Old Colt

[Cold Smoke]

Does anyone have any good links or book titles to look for that can bring me up to speed on 1917 Colt DA 45s? I have a lead on one and don’t know enough to make a credible call on it. It’s not gov stamped but does have a lanyard ring. Nickle plated and pretty tight and clean for a hundred plus year old handgun. Nickel is a little frosty in places on the bottom side but completely intact. Just handling it kind of takes you places if you know what I mean.

Thanks in advance.

 

[diggler1833]

The nickel finish would be a flag for concern for me. It is possible that it could be original, but more likely a refinish. Some 1917s were sold to the public, and some were assembled with surplus parts after the war and then sold to the public...those may have military markings or lanyard rings, or not.

Wikipedia is your friend here...not because it is full of correct information, but because they have a list of references at the bottom where you can go to do your own research.

Best of luck.

 

[Cold Smoke]

U

The nickel finish would be a flag for concern for me. It is possible that it could be original, but more likely a refinish. Some 1917s were sold to the public, and some were assembled with surplus parts after the war and then sold to the public...those may have military markings or lanyard rings, or not.

Wikipedia is your friend here...not because it is full of correct information, but because they have a list of references at the bottom where you can go to do your own research.

Best of luck.

Thanks! I’m just old enough that I regard the interwebs as a novelty and fail to fully grasp its utility.

 

[Matt Giroux]

The nickel finish would be a flag for concern for me. It is possible that it could be original, but more likely a refinish. Some 1917s were sold to the public, and some were assembled with surplus parts after the war and then sold to the public...those may have military markings or lanyard rings, or not.

Wikipedia is your friend here...not because it is full of correct information, but because they have a list of references at the bottom where you can go to do your own research.

Best of luck.

Only thing I can think is that at one point around that time frame when the govt was issuing revolvers to the tribal police officers/reservation cops they issued them nickeled guns as they believed at the time that nickel was easier to care for, didn't require much cleaning and took a better beating than blued guns. They believed that since the cops were Indians they wouldn't have the knowledge to know how to properly care for and maintain a blued gun.

Here is a quick link for reference https://www.coltforum.com/threads/nickel-guns-in-the-indian-wars.197866/

I know the link is about a single action but that same process held true through the latter 1930s I believe. Look very closely at the markings on the gun, any type of US gov stamp, maybe under the grips?, could indicate its use by tribal police

 

[Matt Giroux]

I would also mention to look closely, probably best with a magnifying glass, at any and all numbers, letters, etc, when a gun has been refinished you can typically see that the edges of the numbers and letters are more 'rounded' and do not appear to be as 'sharp'

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

I have RL Wilson's book on Colts...but it's packed away somewhere for the move. Otherwise I'd be glad to look for you.

 

[Cold Smoke]

I would also mention to look closely, probably best with a magnifying glass, at any and all numbers, letters, etc, when a gun has been refinished you can typically see that the edges of the numbers and letters are more 'rounded' and do not appear to be as 'sharp'

That was one of the things which really caught my eye. There’s no evidence in the stamping of a refinish. My dad was in metal finishing and plating for most of his adult life until his own business took off. As a wee nipper I was intimately familiar with base prep for finishing... I can still taste the rouge.

The last patent date on the barrel is 1905. Obviously I’m going to have to follow Alice to get the rest of the story. It does have the case mouth headspace ledge in the cylinder and an ACP round inserted without a moon clip sits flush with the cylinder face.

More to follow I’m sure.

Point of interest, The family of a childhood friend of mine had some relics of the great grandfather’s. When he went to work for Union Pacific he was issued his railroad watch, a twenty dollar gold piece to buy work clothes and a nickle plated Colt 1873 chambered in .44-40. They still had all three objects. That shiny Colt had a UP serial number if I’m not mistaken. Been a long time...

 

[Matt Giroux]

That was one of the things which really caught my eye. There’s no evidence in the stamping of a refinish. My dad was in metal finishing and plating for most of his adult life until his own business took off. As a wee nipper I was intimately familiar with base prep for finishing... I can still taste the rouge.

The last patent date on the barrel is 1905. Obviously I’m going to have to follow Alice to get the rest of the story. It does have the case mouth headspace ledge in the cylinder and an ACP round inserted without a moon clip sits flush with the cylinder face.

More to follow I’m sure.

Point of interest, The family of a childhood friend of mine had some relics of the great grandfather’s. When he went to work for Union Pacific he was issued his railroad watch, a twenty dollar gold piece to buy work clothes and a nickle plated Colt 1873 chambered in .44-40. They still had all three objects. That shiny Colt had a UP serial number if I’m not mistaken. Been a long time...

Well that can be a good indication that this may be an original colt finish...depending on condition and price you get it for, It may very well be worth going through the motions and getting it lettered

If they were custom/special ordered from colt I wouldn't be surprised to see a specific serial number like that. I know that at one point when I was a wee one my fathers friend showed me a similar gun from his grandfather that was a US Marshall that had a different serial number identifier as it was ordered in a set of guns by their group