1883

[sweep]

I'm new to the forum and just purchased my first Colt double. It is a grade 2 with decent case colors. My question is about the barrels. There is no proof marks on the barrel flats just letters. Is this common? I have ordered some RST shells and hope to shoot it soon.
I've enjoyed reading the other post about the 1878s and 1883s. The seller called me yesterday and said he found a Colt letter from 1972. I'll pick it up tomorrow. I ordered a letter 2 weeks ago and was told 120 to 150 days. Will a new letter tell me anything new compared to a letter from 1972? If not I will cancel the order.
I haven't been able to find out much about these guns. Is there any way to know who the engraver was for this gun. It was shipped 1890. I am unable to post pictures but would gladly email to someone if they could post them for me.
From what I have read case colors left are not common on these guns. I certainly will be the first to tell you I know little about Colt's, but I think there is a nice amount of case color left.
As you can tell I'm very excited about my find.
Thanks for any information.

[Kid Sopris]

I'm new to the forum and just purchased my first Colt double. It is a grade 2 with decent case colors. My question is about the barrels. There is no proof marks on the barrel flats just letters. Is this common? I have ordered some RST shells and hope to shoot it soon.
I've enjoyed reading the other post about the 1878s and 1883s. The seller called me yesterday and said he found a Colt letter from 1972. I'll pick it up tomorrow. I ordered a letter 2 weeks ago and was told 120 to 150 days. Will a new letter tell me anything new compared to a letter from 1972? If not I will cancel the order.
I haven't been able to find out much about these guns. Is there any way to know who the engraver was for this gun. It was shipped 1890. I am unable to post pictures but would gladly email to someone if they could post them for me.
From what I have read case colors left are not common on these guns. I certainly will be the first to tell you I know little about Colt's, but I think there is a nice amount of case color left.
As you can tell I'm very excited about my find.
Thanks for any information.

Regarding the Letter: Keep the Original, send a Copy to Archives and ask them to reissue the letter in your name. Approx. $50.00 turn around is quick.

There is a primer to help you get pictures posted. Hook up with photobucket, it's free and use the (img) code that you fina asscitaed with your picture.

[sweep]

Thanks, I don't really know computers very well at all. I'll see if I can figure it all out.
Thanks again about the letter. Is there anything published that I might be able to find on the Colt doubles?
sweep

[Kid Sopris]

Thanks, I don't really know computers very well at all. I'll see if I can figure it all out.
Thanks again about the letter. Is there anything published that I might be able to find on the Colt doubles?
sweep

If you Google "Colt Double Barrel Shotguns" he will get a lot of information that you can sort out at your leisure.

[smkummer]

Did you buy the Colt 1883 that just sold at gunrunnerauctions.com? If so that was one nice firearm. Colt-An American Legend has a few pages of words and pictures of these. I shoot mine. Its a 12 gauge with 28 in. tubes. I load smokeless loads from the IMR handloader guide at about the 5000 to 6000 PSI range which include one 1 1/8 oz. load going out at 1150 FPS. But mostly I am shooting 1 oz. loads. I actually won a small sporting clays shoot with mine. You really don't have to shoot blackpowder if you can load or have someone make low pressure shells. I did break the right sear spring and pulled one out of another gun I bought so now I am looking for someone to make one.

[sweep]

Yes that was me. I have been wanting an engraved American classic for some time but most were out of my budget. That auction is close to me. I accually went to look at that 8 gauge Parker just because I had never seen or handled an 8 gauge shotgun before and probably never will again and that was when I saw the Colt. I came home and tried to find information on it and found this site. After reading here that there were not that many built and I figured that there must have been even fewer engraved models made I decided to try and bid on it. I have no idea if I overpaid or not but I couldn't be happier with it. I didn't think I would ever see another engraved Colt in that nice of condition, not around here anyway.
Thanks for the Google reference, I have been using Yahoo and not getting much.
I saw where one site said that there were 300 engraved 1878s. But no mention on how many 1883s were engraved. Does anyone have an idea?
I don't reload now but I was thinking I may start.
Thanks for the information

[smkummer]

I was drooling over both the Colt 1883 and the Parker 8 gauge. Colt made a very very few 8 gauge 1883 and I would love to have one, one of our ex-presidents order 2 from Colt. It is very true that any of these with any case color left will bring a big premium. You bought a truley nice piece of history that can be cherished for years to come. I have never owned a model 21 winchester but if you put your Colt next to one, I feel the Colt outshines it by far. At the Louisville show a big parker dealer had a couple of 8 gauge parkers and I was able to pick one of the beasts up. They are truely big but one could carry it for a short duration.

IMR data is now combined with hodgden so hopefully all of the data carried over. Blackpowder pressures for shotguns ran in the 5000 pressure range. With a proof load being about 7500. IMR published data as low as 4000. So what one does is load light charges with slower magnum powders to get low pressure. The 1 1/8 oz. load is loaded with 800X (normally a magnum shotgun powder), the 1 oz. loads are loaded with SR7625. If you were ever in the Louisville area, you would be welcome to come by, load some shells and try them in my 1883 first.

Cheaper shotguns of the day used a flux when they soldered the barrels together that was corrosive, so sometimes one cannot tell of any problems until they fire it. To my understanding Colt, Parker and other fine guns did not used the corrosive flux. There is a old time way of "ringing" the barrels to see if they are still sound to the solder. Dixie Gun works tells of how to do this but I can't understand what they are using the string for.

A few years ago, the word was to not fire any damascus barreles shotgun but now days fine twist shotguns are again now bringing a premium and there are several forums such as the Parker forum and double gun that many members tell of the pride they have going out and shooting these fine guns. I bought my gun about 6 years ago at the lousiville show for I believe $500 and of all things it had a vintage 1915 recoil pad on it. Someone several years ago was still hunting with it. No telling what kind of loads he was shooting in it. No case colors left and I had one of our forum members here rechecker the forearm.

When I took the stock off of mine to fix the sear spring (I believe the first time it was ever taken apart), it was truely amazing to peer into the workings of a 120 year old shotgun. Which reminds me I still need to have a spring made, so if I do I was going to have 2 made and maybe I should have 3 so you have a spare. It is common on hammerless double that the right sear spring breaks more often then the left as it is fire more.

It will cost you $100 but I believe Colt records are complete on these guns. For one as nice as yours, I would be getting a factory letter.

[sweep]

Sm, that is kind of you to offer having an extra sping made. Keep me posted, I would gladly get one also just to have an extra. There is a good gunsmith about an hour from me that I think could make a spring if it ever happened.
That must have made some heads turn to win a shoot with a gun over 100 years old, congratulations. I'm working on getting one of the books you suggested. I have 2 other RL Wilson books. Great reads.
I went and picked up the letter Scott found. It's pretty generic sent from Colt, Dec 8 1972, 12 gauge, 30"barrels, 7 and 14/16 pounds, walnut, grade 2, shipped to (I was hoping someone cool) Montgmery Wards & Company Chicago Illinois (lol) April 24 1890.
Kid Sopris, I can't seem to get the pictures posting to work. Makes me feel kind of left behind the times if you know what I mean.

Thanks again for everyones help and welcomes.
Sweep

[smkummer]

OK, I should have read your original post better. The new letter won't say anything new at all. Like the Kid stated, they will re-type it in your name for a fee but if it were myself I spend the money for reloading components.

[sweep]

If anyone is interested in seeing my 83, one of the Parker guys posted some pictures of the gun under other fine doubles. Their site is www.parkerguns.org also a very nice group of guys.