Wanting to turn sow's ears in to silk purses...

[CWO4USCGRET]

Last year I bought this obviously refinished 1952 Colt Government Model .45. It also came with the slide, barrel, bushing, recoil spring, magazines, and ejector to convert it to .38 Super. Last night I broke it down to see how the .38 Super parts would fit and have decided to invest some money to have both the gun and spare slide refinished by either the Colt Custom Shop, Turnbull's, or someone else; and have a few questions to begin with.



First of alll when I removed the ejector the finish under it (i.e. that little bit the frame sits on) appears to be blue not nickel; I think before I try to refinish the gun I should letter it to find out what the factory finish was when it left Colt almost 60 years ago.

I checked the latest Custom Shop Price List and have to ask - is recutting the frame and slide markings and polishing before refinishing included in the price or is it as I suspect extra?

Although I know that as the gun is now its only value is as a shooter due to the manner in which it was refinished. Does having it professionally redone by Colt or someone else enhance the value enough to make the restoration worth the cost?

Thanks my fellow forumites...

[Kid Sopris]

Tim, I think the Value is directly related to what you have invested versus what someone is willing to pay. It does look like a fun project and heavens knows you need some hobby time, LOL . Call Brent Turchi at Colt on Monday and ask him, He should be back from Shot Show by then.

[CWO4USCGRET]

Hobby Time? All this time I thought "Honey Do" was my hobby!

Thanks Mike, I'll give him a call.

[rhmc24]

The short answer is 'probably not'

YOUR " Does having it professionally redone by Colt or someone else enhance the value enough to make the restoration worth the cost?"

A lot depends on who makes the evaluation. In Turnbull's guns offered for sale they run $8K and up - Turnbull's evaluation. High numbers but people do buy them. I see pieces offered and at auction said to be Turnbull restorations at half that.

Complete hi-quality restorations are mostly an item of emotion, vanity, status for the original person, much of which is lost in the marketplace.

I have sent several Colt autos to Turnbull's after I did the prep work, mirror polished and they replaced all the markings and charcoal blue at a cost to me of around $500 plus my 20 or more hours of prep work. If you are bent on the restoration I would consider finding someone to do the prep work and sent the job to Turnbull for completion that will cost around $750 for the gun and extra slide. I plan to do just that next time. I'm 88 now and lack the horsepower to do the prep. To that you will pay someone for 20 hours or more prep work at whatever they charge per hour.

Worthwhile to know that (to my knowledge) there is no way to enhance old markings. Turnbull does it the original way of impressing into the metal after original removal and polishing. Others use laser or high speed rotary cutters that can do a nice looking job but no-way like the original (my sad experience).

Here is one of my Turnbull jobs. Nice as it is and how much I love it, I have never been able to get the flats as flat and the edges as sharp as Turnbull's. I guess that is where a lot of the cost goes in their prep pricing.

[HayesGreener]

If you can get that out of a sow's ear what can I make out of this?

[MtnSpur]

Lots of bacon

[CWO4USCGRET]

Lots of bacon

what he said! Thanks RHMC for your input.