family for 50 years. The bottom of the grip has been used to hammer a nail or 2. What I would expect if it is original and some cowboy had it.
Mainly would just like to know if nickel plate is original. planning to sell it, not how much extra a letter would really help.
Thanks Ed0 -
quote:Originally posted by Ed_Hilton
Hi
How much does it cost to get a letter from Colt? I have a 36 cal pocket pistol. Nickel plated.
All numbers match. Been in the family for 50 years. The bottom of the grip has been used to hammer a nail or 2. What I would expect if it is original and some cowboy had it.
Mainly would just like to know if nickel plate is original. planning to sell it, not how much extra a letter would really help.
Thanks Ed
Here's the list of available models and prices. A fire in 1873 destroyed a lot of records so yours may not be available.
http://www.coltsmfg.com/Portals/0/misc/Archive%20Properties%202011%20Price%20List.pdf0 -
quote:Originally posted by Old-Colts
Nice looking old Single Action and the engraving is very nice, but I don't think it is period. The single action has been buffed, but the engraving is sharp in places, so either it was buffed, engraved, and refinished or it was buffed and original engraving was refreshed and then the Colt was refinished.
A Colt letter will confirm how it left the factory. If the letter indicates "soft", then it was sent unfinished to a Colt dealer (Hartley and Graham, etc.) and was engraved/finished by them to meet their customer's needs. Usually less cost to their customers than having Colt do similar work. Factory engraving commands the highest premium, but soft shipped Colts that were engraved by the buying dealer command a substantial, but lessor premium.
Based on the hammer's position and the trigger's position it appears that the trigger sear and possibly some hammer notches are broken.
What is the serial number range of the Colt?
Edit 1: Thank you for the serial number. A Colt letter will probably date it to late 1885 or early 1886.
Calling to get a colt letter today. They said once I pay for the letter they will give me some information over the phone such as where it was sent. The letter will take about 120 days to receive. I will re-post (after the phone call) what I find out from them!0 -
Thats a nice looking BBQ gun thats for sure.
If it was done by Colt, do they have a record of the engraver that did the job, or just that it was done by Colt.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Fazer1
Thats a nice looking BBQ gun thats for sure.
If it was done by Colt, do they have a record of the engraver that did the job, or just that it was done by Colt.
It would just say "Engraved" without the name of the engraver.0
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