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.38-40 Colt?

silver6silver6 Member Posts: 613 ✭✭✭✭
edited July 2004 in Ask the Experts
What can you tell me about this rifle? I am asking for a buddy of mine who was given this rifle from his late grandfather. He has been offered a significant amount of money for it but still doesnt know much about it. Would really mean alot to him to just know anything about the specs and history of these rifles and maybe the value just so he can see if the guy who offered him money was tryin to take him.
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    CS8161CS8161 Member Posts: 13,595 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Need alot more info than just 38-40 Colt

    Chris8161
    Admit nothing, deny everything, demand proof!
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    perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,390 ✭
    edited November -1
    HELLO SILVER 6 WE NEED MODEL TYPE OF ACTION "I ASSUME IT IS A PUMP LIGHTNING" WE NEED BARREL TYPE AND LENGHT WE NEED CONDITION AND PICTURES IF POSSIBLE . WHAT YOU ARE ASKING IF JUST LIKE ASKING WHAT A FORD CAR IS WORTH WITH JUST THAT IT HAS A V8 ENGIN WE NEED ALOT MORE INFOMATION
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    silver6silver6 Member Posts: 613 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    sorry thought that might be enough for some type of light to be shed. I will get more info from him he'll be over tonight.[:D]
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    silver6silver6 Member Posts: 613 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    okay perry shooter talked to my friend today said he'd have what you asked for tonight. But I made a mistake it a pistol not a rifle. And also just FYI his great great greatgrandfather carried it ccw and was a moonshiner and professional poker player locally in a town which used to be called little Chicago. Used to take it out in poker games and lay it on the table when someone was suspected of cheating and do more than lay it down when more than suspected cheating![:0]
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    perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,390 ✭
    edited November -1
    Hello I like the story now we have poker on ESPN would be nice to see some one lay a pistol on the table tv crews would go crazy. we still need pictures or details any writeing on barrel any PAT. dates on frame or slide etc . Cheers quote:"PRAISE THE HARDBALL GUN"
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    silver6silver6 Member Posts: 613 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Okay got the info you need. The pistol is a six shot revolver and in good condition. Serial no. is #253064. It was made in Sept, 19 1871 the barrel length 6 3/4 inches long and on the side of the barrel is written 38 W.C.F. On the top of the barrel is Colts PT.F.A. MFG Co Hartford CT. USA
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    perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,390 ✭
    edited November -1
    Hello Your pistol serial if it is a single action model was made in 1904 the 1871 date is a pat date. There was no 38-40 cartdrige in 1871 The barrel should be 7 & 1/2 inches unless it was cut off . remember to measure from the front of cylinder to end of barrel not just the part that sticks out the front of frame. THe pat dates should be in 3 lines line#1 pat.sept.19.1871 line#2 pat.july 2.-72 line#3 pat.jan.19.-75 it should also have RAMPANT Colt inside a circle on left side of frame. It should have serial No. in 3 places frame, trigger guard and grip frame. there should be assm No. on the loading gate that should match same No. on frame under trigger guard without pictures or hands on value could be anywhere from $500 to $5000 depending on condition this pistol is know under many names but do a search on COLT SAA and look at what is listed as 1st gen guns. Cheers quote:"Praise the hardball gun"
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    silver6silver6 Member Posts: 613 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    perry shooter he said its got 38-40 stamped on it. Dont think it could have been made in 1904 he carried before that. And also he's already been told by a local gun dealer a gun collector would give 12,000 grand for it. And the barrel is 6 3/4 inches from front of cylinder to tip of barrel and has'nt been cut. Will send picture when I get one.
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    IconoclastIconoclast Member Posts: 10,515 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    silver, welcome to the zoo!

    Before going further, delete the S/N of the firearm from your posts using the edit function in the mini tool bar above the text of your posts. With few exceptions, all the gun gurus need is the first three digits of a six digit S/N. Posting the full number on the internet *can* (not "will"!!) have all sorts of negative consequences.

    Finally, the forum moderator has a policy of locking topics after 10 replies, and this has already gone more than half the way there. You may need to start another thread or move this one to the General Board to get the data you want.

    Photos are absolutely critical to obtaining the answers you want. There were a lot of Colt designs and configurations while the condition obviously has the potential of varying from beat to He!! to pristine.

    I'm not going to try to answer your value question; I'll leave that to the guys who are far more knowledgeable than I on this topic. However, I'll leave you with this observation - not every gun dealer is an expert and more than a few will try to baffle with BS if they cannot dazzle you with their brilliance, so your friend should not get all excited about the $12K figure until it has been confirmed by independent sources. OTOH, there were factory special orders and possibly a 6.75" barrel was one of them. This sort of thing can easily cause the value to skyrocket, so the dealer might even have been conservative in his valuation. Y'all need to provide more detailed information, including photos, for the folks here to help you.

    But please do eliminate the last three digits of the serial number from your post.

    "There is nothing lower than the human race - except the french." (Mark Twain) ". . . And liberals / demoRats" (me)
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    rhmc24rhmc24 Member Posts: 1,984 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Icon is right, especially about the expertise of dealers. I would add also that on this forum of "experts", be aware that this is the same as the rest of the world in that there is a lot of "hip shot" advice that can be mistaken for expertise by a person who is seeking serious information. As in medicine a second or third opinion is advisable when making a decision of serious consequence.
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    perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,390 ✭
    edited November -1
    Hello first 38-40 was 1884 but serial 102xxx if serial is 253xxx it IS 1904 the only way to tell if orginal is to get factory letter from colt. if you have a colt 38-40 single action made in 1871 with a 6&3/4 inch barrel that is orginal. It would be worth more like $12,000,000.00 instead of $12,000.00 it would be like finding a boeing 747 that was made in 1865 it AINT going to happen.
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