Colt Frontier Scout, yea or nea?

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CajunBass



I remember seeing a color photograph of the New Frontier .22 in a magazine and that color case hardened frame was the sweetest thing I ever saw on a single action .22! Now don't get me wrong, I still love my Ruger Single Six but that Colt was one beautiful single action!
One thing I REALLY like about the Colt, as opposed to my old flat-latch Single Six, is that the holes line up with the loading gate.

I think I will keep my eyes open for a case-hardened model for sure.
 
Did Colt actually make them, or were they outsourced like the single shots and some small autos they sold??
The Frontier Scouts were not made by Colt. They were made in Germany by the same company that made them for FIE and some other companies. I picked up one, an FIE, for $80 a few years ago. The ejector rod was broken.
When I went to order the part the guy told me that he was out of the FIE parts, but he had parts for the Colt. I told him that would be fine. I just had to pay a few dollars more.
Heritage bought the rights to the revolver and started building them under the Rough Rider name. It's basically same gun with a few small changes like the hammer block safety.
The Colts had a higher quality finish, other then that they were the same gun that was sold by FIE. But you will have to pay to ride the Pony.
 
The Frontier Scouts were not made by Colt. They were made in Germany by the same company that made them for FIE and some other companies. I picked up one, an FIE, for $80 a few years ago. The ejector rod was broken.
When I went to order the part the guy told me that he was out of the FIE parts, but he had parts for the Colt. I told him that would be fine. I just had to pay a few dollars more.
Heritage bought the rights to the revolver and started building them under the Rough Rider name. It's basically same gun with a few small changes like the hammer block safety.
The Colts had a higher quality finish, other then that they were the same gun that was sold by FIE. But you will have to pay to ride the Pony.
Ewwwwwwww, gross. Ya, when I saw zamak come into the equation, I began to suspect ze germanz were involved somehow.

Im thinkin the New Frontier is much more likely an actual Colt product and might be worth looking into.
 
The Frontier Scouts were not made by Colt. They were made in Germany by the same company that made them for FIE and some other companies. I picked up one, an FIE, for $80 a few years ago. The ejector rod was broken.
When I went to order the part the guy told me that he was out of the FIE parts, but he had parts for the Colt. I told him that would be fine. I just had to pay a few dollars more.
Heritage bought the rights to the revolver and started building them under the Rough Rider name. It's basically same gun with a few small changes like the hammer block safety.
The Colts had a higher quality finish, other then that they were the same gun that was sold by FIE. But you will have to pay to ride the Pony.
Those were the post 1980 ones, NOT the 1970-77 period
 
The Frontier Scouts were not made by Colt. They were made in Germany by the same company that made them for FIE and some other companies. I picked up one, an FIE, for $80 a few years ago. The ejector rod was broken.
When I went to order the part the guy told me that he was out of the FIE parts, but he had parts for the Colt. I told him that would be fine. I just had to pay a few dollars more.
Heritage bought the rights to the revolver and started building them under the Rough Rider name. It's basically same gun with a few small changes like the hammer block safety.
The Colts had a higher quality finish, other then that they were the same gun that was sold by FIE. But you will have to pay to ride the Pony.
Thanks for the info! When I saw a zinc frame mentioned I had a feeling that wasn't a Colt manufacture. Did they have the pressed in barrels like the Rough Riders do?
 
OK, now I am thoroughly confused. Since I am not the OP, that does not really matter. But just to get it straight in my own mind, I always thought the small Colt single action .22s introduced in the 1950's were made by Colt. Were they? How about the steel ones from the 1980's?
 
OK, now I am thoroughly confused. Since I am not the OP, that does not really matter. But just to get it straight in my own mind, I always thought the small Colt single action .22s introduced in the 1950's were made by Colt. Were they? How about the steel ones from the 1980's?
The whole reason I started this thread is because there is so little detailed info out there about these guns. They dont even have a Wikipedia page!
The sheer lack of info is suspiscious......

I had another chance to inspect the one at the gunshop today. The main and grip frames are not steel (I tried a magnet), but as to zinc or aluminum, couldnt tell. It is an "F" prefix serial number. Nowhere visible on the gun did it say "Made in __________". I compared it side by side with both an FIE and a Heritage. Those two were clearly made to the same design, but there were some subtle differences with the Colt- once again, nothing definitive. The main frame casting was clearly different to accomodate the flip safety on the FIE and Rough Rider.

