This is up for sale locally, would like some input from the Colt Brain Trust about it. Opinions on condition, original finish or not, stocks, etc welcome! Some pictures. I can't decide if it has been refinished or not. If it has, it was done by someone that knew what he was doing. Dates to about 1916. Thoughts?
It could be the photos, but it looks like the edges are soft where the frame and trigger guard/backstrap assemblies meet. It also looks like the screw holes are dished out (unless those are reflections of the screw heads).
It would help to know what kind of money they're asking for it. It's a nice looking gun.
I haven't seen the gun in person, but it looks like you might be correct about the gold wash. I can go see it in person tomorrow. Will see what else I can learn.
My Opinion and nothing more.
A 1916 Nickel with pearls and no letter is not a nickel 1916 with pearls.
Anyone in the auction world without putting up the letter to enhance the dollar amount amount is a "douchebag".
Just my Opinion.
I would agree with you, except, this is one gun out of a collection belonging to a deceased individual. His daughter is having his collection sold off, lock stock and barrel (as they say). She probably does not know what a provenance letter is, much less how to get one! It is what it is! Like Rick said, bought cheaply enough it would be a good shooter! Thanks to everyone for the input!
Hard to see exactly what the pearls are as far as escutcheons and thickness of grips goes but the gun is certainly refinished but heck...it's a short barreled 45 for use with smokeless powder and it will bring $1400 or so for a shooter and then the pearls may be worth $500 to $600 by themselves.
Triggerguard seems odd. Doesn't have the round bow, but neither is it completely flat? According to what I've read a 1916 gun should have the round bow?
I could be wrong but I thought a gun from 1916 should have a half circle around the rampant Colt on the frame. And the two smaller screw holes on the left frame look a little dished. None the less, I like it, especially if the price only goes up a little more.
Look at the third photo, the close up of the frame patent dates and trademark....notice the drag line or scuffed cylinder near the front of the cylinder? That is from installing the wrong screw in the front triggerguard hole. The screw protruded all the way through the frame and onto the cylinder surface. I know this from personal experience!!
It appears the wrong screw is still installed in that position as you can see the head of the screw is not flush with the triggerguard.
I don't think this is damage from a too long trigger guard screw. More likely powder and lead residue from shooting; this is the pattern seen on the 1st gens with the cut-out on the top of the frame above the bbl/cyl gap.
I think this gun may have been gold platted at one time. Looks like a replacement trigger, a screw in the side of the frame and replacement nut for the base pin catch.
Well, it went at $1600! I had a look at the gun in person at the gunshop that is handling the FFL work. It really looked better in the pictures than up close. And, yes, the sides of the hammer and part of the ejector rod housing had a gold colored wash on them. The pearl stocks were decent, but even so, they had a couple of noticible chips. All in all, I'm glad it went to live somewhere else! Thanks for all the replies and info!
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