Little Colt Revolver
- Thread starter velocette
- Start date
It's the Colt Open Top pocket model; they made some 114,200 from 1871 to 1877 for .22 Short and Long, (not Long Rifle). The standard guns had nickel plated (or, rarely, silver) frames, with blued or nickel plated barrels. The grips were varnished walnut. The little guns sold pretty well, but Colt could not compete against cheap "suicide special" guns selling for much less.
Now the problem. While Colt could and did turn out guns on special order, I think yours has been modified after market, and rather recently. The gun probably had flaking nickel plating, so someone buffed the plating off entirely and then reblued the barrel and cylinder with modern caustic blue and gold plated the frame. It makes a spectacular piece, but it is not original and the collector value has been effectively destroyed. I suspect, but would have to see the gun to know, that the grips are not real ivory.
Value, IMHO, around $400, maybe more if someone likes the glitz.
Jim
Now the problem. While Colt could and did turn out guns on special order, I think yours has been modified after market, and rather recently. The gun probably had flaking nickel plating, so someone buffed the plating off entirely and then reblued the barrel and cylinder with modern caustic blue and gold plated the frame. It makes a spectacular piece, but it is not original and the collector value has been effectively destroyed. I suspect, but would have to see the gun to know, that the grips are not real ivory.
Value, IMHO, around $400, maybe more if someone likes the glitz.
Jim
There are several little indications of the frame being refinished, The pin holes on one side seem to be slightly dished and the hammer pivot pin seems to be standing too proud ( protruding too much as if too much metal had been removed ). As stated Colt would ( for a few dollars more ) fix up any thing you wanted, so I will never say never, I have gone through several Colt books and can nothing similar. BTW there is nothing in the law of the land saying it could not have been refinished prior to 1949, there were a lot of tinkerers back then also.
Well, I have been around since 1949 (and bit longer) and have seen plenty of "enhanced" guns with work done long before that. The only thing I see that indicates fairly modern work is that I am virtually certain the bluing is caustic (hot tank) blue, which didn't come into common use in the U.S. until after WWII, though it was developed in the mid-1930s.
As to the gold plating, it probably is genuine. Gold plating is not expensve. Since it is so thin, very little gold is actually used, and until the Nixon administration gold cost $35 an ounce, enough to plate dozens of pistols like that.
Jim
As to the gold plating, it probably is genuine. Gold plating is not expensve. Since it is so thin, very little gold is actually used, and until the Nixon administration gold cost $35 an ounce, enough to plate dozens of pistols like that.
Jim