1st gen Colt SAA .45 questions

carguy13579

April 01, 2012 11:37

Hello, I am a new user but have browsed the forums for a while. I was hoping to get some information about a Colt SAA .45

The only information I know is it belonged to a granddad that I never knew.
From what I have been able to ascertain is it's from 1874 but had some sort of rebuild at some point. I don't know if it's worth it to get the Colt letter or not. Here are some pictures of said Colt. Please let me know what you all think, and possibly what it might be worth.











If more pics are need, I can take them

Thank you.

I would like to welcome you to our Gun Broker forum and also thank you for the very nice photos of your Colt.

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  Old-Colts

  April 01, 2012 12:24

  It has a 50's Colt replacement barrel and the cylinder is a replacement also. I don't see any of the typical markings that would indicate the work was performed by Colt. It has US stamped on the frame, but not in the typical place for that stamp, a little too high. A Colt letter would confirm if that serial number was actually a US Cavalry Single Action. I do see the Ainsworth "A" stamp on the trigger guard frame and both the frame and trigger guard frame serial numbers are in the range he inspected.
  
  You have a refinished Single Action with at least the barrel and cylinder replaced with postwar parts. Only you can determine if $100 is worth spending for a Colt Archive Letter.
  
  It is very hard to place a value on your Single Action because of the alterations.
  
  Edit to add: Since it has a different serial number on the trigger guard frame and the frame, it might have gone back to Colt during one of the two refurbishment periods, 1895 to 1903, the last one being in 1903. A Colt letter will confirm the early Colt refurbishment, but not the alterations it now has.
  
  The one piece stocks might be original to the Single Action, but they've been sanded and refinished with a dark stain, so any US Cartouches have probably been removed. There might still be a serial number written on the back side of the spacer between the two stock panels.
  
  What is the serial number on the butt?
  
  Update 1: One of two possibilities as to why there isn't a serial number on the butt; 1) it was buffed off when the non-factory refinish and rework was performed or 2) a replacement late prewar or any postwar backstrap was put on the gun for reasons unknown. If there are no markings on the backstrap flats that are covered by the stocks, then I'd say the serial number was buffed off.

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  carguy13579

  April 01, 2012 13:08

  Thank you for you information. Here is a picture of the butt, it doesn't appear to have a serial number on it.
  
  

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