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Colt 45 Calvary

jedian
I did some more research on the Colt I have, and I found out that this was an issued gun to the U.S. Govt. Calvary in 1876. The H.N. inspector marks are there (page 475 of the latest 24th addition Blue Book). My question is supposedly there should be a U.S. mark on this gun, where should it be located on the gun? Also, I've been told this gun has been reblued, but more reading told me that the gun could still have some of the original finish... what do you look for in identifying the original finish?

Last, when cocking this type of gun, how does the mechanism work? From what I've been told it cocks back once to allow the cylinder to rotate then again to fire? I'm asking because this guns cocks back but doesn't catch, but bringing it back farther it is ready to fire. I noticed that some of the screws on this gun were loose, and when I tightened them, this happened? I know the jello answer is to loosen them again, but does this make sense?

Melanie
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7 comments

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  • rockford
    quote:Originally posted by jedian
    I did some more research on the Colt I have, and I found out that this was an issued gun to the U.S. Govt. Calvary in 1876. The H.N. inspector marks are there (page 475 of the latest 24th addition Blue Book). My question is supposedly there should be a U.S. mark on this gun, where should it be located on the gun? Also, I've been told this gun has been reblued, but more reading told me that the gun could still have some of the original finish... what do you look for in identifying the original finish?

    Last, when cocking this type of gun, how does the mechanism work? From what I've been told it cocks back once to allow the cylinder to rotate then again to fire? I'm asking because this guns cocks back but doesn't catch, but bringing it back farther it is ready to fire. I noticed that some of the screws on this gun were loose, and when I tightened them, this happened? I know the jello answer is to loosen them again, but does this make sense?

    Melanie





    I think you need on the spot help with the gun in question. Someone who can actually see it in person, judge the mechanics, the true finish, the markings as they are. Value of such a weapon could be quite varied as to it's true state. I could tell you, you have a Colt worth $3,000, but then what does that mean. It would be a total shot in the dark, I simply don't know. If you are trying to buy the gun, you need to be much better informed about what to look for. All that takes study. Most of us, are still trying to learn ourselves, a few are teaching the rest of us. Sorry for not having the answers you seek.

    Fred
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  • rhmc24
    As you pull the hammer back, at about the first 1/8" of travel should be a click and it should stand there with the firing pin retracted just enough that it doesn't reach the primer if a round is in the cylinder. Pulling the hammer back about 3/4" more it should stand on 'half cock' which allows the cylinder to turn free clockwise, which is for loading & unloading. At full cock, the firing position, the hammer should have no further backward travel than about 1/16". The first two cock positions should not pull off when the trigger is pulled with up to around 15 pounds pull. The full cock should have a pull of two pounds (very light pull) up to maybe six pounds (fairly heavy pull). If the cock positions are pretty much as described and the first two cock positions cannot be pulled off without a heavy pull, the hammer and trigger are probably in good enough condition. If the notches are out of place it can indicate the need of maintenance of the trigger or hammer or both. If the first two cock positions pull off easily the hammer is likely at fault. Hope this helps.

