I had a nice weekend...

[John Browning]

So this came home with me. Can you tell what it is?

Here is a big hint. I can say that I drove to his house, gave him money, he gave me the gun and I drove home. No laws were broken and we both live in CA.

So, here are the pics. It came with some nice leather, too. I'm money poor and gun rich, again.

[John Browning]

[DennisCA]

Yea I'd say you had a very-very nice weekend!
Awesome find

It looks like it has matching numbers?

[gotshotgun?]

Is it an antique?

[John Browning]

Is it an antique?

It is an antique. It was made in 1873. It shipped from the US Ordnance inspector Orville Ainsworth to some cavalry unit TBD. It is an "Ainsworth" Colt reborn in the 1950s into what you see today.

[w55]

Thats super clean, it was re-finished in the 50's? I have a few but original finish lol much rougher looking. I know the cash poor feeling ha!

[bill_k_lopez]

So what does the "rebirth" do to the value? I see originals for $20 - $30k, just wondering what the redo does to the value.

[John Browning]

Thats super clean, it was re-finished in the 50's? I have a few but original finish lol much rougher looking. I know the cash poor feeling ha!

Yeah, someone took an all-matching and probably very nice Cavalry colt and refinished it. My guess is the 1950s as that is when a lot of those "Old junky Colts" were rebuilt by commercial smiths. Whoever did this one did an excellent job. The blue is the correct Colt type of the 1950s with the right polish and no radius angles on the edges.

So what does the "rebirth" do to the value? I see originals for $20 - $30k, just wondering what the redo does to the value.

It crushes it. That said, it is still a 4 digit SAA made in 1873, it did see service with the US Cavalry and it still is an Ainsworth inspected gun. It ain't cheap, but unfortunately I won't be able to trade it for a new car of any make or model. It could be restored by Turnbull back into a 20k gun, but I doubt I am going to go that route as the work would probably run $5000.

[TRAP55]

$1000 for that and the Lawrence holster? You're a thief! and I admire that. When we going to shoot it?

[TRAP55]

Thats super clean, it was re-finished in the 50's? I have a few but original finish lol much rougher looking. I know the cash poor feeling ha!

Get that nickle .45 over here while I'm ordering Colt parts, I want to shoot that one too!

[Old Scribe]

Very nice find!!

[1-M-42]

Nice...

[SonofWWIIDI]

Nice looking revolver. Congrats!

[John Browning]

$1000 for that and the Lawrence holster? You're a thief! and I admire that. When we going to shoot it?

I'm an honest thief. The guy had no idea what it was and would have taken $500 for the entire rig.

We're going to shoot it as soon as I figure out how to do some BP loads. How do you clean a BP gun, anyway?

[John Browning]

Yea I'd say you had a very-very nice weekend!
Awesome find

It looks like it has matching numbers?

Yes, it is all matching, except the barrel is a 2nd Gen replacement from when they did the work in the 50s.