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1902 Colt Sportsman
rshanas
Member Posts: 2 ✭✭
I have a 1902 Colt Sportsman serial 5176 which has been been in my family forever. The gun is 100% original with almost no immperfections in the finish except that the blueing has been removed and the gun is now white metal. The bore is clean and rust free. The original hard rubber grips are as clean as the day the piece left the factory and it has a clip dated 9/9/1884.
If I choose to have Colt reblue the gun how will this affect it's value? How much weight is the origional factory blueing given in rating the value of the piece?
If I choose to have Colt reblue the gun how will this affect it's value? How much weight is the origional factory blueing given in rating the value of the piece?
Comments
well for one thing Colt didn't make ANTHING that took a 'clip' in 1884
and what is a "1902 Colt Sportsman"
What he almost surely has is a Colt 1902 Sporting Model .38 Automatic made in 1903.
The Sept. 9, 1884 patent date on the magazine floorplate is correct and authentic. See the type at Coltautos.com
A factory reblue is better in terms of collector interest and resale value than a restorer's reblue which is better than a gunsmith's reblue. I don't know if any reblue is better than bare steel.
Can you tell how the blue was removed? If the gun has been sanded, it will likely be a substantial restoration project for a lot of money. If it has been chemically stripped, it might could be made to look nice at less cost. Can you furnish pictures?
Will Colt take in a gun 106 years old? I dunno.
Even if you could send it to Colt (and I am guessing that they won't touch it) they will never be able to duplicate the same bluing that was performed a century ago. A restorer can duplicate this kind of finish, but it will cost you a ton of money.A ton is not what it used to be! [:D]..but Mark is right, colt wont touch it.
The problem with simply having it reblued is that the type of bluing that is typically done today differs quite a bit from the way it was done at the turn of the last century, so getting the correct finish is not as easy as one might think. There are folks out there who use the tried and true old style methods for firearms finishing, but these guys are few and far between, mostly because that old bluing process was very time/labor intensive and the actual chemical process bordered on being deadly! The E.P.A. and it's regulations is a problem that did not exist 100 years ago. There is not much point in refinishing this pistol unless it is done right because if it is done wrong the old Colt guys will spot it a mile away, in which case you are better served leaving it in "as found" condition. Generally speaking; the less you do to these old guns the better!
In the case at hand it is certain that the original mirror polish is gone and (as mentioned maybe sanded) it will take very close-up pix to know whether a reblue can be done and still keep the markings sharp and clear.
As for value, in the condition described as-is it might auction at around $800. Reblued, with mirror polish and sharp lettering, near original color, it might bring couple hundred more. There are a dozen or more 1902 now on GB auction you can check out.