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587 Posts
Greetings,
I just became the most recent custodian of a Colt Bisley built in 1906. I am out of my comfort zone, since my love affair with Colt revolvers are the New Service/1917 family and my Python. I have only owned one other Colt SAA and I bought it years ago simply to turn it and never shot it. I have always had a weakness for the funky grip of the Bisley and I purchased this one with some reservations. It is a .45 LC with a 4 3/4" bbl. and the condition is fair, with no case colors remaining and the metal having a thin patina. The bore is fair with typical fine pitting in the grooves and fine pitting on the cylinder face, but the chambers are in very good condition. The cylinder rattles and will definitely need, at minimum, a new bushing to take some of the play out and the bolt lock-up is not as good as I would like. The grips are intact, although I have not disassembled the gun to inspect if they are marked to the gun. The gun came with a Colt letter, which matches the current configuration, but indicates an unspectacular shipment of two guns to a hardware store. The good news is that I can perform any required repairs myself to get the mechanical issues remedied. The bad news is that I may have paid a bit more than I should have, since the Bisley models are not commanding anywhere the same money that an SAA does. I paid $1400 for it and that was only due to an unfortunate situation for the seller. I know that they book at silly values, but the prices realized for examples that have sold lately, are drastically lower. If I had been in a position to pick my choice of Bisley model, I would have preferred a 32-20 or 38-40, but Oh-well. I guess I am looking for some input that will encourage me to not feel bad about paying that price. The bright side is that I have several guns in .45LC, so feeding it will not pose any heartache. I have been an avid shooter/gunsmith over the years, but somehow I have managed to never gain any experience with Colt's single action world, so it is with a humble heart, I ask for feedback from those with more knowledge than I. I did not buy it with the intention of making a buck off it, but every dollar I spend is hard earned and I never want to be upside down if I can avoid it. I will try to post some pictures to better grasp the gun and its condition. Thanks in advance for any input that can be provided.
Mark
I just became the most recent custodian of a Colt Bisley built in 1906. I am out of my comfort zone, since my love affair with Colt revolvers are the New Service/1917 family and my Python. I have only owned one other Colt SAA and I bought it years ago simply to turn it and never shot it. I have always had a weakness for the funky grip of the Bisley and I purchased this one with some reservations. It is a .45 LC with a 4 3/4" bbl. and the condition is fair, with no case colors remaining and the metal having a thin patina. The bore is fair with typical fine pitting in the grooves and fine pitting on the cylinder face, but the chambers are in very good condition. The cylinder rattles and will definitely need, at minimum, a new bushing to take some of the play out and the bolt lock-up is not as good as I would like. The grips are intact, although I have not disassembled the gun to inspect if they are marked to the gun. The gun came with a Colt letter, which matches the current configuration, but indicates an unspectacular shipment of two guns to a hardware store. The good news is that I can perform any required repairs myself to get the mechanical issues remedied. The bad news is that I may have paid a bit more than I should have, since the Bisley models are not commanding anywhere the same money that an SAA does. I paid $1400 for it and that was only due to an unfortunate situation for the seller. I know that they book at silly values, but the prices realized for examples that have sold lately, are drastically lower. If I had been in a position to pick my choice of Bisley model, I would have preferred a 32-20 or 38-40, but Oh-well. I guess I am looking for some input that will encourage me to not feel bad about paying that price. The bright side is that I have several guns in .45LC, so feeding it will not pose any heartache. I have been an avid shooter/gunsmith over the years, but somehow I have managed to never gain any experience with Colt's single action world, so it is with a humble heart, I ask for feedback from those with more knowledge than I. I did not buy it with the intention of making a buck off it, but every dollar I spend is hard earned and I never want to be upside down if I can avoid it. I will try to post some pictures to better grasp the gun and its condition. Thanks in advance for any input that can be provided.
Mark
