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2nd Generation Colt 36 BP..
pwillie
Member Posts: 20,253 ✭✭✭
Whats the drill on the 2nd generation Colts/ 36 cal. value ect...Whats the difference in 1st and 3rd ???
Comments
the Texas Paterson, made between 1836 and 1842. Price? In the stratosphere. $50K will get you a lump of rust!
Next came the M1851 Colt Navy, Made between 1851 and 1873. Price, largely depends on condition and year made, with pre-Civil War being worth more and post Civil War being worth less. However, guns in primo, un-refinished condition are always worth a premium. An average M1851 In so-so condition is worth around $1,250.00 give or take a whole bunch.
Next is theM1861 Colt Navy Made between 1861 and 1873. Again, Price depends on condition and whether Civil War or after. Un-altered Post Civil M1861's are very rare because most were converted to cartridge use. I would say average price for a so-so copy to be around $1,600.00.
The next model is theM1862 Pocket Police, which was designed especially for the New York City Police Department. However this gun became very popular as a privately owned back up gun for Union Troops. It was made from 1862 to 1873. Post Civil War unaltered copies are rare as most post CW copies were factory converted to cartridge use.
The last first generation Colt percussion revolver was the M1865 Pocket Navy revolver. Mis-identified as the M1862, it was introduced just after the end of the CW and was produced until 1868 when all of its parts were converted for use in pocket cartridge revolvers. Prices for the M1862 and M1865 Pockets go all over the place. I suggest you search the on line gun sales for current prices for all First generation colts, as "book" values are not only inaccurate, but at least one year out of date.
The second generation Percussion Colts date from 1971 until 1982. They were originally made from Italian made castings provided to Colt by Val Forget of Navy Arms, and Lou Imperato, a man of many talents. Two models, the M1851 Navy and the third Model Dragoon were assembled and finished at the Colt Factory in Hartford. In 1978, Assembly was sub-contracted to Lou Imperato's Ivor Johnson factory in New Jersey and the product line was expanded to all percussion models except the M1849 Colt Pocket .31 cal. revolver. All of these guns were made under the supervision of the Colt factory quality control people and the guns were sold and shipped from the Hartford factory.
Like with all other collectable firearms, condition is everything. However, with 2nd and 3rd generation Colt percussion revolvers, they are only valuable if they are unfired and mint in box. No matter how clean the gun may be, if it has been fired, or has score marks around the rear of the cylinder, the gun is worth no more than a couple of hundred dollars.
When Colt's bean counters suddenly pulled the plug on the percussion line in 1982, Lou Imperato got stuck with several thousand guns in various states of assembly that he was not allowed to sell because of the original Colt markings on them and un-told thousands of dollars worth of spare parts. He came dangerously close to going out of business, so he sued Colt. Considering that apart from manufacturing Colts 2nd generation percussion revolvers Lou was Colt's largest independant distributor, they decided to settle out of court. They allowed Lou to sell off his assembled inventory and gave him a license to manufacture their percussion guns and use the Colt name. Ivor Johnson then became the Colt Blackpowder Company in 1994 and they manufactured all Colt percussion models, except the Root's until their agreement with Colt ended in 2001. These are now known as the Third Generation Colt percussion revolvers.
Like the 2nd generation guns, the 3rd generation percussion pistols were assembled by many of the same people. Unfortunately, the Colt factory quality control people were not involved with 3rd generation manufacture, and, in some peoples opinion, the quality of the guns suffered. However, their overall quality is still superior to any percussion "Colt" made in Italy.
As to value of the 3rd gen. percussion colts, like those of thee 2nd generation, only mint in box, unfired and unturned examples have any collectors value. In general, 3rd gen. revolvers sell about $100.00 or so less than the same model in the 2nd generation. However, their Texas Paterson models and presentation models can command significant prices. Again, to get an idea of their value, I suggest that you search the various gun sales sites on the internet.
Unfortunately, the prices of 2nd and 3rd generation guns will not finance your retirement.
There were 5 models of .36 cal. Colts in the first generation of Colt revolvers:
the Texas Paterson, made between 1836 and 1842. Price? In the stratosphere. $50K will get you a lump of rust!
Next came the M1851 Colt Navy, Made between 1851 and 1873. Price, largely depends on condition and year made, with pre-Civil War being worth more and post Civil War being worth less. However, guns in primo, un-refinished condition are always worth a premium. An average M1851 In so-so condition is worth around $1,250.00 give or take a whole bunch.
Next is theM1861 Colt Navy Made between 1861 and 1873. Again, Price depends on condition and whether Civil War or after. Un-altered Post Civil M1861's are very rare because most were converted to cartridge use. I would say average price for a so-so copy to be around $1,600.00.
The next model is theM1862 Pocket Police, which was designed especially for the New York City Police Department. However this gun became very popular as a privately owned back up gun for Union Troops. It was made from 1862 to 1873. Post Civil War unaltered copies are rare as most post CW copies were factory converted to cartridge use.
The last first generation Colt percussion revolver was the M1865 Pocket Navy revolver. Mis-identified as the M1862, it was introduced just after the end of the CW and was produced until 1868 when all of its parts were converted for use in pocket cartridge revolvers. Prices for the M1862 and M1865 Pockets go all over the place. I suggest you search the on line gun sales for current prices for all First generation colts, as "book" values are not only inaccurate, but at least one year out of date.
The second generation Percussion Colts date from 1971 until 1982. They were originally made from Italian made castings provided to Colt by Val Forget of Navy Arms, and Lou Imperato, a man of many talents. Two models, the M1851 Navy and the third Model Dragoon were assembled and finished at the Colt Factory in Hartford. In 1978, Assembly was sub-contracted to Lou Imperato's Ivor Johnson factory in New Jersey and the product line was expanded to all percussion models except the M1849 Colt Pocket .31 cal. revolver. All of these guns were made under the supervision of the Colt factory quality control people and the guns were sold and shipped from the Hartford factory.
Like with all other collectable firearms, condition is everything. However, with 2nd and 3rd generation Colt percussion revolvers, they are only valuable if they are unfired and mint in box. No matter how clean the gun may be, if it has been fired, or has score marks around the rear of the cylinder, the gun is worth no more than a couple of hundred dollars.
When Colt's bean counters suddenly pulled the plug on the percussion line in 1982, Lou Imperato got stuck with several thousand guns in various states of assembly that he was not allowed to sell because of the original Colt markings on them and un-told thousands of dollars worth of spare parts. He came dangerously close to going out of business, so he sued Colt. Considering that apart from manufacturing Colts 2nd generation percussion revolvers Lou was Colt's largest independant distributor, they decided to settle out of court. They allowed Lou to sell off his assembled inventory and gave him a license to manufacture their percussion guns and use the Colt name. Ivor Johnson then became the Colt Blackpowder Company in 1994 and they manufactured all Colt percussion models, except the Root's until their agreement with Colt ended in 2001. These are now known as the Third Generation Colt percussion revolvers.
Like the 2nd generation guns, the 3rd generation percussion pistols were assembled by many of the same people. Unfortunately, the Colt factory quality control people were not involved with 3rd generation manufacture, and, in some peoples opinion, the quality of the guns suffered. However, their overall quality is still superior to any percussion "Colt" made in Italy.
As to value of the 3rd gen. percussion colts, like those of thee 2nd generation, only mint in box, unfired and unturned examples have any collectors value. In general, 3rd gen. revolvers sell about $100.00 or so less than the same model in the 2nd generation. However, their Texas Paterson models and presentation models can command significant prices. Again, to get an idea of their value, I suggest that you search the various gun sales sites on the internet.
Unfortunately, the prices of 2nd and 3rd generation guns will not finance your retirement.
Sorry, In the original models, I left out the M1847 Walker ,44 Cal., The three models of Dragoon .44 caliber revolvers, the .31 caliber "Baby Dragoon" Pocket, the M1849 .31 cal. Pocket, and the M1860 .44 Cal. Army revolvers.
All models except the Paterson and the M1849 Pocket were made in the 2nd gen. and all cited models were made in the 3rd generation.