Colt Diamondback, me want

K

kcub

New member
Yesterday I saw a 4" .38 Diamondback with a flat/satin Nickel finish, not bright
(Electroless?)

no box, about 90+%
fits my hand to a T
they want $1500
I'm thinking of trading something on it

Jeez, I'm fast becoming a Coltaholic
 
I guess it depends on your geographical area, but that price seems a little on the high side. Last gun show I was at, I saw 4 similar diamondbacks.
one was about 85%, no box or papers, blued for $900
one was about 75%, no box or papers, blued for $700
one was NIB, 100%, nickel with box and papers for $1700
one was NIB, 100%, blued with box and papers for $1400.

Again, I don't know how your particualr area is with Colt's, but I would try to talk them down some.

I can sympathize with you for wanting one. They fit my hand to a "T" as well and the 4" balances perfectly. If I would have had the extra $, the one for $900 would have come home with me.
 
While I don't think its a good price sometimes you gotta suck it up and get it if its what you want, its not like their gonna get cheaper or they are making anymore of them... Just check the lock up correctly for a Colt else you might buy your self a 1500 dollar headache.

Personally I'd put 1500 into a nice python. Also nickel doesn't appeal to me on DB and Pythons the bluing on them was way to nice.
 
At that price, it must be electroless (coltguard) finish. Diamondbacks that were done with that finish were done by the Colt Custom Shop. They get a premium.

If you are looking for a shooter, you should be able to do a lot better with a 4" blue 38spl DB.

I know what you mean about the way the feel in the hand. They look great and have great balance.
 
I don't like them as shooters, but as a collectible, they are very sought after.

Look into the Colt guard finish as others have said, it sounds like an unusual one perhaps.
 
I've got a 4 inch Colt Diamondback in about 95% condition. I shoot it now and then, and it is a VERY nice .38 Spl. However, it shoots no better than a Ruger or Smith in similar frame size. It does have a pretty nice trigger, but others can be made just as nice and/or better with very little work and a few springs.

If you are buying as a collector, that is fine, but that is a LOT of money for what you are getting. If you are buying as a shooter, there are others you may want to consider, but sometimes you just have to scrach that itch.

No mine isn't for sale. :D
 
Seems like a pretty high price for a D-back in the condition you describe. My FIL recently sold a 4" Python E-Nickel in 98% with the original box and paperwork and paperwork from the Colt Custom Shop for $1500 at the last gun show.

I owned a 4" nickel D-back in the past, but the finish was flaking off in several areas, but it still shot well. I paid $300 for it. Kept it a few months and sold it for $600 to a dealer at a gun show. D-backs are great guns, but I think you can find one in better condition for the price you posted on this one.
 
I don't think most of you realize that an E-nickel Diamondback was never cataloged and are very rare in either 38spl or 22LR. Total production was probably under 100 guns.

I would buy something else to shoot.
 
Diamondbacks prices have been climbing over the past year or so. Prices I have seen are now in the $1200-$1600 range, which is Python territory. So $1500 for a nice Diamondback wouldn't be too out of line.
 
Prices I have seen are now in the $1200-$1600 range, which is Python territory. So $1500 for a nice Diamondback wouldn't be too out of line.
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That puts it squarely into the collector category for me. Maybe I should sell mine, as I like to shoot it, not just look at it.
 
I feel fortunate I got mine before they got completely out of hand. In .38 spl:

ColtDiamondback1.jpg


In .22 (non-original grips):

Colt_Diamondback_22_01.jpg
 
I'd definitely want some verification that it came from the factory with that finish.

Satin nickel was a popular aftermarket mod for several years. Trapper Guns in Michigan did a 1911 like that for me.
 
They are getting a Colt letter. Any idea how long that takes? There is no box. That is easy to fake anyway, you can get a Colt box and a blank Colt label and make it say whatever you want.

If it turns out to be an aftermarket refinish what would be a fair value?
Of course it would be less valuable to a collector but it's still a Colt and still a good shooter.
 
If it turns out to be an aftermarket refinish what would be a fair value?
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Part of the mystique of the Python is the mirror finish. I'd pay around $550 for it.

Of course it would be less valuable to a collector but it's still a Colt and still a good shooter.
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I'd worry about someone doing an action job if they went to the trouble to (disassemble it to) refinish it.

But that's just me. I shy away from modified guns unless they have receipts from a reputable gunsmith.

Or, if they can prove it came from the factory in that configuration.
 
Part of the mystique of the Python is the mirror finish. I'd pay around $550 for it.
Click to expand...

It's not a Python.
Anybody got a $550 Diamondback or Python to sell? I'm very interested.

I wouldn't have thought I'd like the satin nickel finish before I saw it but it has a nice patina and is obviously quite old as is the gun (1967).
 
If it is really a 1967 gun, it is an aftermarket finish. It could have been done by Colt, but still not the original finish. You don't need a letter.

I know that you understand that these are collector considerations, but ultimately the collector pricing defines the going rate on Diamondbacks.

I'd also like to find a $550 Diamondback. Used to own a snubbie (first year production) but about 90%. At the time, I had no use for it. But... you do find $550 Detective Specials and Agents that are pretty nice. I have been casually looking for a 4" DB in 38spl for a long time to use as a "truck gun". But my Detective Special has taken on that role.

Added: Even at $650 for the E-nickel Diamondback, I would be very cautious with the purchase. Why would somebody E-nickel a Diamondback in the first place if it was in fairly good shape? I need more than "just because". Check it out very carefully.
 
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$550 Diamondbacks are around. Like I said, I bought a 4" nickel in about 70% condition that was rough cosmetically, but functioned perfectly for $300 cash about 3 years ago.
 
There were fewer Diamondbacks made than Pythons. To some, that means higher prices for collecting. The only problem with that is that a lot of the shooting public then thinks every Diamondback ought to be a thousand dollars.
 
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