Colt Lightning Store Keeper's Model 1877 38 colt DA valuation

[magician422]

Can anyone help me with a price evaluation on a Colt Lightning Store Keeper's Model 1877? I came across a classified as with someone wanting to sell theirs for $850. Is this a good or bad price? I've not found much information on the value of one. I have attached a picture.

 

[UncleEd]

Go to the Colt Forum.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

The gun has been chrome plated!

 

[mk70ss]

Looks like nickel to me, not chrome.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

It's hard to discern the difference between nickel and chrome from Internet pictures.

 

[RickB]

If the grips are original, their condition appears to indicate the gun was not used much.
The high points wear quickly with use.

 

[reddog81]

If it's original condition than it's worth way more than $850. I'm guessing it's been refinished, as others have mentioned, and new grips can be had for around $20. $850 might be a reasonable or even cheap value for one in decent refinished condition.

No one will be able to give an accurate value without much better pictures and a description of how it functions. Are you planning on shooting it? If so you might as well pass. There are plenlty of guns from the 1800's you can buy and still shoot, however this is not one of them.

 

[Model12Win]

Incredibly complex and extremely fragile internal lockworks mechanism. Do not shoot it.

 

[Ibmikey]

Mod 12 Win hit the nail on the head, fragile design....do you want to pay $850 for something that will live in a sock in the safe?

 

[lee n. field]

Incredibly complex and extremely fragile internal lockworks mechanism. Do not shoot it.

So, making one work reliably would be "over-restoration"?

 

[Aguila Blanca]

So, making one work reliably would be "over-restoration"?

More like an "overstatement."

 

[44caliberkid]

That's why they came out with the 1878 the next year. Colt knew it was a paper weight too.