Although production appears to have shifted back and forth over the years, I believe the gun Im looking at is probably German Zamak. No thanks, not for $550.

I will keep an eye out for one of the case-hardened steel framed guns, but from what I see online, they are crazy $$$$$$.:confused:
 
Here are the two that I have.
68CFF568-68DA-4893-BF00-4C6797B1C6ED.jpeg

The top one is marked on the bottom of the grip frame with the make and model.
[EIG Model 15 Germany]
FF2E9810-A6E9-4CA0-83B0-A0B8B0266A4C.jpeg

The bottom one is marked on the barrel.
And on the bottom of the grip frame. This one had a set of Colt Frontier Scout fake stage horn grips onit when I bought it.
BF2C400B-E345-4430-84EB-3A00309E45AA.jpeg 47FA0BAA-687E-43F5-9681-C0E610C764FF.jpeg

Both of these revolvers are interchangeable with Colt Frontier Scout parts.

You have to remember that Colt has been bought and sold several times over the years. Most often they were bought by a company that just bleed them dry then filed bankruptcy. They would be bought by another company because the name was worth money and people are willing to pay to ride pony.
Here’s a little history on Colt.
 
Without refreshing my research I'll tell you this : I think the very early scouts made by Colt in Hartford had a natural finish aluminum frame and all steel parts. I had a couple of those I think from maybe mid late 50s and they are some what crude but seemed to hold up decent . Excellent tackle box gun and I think that was envisioned ! Then they started anodizing them to look closely like the blued steel parts and they became the early 60s Scouts . About 62 or 63 Colt got bit with the commemorative scene and darn near everything was made up for the next 15 years into one. I think the market changed and sales of these tings went away. Colt saw the cry for a quality well finished gun like the Pythons and D frames which were selling well and the Peacemaker and New Frontier were made 72-77 or so . Those quality Scouts were nixed by the bean counters at Colt during the early strike days of late 70 early 80s that started ,the standard Scout may have begun using German parts for a few years for a Zamak framed Scout and one version with a cross bolt safety ,tho those might have been all Colt parts and were a last gasp for the scout ,ending in 84 or 85 I think. This is not gospel, just my old memory as I collected the bugger for 30 years. NOT a money marker FWIW :(
 
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"Guys, I can't find any reference to a "New Frontier Scout"."

That is because there is no such thing. Colt dropped the name Scout when the New Frontier, and the Peacemaker versions with their case hardened steel frames came out. Find the SA Colt .22's with the case hardened frame. Then you will have a great gun.
 
I have that gun and box but lifted the picture from Gunbroker rather than un pack the safe. It ha no bids at $800 start. I watch specific guns on Gunbroker to get a real time estimate of value. I sell on Gunbroker mostly. I have a favored LGS in a high income area where they are the only source of quality guns and they have a deal with me at 20% for their services . I pull out wht doesn't sell after a year or so, I have an idea what might fetch more money at that Calif store . It costs me $30 fees to get my guns back so I am selective whats in there. Since I am now a Oregon resident that is over for any new stuff or returns :( there .
 
Gordon, why do you call the gun in your photo in post #38 a New Frontier Scout when the box just says "New Frontier .22"? Is New Frontier Scout stamped on it somewhere? I ask because mnrivrat said there is no such thing as a New Frontier Scout in post #37.
 
Gordon is right.
Pick up an early 70's steel frame C/C Colt instead.
You will not regret it.
Mine is missing most of it's case coloring from many years of field use.
Afterall, plain old sunlight is the biggest enemy of case color.

JT
 
because a 7/8 scale Colt .22 is a variation of the Scout to me and most folks since they were introduced.
"Through the years numerous variations were produced, which collectors categorize by serial number letter suffixes. The "Q" series encompassed the first two years 57-58 thy had the raw aluminum frame, which then changed to a "P." An "F" series lasted until 1971, when the two-tone was discontinued. The "K" series had a Zamak (zinc-aluminum) frame; the "P" series from 1962-1971 featured a chemical "blue" finish. A final "G" series "Peacemaker" sported a case-colored frame. Commemoratives, dual-cylinder .22 Magnums, and a 9½"-barreled Buntline were made before the gun was discontinued in 1986."
 
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