Colt SAA Experts please help! Pics added

M1A762

One of my customers bought this Colt SAA .44/40 a few months ago. The revolver was supposedly sent back to Colt to be rebarreld and refinished. He did get a letter from Colt, it does not include any info regarding return for repair. The revolver is stamped with an asterik/star on the trigger guard. I included a photo of the serial number to assist in dating the revolver.

Todd Burkett from Turnbull's said that they did not work on this revolver. Can anyone confirm that this revolver has been back to Colt for service? The bluing and case colors are very nice. Thanks for any help.[:)]

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Old-Colts

The asterisk on the right rear trigger guard bow confirms that at some point this single action was returned to Colt and they did work on it.

The Colt was probably shipped in 1882 and it was originally shipped as a 44-40 based on the 44 C.F. on the left front trigger guard bow.

The barrel and cylinder have been changed, possibly when it went back to Colt. The marking on the left side of the barrel dates to around 1929 and later, so that is a starting point for when it went back to Colt. Rarely will the Archive records include information on Colt reworked guns.

This single action is too early to have the Rampant Colt on the frame, so the frame patent dates were rerolled when it went back to Colt and the reroll included the Rampant Colt with the partial circle at the bottom. This style of Rampant Colt has been termed the "Rampant Rocking Horse" and confirms the post 1929 return.

Based on what I see there is a strong possibly that the finish is from the period that Colt reworked the gun.

Edit 1: Are there any rework numbers stamped on the face or rear of the cylinder or under the stocks on the sides of the grip frame?

The patent dates are kind of thin at the top, but so is the Rampant Colt, so the stamp may have been rolled unevenly or the Colt might have been refinished a second time. However, the edges are reasonably sharp and the screw holes aren't dished, so it probably is strictly a Colt rework and refinish.

Edit 2: As I mentioned, based on the asterisk, the single action has undoubtedly been back to Colt!! However, there's always a possibility that it was refinished again long after Colt did the initial rework and refinish. I don't necessarily see any evidence of that, but it's always a possibility. The pictures, while good, are just a little out of focus and soft, so it is hard to really tell how sharp some edges and stamps are. The preparation and finish are too nice to be the job of your typical gun refinisher. It would take someone like Colt (prewar), Turnbull (the case colors are too true to be Turnbull) or Dava Lanara. While Turnbull doesn't mark his work and you've already verified through him that he did not work on this Colt; from what I understand Dave Lanara stamps his initials on the rear area of the frame and hidden by the loading gate. So the only way to know if his initials are there is to call him or disassemble the Colt to the point that you could remove the loading gate and examine that part of the frame. Again, I'm not suggesting the current finish was done by someone other than Colt, but if someone has it would take an artisan like Lanara or Turnbull.

Edit 3: Thanks for the additional pictures. The 862B is a rework number that Colt assigned when the gun was returned for rework and refinish. The number and the asterisk confirm a Colt Factory rework. Usually the face of the cylinder would be stamped with that number too; I'm surprised it isn't.

Edit 4: I remembered that a few years ago Spider7115 communicated with Dave Lanara about his rework and Dave responded that he did mark his work, much as I suggested, but apparently it can be seen without disassembling the Colt. Here is what Dave said: Open the loading gate and look in the triangular cutout above the gate pivot that is recessed in the frame. I stamp a good sized gothic "L" in that location..

Edit 5: I can't tell from any of the pictures, but if the hammer is original it should have bordered knurling on the spur and there will be a slash below the lower border. Also, if the base pin is original it will have a lathe hole in the end.

M1A762

The owner asked me if anyone could estimate a current value for the Colt. I know this is very difficult do to it being refinished, but the signs do point to Colt as having done the work.

Thanks for any input![:)]

Thanks to Old-Colts for his expertise![:)]

Old-Colts

Boy; that is a toughie.

The bad; it is a very desirable early gun that would have originally had an acid etched CFSS panel and has had the barrel and cylinder replaced and refinished. That, in itself; would normally be a killer!! It really isn't a collector piece anymore.

The good; it appears that all work was done prewar by Colt with period to the rework and refinish parts. It has the appropriate factory rework stamps. It is still a 44-40. It appears to have its original varnished walnut stocks. It appears to have most of its very nice prewar Colt Factory refinish.

The Colt is still very appealing and will have some interest among Colt collectors, not as a collector piece, but as a nice example of prewar factory rework.

The only true way to know market and collector value is to put it on GunBroker for 14 days and start it at a penny. However, that takes guts!!!

I could be way way off, but I'd guess $3500 to $4500 and that's a real SWAG!!!!!!!