[T.May]

1978 Custom Shop Combat Commander in Nickel

I came across a Combat Commander in .45 with high polish E-Nickel finish.

It looks a little like this one in that it has the same sights and GC wide trigger but no MOP grips and no beavertail safety...It has wood grips, with gold medallions, tang safety. It has the box with the custom shop tag on the end stating Special Custom. I would rate it at >95%.

Any guesses as to it's value?

 

[T.May]

This is a picture of the actual gun.....anybody ever seen one like this?

 

[ace]

maybe it's glare/lighting but I often have trouble seeing what finish it is. this is one of those times, to me the flats look too shiny to be electroless.
but those sights look like mmc and I do know that colt shipped some guns from the custom shop with mmc sights in the early 80s but I don't know if they did in the late 70s.

 

[T.May]

Is that a legit label?

 

[T.May]

Just found answers to a lot of my questions in an internet search....here is the body of a post from 2006 and pics that went with it. Much like mine...nobody replied to this guys post
Looks like my gun might have been from this run based on the serial numbers.

"I bought this series 70 Colt Custom Combat Commander (model 04613) about 25 years ago, put it away, and never fired it, so it's still NIB.. I believe it is one of the first, if not the first, customized Commander from the Colt Custom Shop. Notice it has a ring hammer, a Gold Cup trigger and sights, a Combat Commander frame and slide, and a nickel finish. With the pistol came a copy of a generic factory letter stating that there were about 200 of these pistols made in a special run. It also gave a few other facts about the pistol including the serial numbers assigned to the series. Unfortunately, I lost the letter a long time ago. I don' t want to pay Colt $150 for a special letter, all I want is a copy of the generic letter I once had. Does anyone have one of these pistols with the factory letter? If I can't find one, I would at least like to know where to find a Colt model number list so I can see what they say about model 04613. That might solve my problem."

 

[ussmanlovede36]

I've never seen that type of rear sight come from the colt factory and I thought e-nickel had a dull finish. otherwise nice gun.

 

[JudgeColt]

The finish is not electroless nickel. It is regular nickel. The surfaces other than the flats are matte-finished, kind of a modern "Dual-Tone" finish. Very striking. (I suppose it is possible that the finish is electroless nickel and the flats were just polished. The effect would be the same.)

Interesting guns.

 

[T.May]

I am sorry I introduced the term E-nickel in my first post...I thought the bright nickel finish was electroless nickel......

 

[Kanatak]

I see no reason to conclude your new "Custom Combat Commander" is anything but factory original. Your Custom Shop Label appears authentic and of the proper time frame. The second "discovery" of an identical Custom Shop Commander, seals the deal for me (Original purchase receipt, exact style of Custom Shop label with similar serial number). Now, a Colt Archives Letter is definitely called for here. It will be a most interesting letter to see, and I hope you are planning to order one. If you do, I think it would be wise to provide Joe Canali, in the Archive Services Department, a copy of the photos you have posted here.

This is a truly interesting find and one that I hope you learn more about and share with us.

Very best of luck!

 

[chaosrob]

That is a very nice pistol. I would guess it as an easy 1200 pistol, maybe higher.

 

[T.May]

I see no reason to conclude your new "Custom Combat Commander" is anything but factory original. Your Custom Shop Label appears authentic and of the proper time frame. The second "discovery" of an identical Custom Shop Commander, seals the deal for me (Original purchase receipt, exact style of Custom Shop label with similar serial number). Now, a Colt Archives Letter is definitely called for here. It will be a most interesting letter to see, and I hope you are planning to order one. If you do, I think it would be wise to provide Joe Canali, in the Archive Services Department, a copy of the photos you have posted here.

This is a truly interesting find and one that I hope you learn more about and share with us.

Very best of luck!

Thanks Gary...I do not own it yet but I am working hard to acquire it. The shop that has it has it priced sky high but I hope to negotiate with them. If I do get it...I will probably letter it just for educational purposes.

 

[Mister_Colt]

T.May, prices are all over the map these days. "Sky high" may not be that high after all. Four or five years ago I thought $1400 to $1600 was high for a NIB Government Model from the 1970's, now I see those prices easily being exceeded, and a custom shop gun can only command much more money.

