COLT SAA BISLEY ????????
I've recently acquired a Colt revolver and having a hard time gathering any info on it. The gun's serial number is 301xxx and it is marked (BISLEY MODEL) 45 COLT. It has the raked back hammer of a bisley and all the serial numbers match leading to a production time of 1909. My concern is that it is silver and gold, and has a 4.75" barrel. How would I be able to tell if it has been refinished, or did Colt actually have a silver and gold model. The trigger, hammer, and the shell ejector spring housing is gold and the rest silver and appears to have hard rubber or plastic grips. Sorry no pics.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks
Any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks
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Your going to have to get a "Letter" from Colt.
I got the following information from Sam Liskers excellent site.
Colt's 2003 Historical Services Price List
Presented below is a copy of Colt's latest pricing schedule for purchasing a Historical Letter on your Colt firearm.? Any questions regarding this schedule should be directed to Colt's Historical Department at 1-800-962-2658 Ext. 1343
COLT'S MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC,
P.O. BOX 1868, HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT 06144-1868
2003 HISTORICAL SERVICES PRICE LIST
$300.00 & Up* PERCUSSION MODELS: 1851 Navy (98,OOO to 132,000),1861 Navy
(1 to 12,000) and 1860 Army Revolvers
(1 to 140,000)
Records are only available on these models within the specified serial number ranges as noted above.
$200.00 & Up* ? Some 1849 Pocket Revolvers are available-call prior to ordering
$200.00
$200.00 & Up* MODEL 1871-72 OPEN TOP REVOLVER
$200.00 & Up* SINGLE ACTION ARMY .44 RIMFIRE
$75.00 & Up* REVOLVERS. Agent, Army Special, Bankers Special, Border Patrol (c. 1970), Cobra, Commando, Courier, Deringer (4" Model), Lord & Lady Deringer, Detective Special, Diamondback, Frontier Scout, King Cobra, Marshal, New Frontier. .22, Officer's Model, Officer's Model Match, Official Police, Pequano, Pocket Positive, Police Positive, Police Positive Special, Python, Peacemaker. .22, Three-fifty-seven Magnum, Trooper, Signature Series Black Powder models
$100.00 & Up* Aircrewman, Bisley, Border Patrol (c. 1952), Camp Perry, Marine Corps Model, 1889 Navy, New Army, New Line, New Navy, New Pocket, New Police, New Service, New House, New Frontier SAA, Open Top Pocket, Shooting Master, Single Action Army, 1877 Double Action, 1878 Double Action
$75.00 & Up* PISTOLS. Ace, 38AMU Kit, Challenger, .45-22 Conversion Units, Commander, Huntsman, Jr. Colt, Match Target, Mustang. 380, 1903 Pocket Hammer (.38/c), 1903 Pocket Hammerless (.32/c), 1908 Hammerless Pocket (.380/c), 1908 Hammerless (.25/c), Pony (.380/c), Series '90, Targetsman, Woodsman
$100.00 & Up* .38AMU Automatic Pistol, .22-.45 Conversion Unit, Gold Cup, Government Model, National Match, .38 Super & Super Match, .38 Special Kit, 1900 Automatic, 1902 Military & Sporting, 1905 Automatic, 1911 & 1911A1 Automatics
$75.00 & Up* RIFLES. Colteer, Courier, Coltsman Bolt Action, Stagecoach
$100.00 & Up* AR-15 Sporter - M16, Burgess Model, Sharps Rifle (limited records), Lightning Rifles (limited records), Sauer
$100.00 & up* SHOTGUNS. 1878 Hammer, 1883 Hammerless
$100.00 & up* SPECIAL EDITIONS
$100.00 & Up* COMMEMORATIVES, Non-engraved
Engraved-Refer to Premium Pricing
*Premium Pricing
This pricing is added to the base price of the letter when the following special features are noted:
Unique Calibers
$50.00 Add for unique calibers
Standard Engraving
$50.00 Standard A engraving
$75.00 Standard B engraving
$100.00 Standard C engraving
$125.00 Standard D engraving
Master Engraving
$100.00 Master A Engraving no gold inlays
$125.00 Master B Engraving no gold inlays
$150.00 Master C Engraving no gold inlays
$200.00 Master D Engraving no gold inlays
Gold Inlays
Minimum - $150.00 Gold inlays with scroll engraving-quoted individually.
Unique Inscription
$50.00 and Up Unique inscription depending on historical significance.
Special Stocks
$50.00 Ivory, Pearl
Unique Shipping Destination
$50.00 Company Executives
$100.00 Colt family members
$200.00 Buffalo Bill, Bat Masterson, etc.
Retype Service
$50.00 A previously prepared Colt historical letter can be submitted for verification and reissued in the current owner's name.
$75.00 Retypes for custom engraved firearms.
PHONE SERVICE
This premium service enables our customers to obtain all the pertinent information on first generation Single Actions up to the 343,000 serial number range over the phone. A historical document containing the information will follow within two to three weeks. MasterCard or Visa is required as a method of payment. This expedited service is also offered on the 2nd generation Single Actions. However, we require one day to process these requests.
$150.00 & Up* 1st GENERATION SINGLE ACTION ARMY PHONE SERVICE
*See Premium Pricing for additional charges
$200.00 & Up* 2nd GENERATION SINGLE ACTION ARMY PHONE SERVICE
*See Premium Pricing for additional charges
$25.00 Dates of Manufacture
DISCOUNTS
A 10% discount will be given to all members of the COLT COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION (This discount may not be combined with Quantity discounts
Quantity Discounts:
- Requests for 5-10 historical documents Qualify for a 10% discount
- Requests for 11-20 historical documents Qualify for a 15% discount
- Requests for more than 20 historical documents Qualify for a 20% discount
*** REFUND POLICY ***
If we have records available and can attempt the research, but do not locate the firearm in question, a research fee will apply as follows:
- $75 & $100 requests will be charged a $50.00 research fee.
- $200 & $300 requests will be charged a $100.00 research fee.
- No fee will be charged for Single Actions serialized under 343, 000 (which includes the Phone Service) that are non-record guns.
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rufe-snow, thanks for the info, I will certainly check into this. 0 -
I don't believe Colt ever had a silver and gold "model". The SAA and Bisley could be ordered with special finishes, but in the multitude of Colt references I have, I've never seen one of these with silver or gold "washes" that were not engraved. How new does the finish look? A gun this old should have at least some finish wear, esp. since the gold wash was pretty delicate and tended to wear away quickly. All this is moot, of course, if you get a factory letter, which-if you think there's any chance the finish is original-is highly advisable. At any rate, good luck-and I hope it's original. 0 -
asa, the gold wash is definitly wearing away, almost gone in places.
the overall finish looks good but not new.
thanks for the reply.0 -
FACTORY LETTERS
"Factory letter" has come to be a generic term meaning a letter from a recognized authority based on a search of the gun's manufacturer's original records as to the disposition of a gun from the factory. It is one of the most powerful tools available to you in researching the authenticity of a gun's historical attribution.
Under optimum circumstances, it will show the purchaser of the gun from the factory (usually a distributor, sometimes an individual), the date it was shipped, the configuration of the gun *****(finish, barrel length, caliber, etc)*****, and any special features. Sometimes, incomplete factory documents mean some of these elements will be missing.
COLT - Colt Historical Dept., Kathleen Hoyt, P. O. Box 1868, Hartford, CT 06144. Fee.
http://www.coltcollectorsassoc.com/
THINMAN0
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