Colt Lightning

[vacation]

This may be an controversial question, but here goes: I own several SAA and Bisleys, but Zero Colt Lightnings. I know the double action mechanics can be faulty, but the price of SAA and Bisleys have gotten so high it has taken the fun out of it lately; where as Lightnings are still $500-800...are they the next "sleepers"? Who knows, but can someone who owns one or has owned one talk me in or out of buying one.

Thanks

[Kid Sopris]

If I talk you out of it, I'm prejudice. If I talk you into it, I'm bias...It's a win -win !

I think you you find a good one and hasn't been dragged behind the car, they will eventually bring a premium. BUT Hollywood Westerns, Famous Presidents and the Duke gave fame to the SAA. That is hard marketing there !

[swamprat]

I think they will increase in value....I can remember not too long ago you could buy them for half what they are selling for now! However, check prospects over carefully, the action is very difficult to repair and parts are virtually impossible to find. If the action doesn't work perfectly, pass it up.

[rusty37874]

Condition-Condition-Condition
I started collecting M1877's appx. 30 years ago, Everyone thought I had lost it, As they were, & maybe still are, the ugly stepbrother of the SAA. I looked for only the very high conditioned, Cased, or Factory Engraved one's as you could still buy them fairly inexpensively. A mediocre conditioned Lightning has coasted along without much value increase for a while. But the higher end items have appreciated quite a lot. If you are buying for investment purposes, Go for the best you can afford.

[vacation]

Good advice...Rusty37874, what is the top dollar you'd pay for a lightning in premium condition?

[rangerider7]

I have owned three. The action broke on one of them while I was cleaning it. They are very fragile. No more. My two cents.

[rusty37874]

Good advice...Rusty37874, what is the top dollar you'd pay for a lightning in premium condition?

For a very high original condition M1877 +- $2500

[dandak]

Those of us that have lightnings and thunderers have been waiting forever for them to leave the sleeper category. I have owned 4, am down to 2 and soon to be down to one. I have not seen prices move in over 15 years. This is a demand issue, not a supply issue. It exists in every collectible field. As an example...a 1909SVDB cent with a mintage of several hundred thousand brings 1000$ in worn condition. An 1832 half cent with a mintage of maybe 30,000-40,000 (exact number escapes me now) can be had for 40 or 50 bucks. Why? Demand. Same with the 1877. If you want an old Colt with old west association that may have "been there" then an early 1877 may be exactly what you are after. That is why I bought mine. If you want an investment piece then an SAA is the way to go. Just my 2 cents.

[coltsixguns]

I stepped out of the SAA world for about 10 years without being involved with them at all and what used to be $800 guns are now $1800 guns. I've found that the better conditioned of the 1877's are selling at a hefty increase over what they used to sell for also and you can buy a lot of condition in a 1877 versus the condition of a SAA at the same dollar value.

Don't buy the common no finish or "have a problem" 1877's......buy the good ones worth the money now and I think you will do well in the long run, but I think that applies to most anything collectible except beanie babies. and franklin mint items.

[Merwin2]

I have just one, a Thunderer .41. Bought it 40 years ago and it still functions perfectly. Why is that, they are supposed to be very fragile? The parts are small and many in a tight, complicated action space. If it was abused, dry fired, left dirty, or just plain neglected for the 90 or so years before I got it...well, then who knows how it would perform. It had lots of fine pin-point rust spots, no pits, a good bore and cylinders and had been used very little, or cleaned and put up in good condition.
Can anyone tell me how long a used car will last, or how it's been treated by looking at the dip stick or a drive around the block?
Unless it has sat in a drawer or a box, no telling what you can expect, BUT it's unfair to call them fragile and not reliable, just because they are not as bomb proof as SAA's, which will even fire without their trigger group. Think of all the millions of fine old revolvers out there that died from broken springs, bad cylinder hands, broken ejection pawls, loosened fit of all kinds and just lousy maintenance.
Get one that works and have fun...they're way cool to shoot. Mine still is working as designed although now retired along with me.
Merwin2.