I once read this somewhere: "You can never pay too much for a gun, you can only buy it too soon."

Or something like that. Yes, even if you pay too much, after a few years the value will catch up with the price you paid. I thought I overpaid for a nice in the box Colt Series 70 two tone satin nickel and blued .45 Government Model, I paid $700 for the rattly old thing.

I do not "know" the value, but is it safe to say that a nice, maybe 90% Colt Series 70 two tone Government Model .45 in the original box numbered to the gun with the original owner's manual is worth more than $700? I bought that gun about four years ago.

Yes, you can pay too much, but if a gun is right, honest, authentic, in excellent shape, in the original box, you most likely won't get hurt too much... but of course do your research! If a gun has been buggered but it's not obvious, you can get hurt. I HAVE seen true brushed electroless nickel guns that were POLISHED, and yeah, that would pretty much destroy the value of the gun.

Good luck with your purchase and I look forward to seeing photos of your future acquisition!

 

[ace]

Just found answers to a lot of my questions in an internet search....here is the body of a post from 2006 and pics that went with it. Much like mine...nobody replied to this guys post

ok, good to know.
I answered and I was right that it wasn't electroless.
and even though no one else has commented I know those are mmc sights.
but my comments constitute nobody in your opinion?
fine I will keep that in mind next time.

 

[Crifor06]

I am intrigued with the gold cup type triggers seen on the 3 commanders pictured in this post. Can anyone explain if these NM triggers can be installed on any series 70 type gun or must you have a "wide frame" gun in order to make the installation?

 

[John Fugate]

The gun is correct, I have one of these that is NIB in my collection. Its bright nickel not E-nickel and those sights are 100% correct. Those little guns are super rare and highly collectable. I also have a blue Combat Commander NIB in my collection out of the custom shop from the same era with odd factory features you would never think would be seen on a combat commander. Two very neat guns.

John

 

[John Fugate]

Thanks Gary...I do not own it yet but I am working hard to acquire it. The shop that has it has it priced sky high but I hope to negotiate with them. If I do get it...I will probably letter it just for educational purposes.

What's sky high in your eyes ? I bet its a bargain and I don't even know the asking price. "Rare Bird"

John

 

[T.May]

ok, good to know.
I answered and I was right that it wasn't electroless.
and even though no one else has commented I know those are mmc sights.
but my comments constitute nobody in your opinion?
fine I will keep that in mind next time.

ACE,

I appear to have ruffled your feathers...I assure you it was unintentional. My reply regarding "nobody" replying to my post was based on the fact that my original post was made on 9/20 and nothing additional was posted until 9/26 and that one was by me. The comment was to acknowledge this observation and the smily face to indicate it as good natured and by no means intended to diminish the input regarding your post....please accept my public apology for any disrespect you might have felt from my remarks....it was not intended as such.

 

[T.May]

What's sky high in your eyes ? I bet its a bargain and I don't even know the asking price. "Rare Bird"

John

$2000.00 and it has been shot. It does not contain all the documentation that was originally included....is it that rare?

Does yours have the letter detailing the specifics of the gun as mentioned in the thread I copied above?

 

[ace]

ACE,

I appear to have ruffled your feathers...I assure you it was unintentional. My reply regarding "nobody" replying to my post was based on the fact that my original post was made on 9/20 and nothing additional was posted until 9/26 and that one was by me. The comment was to acknowledge this observation and the smily face to indicate it as good natured and by no means intended to diminish the input regarding your post....please accept my public apology for any disrespect you might have felt from my remarks....it was not intended as such.

as I answered to your pm, no problemo, apology accepted.

 

[John Fugate]

$2000.00 and it has been shot. It does not contain all the documentation that was originally included....is it that rare?

Does yours have the letter detailing the specifics of the gun as mentioned in the thread I copied above?

2k is a bargain,, if you don't want the gun pass the info on to me I will buy it. I don't need a Colt letter. A picture of gun/box/endlable will suffice.

John