What is this worth?

T

tristar viper

New member
It's a Colt open top pistol I am told. Came out of my grandma's house when she died, but no one from the family had guns....so this had to belong to one of grandma's boyfriends from after grandpa died.
Probably gonna sell it, what's it worth? Seems to function, it'll cock, pull the trigger and the hammer drops, and it rotates.
 

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Hopefully, one of the Forum staff will move your post to the The Harley Nolden Memorial Institute for Firearms Research Forum.

You will have a better chance of a helpful response. Your revolver certainly is not a sem-auto pistol.

I will go search the blue book and see if I come across anything.

Are you sure it is a Colt? What are the markings and the caliber if you know?
 
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It says colt on the top of the barrel, and Hartford CT, USA.
As far as caliber, a 22 long fits nicely, but is too long. So I guess 22 short??
 
It is a Colt "Old Line" Open Top Pocket Revolver. They were made in .22 and will fire both .22 Short and .22 Long (not Long Rifle). There were some 114,000 made from 1871 to 1877 in two versions; that is the first version.

The brass frames were nickel plated, some silver plated, the barrels blued. That gun looks like the finish has been stripped or worn down to the brass. The pictures are not good enough to provide any real evaluation, but as close as I can tell, the value might run to $700 or so, retail. One in like-new condition could bring over $3000, but the pictures don't indicate any such condition.

Jim
 
James is correct.... looks like a $700 gun.

I have one like it.

P3030923.jpg
 
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Thank you, I appreciate the information.
So where would be the best place to advertise it? Or would the firing line classifieds be just fine?
 
BTW legally that's an antique and not a gun, so you can mail it without FFL (local rules notwithstanding, I'm sure NY, NJ and CA would see something wrong with that).
 
Why do you assume "boyfriend" and not G-Pa.. If it were G-Pa's Love nor Money would
Get it from me….
I have obtained some really nice old guns from friends who were "Flabbergasted and Shocked"
To find a gun after the passing of loved ones… I remember One time I recovered a revolver from
the top drawer of a dresser a recent widow had found after the husbands death.
Some People feel that it is their duty to protect family even if the family don't know it.
 
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Hi, Mike,

The gun collectors call the Open Top Pocket Model Revolver, or "Old Line", was made only in .22. As far as I can determine, Colt called it "Colt's Breech Loading Seven Shot Revolving Pistol" so it is easy to see why it got a shorter name. There were two versions, of which that is the first.

The "New Line", which was Colt's term (in full - "Colt's New Line Breech Loading Revolving Pistol"), had a top strap and a fluted cylinder with notches at the rear. There were several slightly different versions because of the caliber; they were made in .22, .30, .32, .38 and .41 rimfire and .32, .38., and .41 center fire. The .22 was seven shot, the others 5.

Jim
 
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