Old Colt Revolver Questions

[roo_ster]

I am hunting some Christmas fodder and want an old Colt revolver. Something either historical or special. I have the "Revo Check Out" down, but I want y'all's opinions on a few candidates in local gunstore shelves.

Colt 1917 .45ACP
Mechanically, it looks good, esp wrt cylander play & timing. Tight. The problem is it was refinished...poorly. I suspect that is why I can afford it.

How much would y'all give for one that is mechanically good-to-go but was refinished by a chimp with access to a spray can of bake-on finish?

Colt Officer's Model Target .22LR
Mechanically excellent & finish is 90-95%.

Were these Bullseye competitors' revolvers?

Colt Officer's Model Target .38spl
Mechanically excellent & finish is 75-80%.

Were these Bullseye competitors' revolvers?

 

[ACP230]

Yeah, the Colt Officer's Model Target guns were made for Bullseye matches. Some were made single-action only. I missed one in .38 Special at a good price last year, and still kick myself about it.

I'd probably buy one of them rather than the 1917.
(Of course, I have a Smith 1917, so might be biased.)

 

[jacobtowne]

If you fancy shooting a cal. .45 revolver, you might want to check the chambers on the Colt. The early ones were bored straight through (to service number 30,451 approx.), so require clips. The rest have cylinder throats.
Many of the early ones were refitted with stepped-chamber cylinders.
The service number is the one stamped on the butt. The other is the factory SN.
These are fun to shoot, by the way. I have one that was shipped Oct. 1918. It's all original, and these are getting pretty expensive, more than $1000 for 95% or better.
A first-rate refinish is still worth a few hundred. A botched refinish? Can't say. IF it's really tight with very good bore and chambers, maybe $200 or $300.
JT

 

[Standing Wolf]

Colt Officer's Model Target .22LR
Mechanically excellent & finish is 90-95%.

Were these Bullseye competitors' revolvers?

Colt Officer's Model Target .38spl
Mechanically excellent & finish is 75-80%.

Were these Bullseye competitors' revolvers?

Yep and yep. You don't see very many of these grand old guns in matches any more, but there are plenty of old bullseye shooters who still have them in safes and cupboards.

 

[unspellable]

Colt OP SA

Anybody here know how you tell an original OP SA from an after sale conversion?

 

[Majic]

Just cock the hammer. A factory single action hammer will not go as far back as the double action's hammer.

 

[unspellable]

SA, original or conversion?

I know that simply removing the self cocking strut will leave the hammer going all the way back when cocked vs the true single action hammer not going back quite so far. How ever I am wondering if the the single action hammer was available either as an aftermarket item or or as an OEM part. Or, if on the other hand, very many OM's were sent back to Colt for the conversion.

I know that in the case of the S&W K frame SA, the genuine S&W parts were available on the market for after sale conversions.

The part of the hammer external to the frame on my Colt OM SA looks different than the corresponding part of the hammer on my Colt OM DA although the latter is much newer. (The SA dates from the 50's.) The SA hammer spur is offset to one side for easier cocking.