    PS the word is Cavalry. Calvary is where the crucifixion took place.
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  • 4C_Ranch
    Colt will not be able to provide you with any info on military SAA revolvers other than the fact that the gun in question was shipped to the US government. You can contact John Kopec for a historical letter on the military service of your Colt. It will cost around 200 bucks and he will have to have the revolver to do it. Most of the major parts on the revolver should be marked with an inspectors mark and the serial numbers should match if its a 7 1/2 gun. If the numbers are mixed up and the barrel is cut to 5 1/2 it is an arsenal rebuild, referred to lately as an Artillery Colt. Refinishing that gun probably cut the value at least in half, especially if the US was polished off. The original finish would have been a color case hardened frame and hammer, rest of the parts blued.
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  • vicg1
    CALVary is a sculptured depiction of the Crucifixion.
    CAVAlry is the guys riding in on horseback.
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  • v35
    There are no authenticated Army Colts above S/N 20,000.
    S/N 20,000 was shipped on 7/24/75. Since yours was shipped in 1878
    and carries some US inspection markings it was a factory rework/rebuild and renumbered revolver (if it's above 20,000) that had been rejected by the Army and subsequently sold on the civilian market. On these reworked guns,some military markings may be missing or partially buffed out by Colt. The US stamp to the right of the patent dates may have been buffed out not by a refinisher but by Colt.
    The "refinish" you mention could possibly have been done by Colt. Examination by an expert can tell.
    If the hammer catches only on the full cock notch, both the safety notch and the half cock, aka loading notches, on the hammer are buggered up and need welding and refitting repair. Both these notches are supposed to be undercut so the trigger will nest in them and not be dislodged without forcing the trigger and breaking it or the notch. This historical gun should probably not be repaired, cocked or fired.
    Serious Colt collectors would have heart failure if you cocked one of their collectibles.
    Notwithstanding all this you have a valuable revolver that should not be out of your sight in the hands of any Colt expert especially the one mentioned above.
    E-mail me if you need corroborating details for this statement.
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  • jedian
    quote:Originally posted by v35
    There are no authenticated Army Colts above S/N 20,000.
    S/N 20,000 was shipped on 7/24/75. Since yours was shipped in 1878
    and carries some US inspection markings it was a factory rework/rebuild and renumbered revolver (if it's above 20,000) that had been rejected by the Army and subsequently sold on the civilian market. On these reworked guns,some military markings may be missing or partially buffed out by Colt. The US stamp to the right of the patent dates may have been buffed out not by a refinisher but by Colt.
    The "refinish" you mention could possibly have been done by Colt. Examination by an expert can tell.
    If the hammer catches only on the full cock notch, both the safety notch and the half cock, aka loading notches, on the hammer are buggered up and need welding and refitting repair. Both these notches are supposed to be undercut so the trigger will nest in them and not be dislodged without forcing the trigger and breaking it or the notch. This historical gun should probably not be repaired, cocked or fired.
    Serious Colt collectors would have heart failure if you cocked one of their collectibles.
    Notwithstanding all this you have a valuable revolver that should not be out of your sight in the hands of any Colt expert especially the one mentioned above.
    E-mail me if you need corroborating details for this statement.
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  • jedian
    quote:Originally posted by jedian
    quote:Originally posted by v35
    There are no authenticated Army Colts above S/N 20,000.
    S/N 20,000 was shipped on 7/24/75. Since yours was shipped in 1878
    and carries some US inspection markings it was a factory rework/rebuild and renumbered revolver (if it's above 20,000) that had been rejected by the Army and subsequently sold on the civilian market. On these reworked guns,some military markings may be missing or partially buffed out by Colt. The US stamp to the right of the patent dates may have been buffed out not by a refinisher but by Colt.
    The "refinish" you mention could possibly have been done by Colt. Examination by an expert can tell.

    If the hammer catches only on the full cock notch, both the safety notch and the half cock, aka loading notches, on the hammer are buggered up and need welding and refitting repair. Both these notches are supposed to be undercut so the trigger will nest in them and not be dislodged without forcing the trigger and breaking it or the notch. This historical gun should probably not be repaired, cocked or fired.
    Serious Colt collectors would have heart failure if you cocked one of their collectibles.
    Notwithstanding all this you have a valuable revolver that should not be out of your sight in the hands of any Colt expert especially the one mentioned above.
    E-mail me if you need corroborating details for this statement.




    Thanks you guys for all the info! It seems this is a "guys" league, not many women! v35 can you send me your email address to jedian653@cs.com so I can ask you a few more questions? To me from my research the gun is worth at least $5000 because of the HN markings. It shows in the blue book that the HN guns were for the most part reblued, refurbished by Colt, and (if reblued) are worth 3/4 of the 10% value which would be $6000. I should have known "Cavalry", my granddad was in that service, this could most likely be where it came from... But, I wonder about the notch on the handle (as in kills, no stories were ever talked about)! This seems to be an unusual gun in that it still has all the original serial numbers? Thank you for correcting me and for all your wisdom!
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