[bbates123]

I have a first gen SAA that's in nickel. I was told that it was re-nickeled which surprises me because the stamped lettering is very crisp and clear...I would have thought that applying a layer of nickeling would have filled in the lettering somewhat. Anyhow, assuming it was re-nickeled is there a way to tell what the original finish was...nickel or blued?

 

[dogface6]

Original nickel is quite crisp and clear, whereas, a re-nickel can get mushy, unless the plater knows his job.

What's the surface underneath the grips like?

 

[swamprat]

I have a first gen SAA that's in nickel. I was told that it was re-nickeled which surprises me because the stamped lettering is very crisp and clear...I would have thought that applying a layer of nickeling would have filled in the lettering somewhat. Anyhow, assuming it was re-nickeled is there a way to tell what the original finish was...nickel or blued?

Yes, a positive way.......get a letter from Colt, it will state what the finish was when it left the factory!

 

[coltsixguns]

Can you post any close up pictures?

 

[bbates123]

Original nickel is quite crisp and clear, whereas, a re-nickel can get mushy, unless the plater knows his job.

What's the surface underneath the grips like?

Under the grips looks like unpolished nickel. I can post some close up pics.

 

[Colt-SL]

Yes, a positive way.......get a letter from Colt, it will state what the finish was when it left the factory!

+1 - Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC > Customer Services > Archive Services

 

[bbates123]

+1 - Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC > Customer Services > Archive Services

Yep, I applied for the archive letter last week. They said it would be 100 days. Ouch!

 

[Colt-SL]

Yep, I applied for the archive letter last week. They said it would be 100 days. Ouch!

Yes, the wait is lengthy but worth it in the end.

 

[bbates123]

Here are a few shots I took ofsome of the lettering. To me the lettering looks pretty sharp for being re-nickeled...or is this normal?

 

[JohnnyP]

Shows heavy buffing, so not original finish. May have originally been finished in nickel, but that is not original finish.

 

[coltsixguns]

I circled something I'm seeing in the attached picture....it that a little triangle with the VP (verified proof) inside it? If so, it's been back to the factory once upon a time.
You don't start seeing that marking until around 1906 or so.

Click to enlarge.

 

[bbates123]

Yes, that's exactly what it is! It's a crooked V with a P that shares the right line of the V, inside a triangle. Will my archive letter say what the gun came back for? It has a 2nd gen barrel and cylinder so I'm wondering if that was done at the factory.

 

[dogface6]

The letter won't remark on any repairs on work being done.

It's a definite refinish - likely not done by Colt.

 

[bbates123]

The letter won't remark on any repairs on work being done.

It's a definite refinish - likely not done by Colt.

How can you tell?

 

[CraigC]

Yep, definitely a refinish. A telltale sign are the mating surfaces between grip frame and receiver. These parts should be polished as an assembly. Many refinishers polish them separately which dulls the edges and when reassembled, you get the trough between the parts.

 

[hmaag]

Buffed around the screw holes, especially on the trigger guard screw near the serial number, less on the side of the frame behind the patent stamp.
Hans

 

[dogface6]

When Colt would refinish - they'd do a 'clean' job, with every surface mating properly.

 

[coltsixguns]

You can take the gun apart and see if there are any 3 or 4 digit matching numbers on the parts. Usually on factory reworks or refinished guns there will be an & or * on the rear right trigger bow and a lot of the time you will have 3 or 4 digit assembly numbers stamped under the grips on the straps and under the ejector housing and on the cylinder and on the bottom of the frame.

Somewhere along the way they put the verified proof on it but the marking looks a little buffed out so it might have been refinished again after being rebarreled along the way.

 

[bbates123]

A few more pics. All of the serial numbers that I can see appear to match except for the gate.

 

[swamprat]

Here's what a factory refinish will look like, note there is no "dishing" around the screw heads and the sharp edges that match perfectly!


Note the factory rework stamp "634" that indicates the work was performed in June of 1934:



Another factory rework showing the work was performed in September of 1933 & marked with the Colt "verified proof" stamp:
[URL="http://s181.photobucket.com/user/hhclark/media/Colts/FSS-6a_zpsd8e40997.jpg.html"]

Note the number "8916"; this is an assembly number that will match the number on the loading gate: