[Matchlock]

Hi everyone;

I'm not sure if I've posted about this one before but seeing as many of us like a "story" with a gun I thought you might enjoy the story with this one.

About eight or nine years ago I sold this Colt Officers Model .22 Long Rifle to a friend. He's come up against some bad times, his wife had cancer and the driving to appointments and everything else has just about broke him literally and financially. Anyway, he came over a month or so to ask if I would buy some of the guns I sold him eight years ago. I gave him what he paid for them and he was happy as a pig-in-the-mud.

The story;
I acquired this gun about fourteen years prior to me selling them, from a good friend who ask if I would make him a knife. I said I would, and made the knife and got this gun in trade. According to my friend, the gun belonged to his wife's father before they ended up with it, and his wife's father had won it in a poker game in Port Hop, Ontario, Canada. The gentleman that had owned it was apparently an employee of Colt, and he had moved to Canada to work for Colt Canada.

On the butt of the revolver is the original owners name, "Chas. Van Studdiford". I have no way of verifying if Mr. Studdiford did indeed work for Colt but if he did, then I believe the rest of the story would likely be true also.

Here's a few more.

Here's a few more photos, and if you'd like to see more, I have about twenty I took this afternoon.

Bud
ps
If anyone could give me an idea of its value I would appreciate it.

 

[d.a.r.y.l]

Nice looking OM Bud.As far as value considering the history that you have with the gun and it's possible history befor you owned it I would say priceless.Thanks for the story by the way.D*

 

[thecoltguy]

Great gun Bud. I really like these old Officer's Models. Yours has a nice extra touch.

 

[capstan]

This I believe is the one with the adjustable front sight? They are really unique, because of that feature, I think. Also they are very accurate, at least mine is.
Maybe Brent who is on this forum and works for Colt, can look into this for you. It should be easy enough to verify if this guy worked for Colt. If Brent doesn't know, he will know who to contact at Colt. I hope you get the answer.

 

[Mike Faires]

Very nice, I recently picked one up from 1948 my birth year.

 

[vonfatman]

Great story. The gun is a beautiful example.
Based on where like types are being priced/sold on G.B....I'm going to suggest it's a $750 - $800 revolver. It's so clean, it's above most but clearly not mint. The name on the butt is interesting but not generally a "value add'r" when selling unless the name turns out to be famous or tied to an event or the like.

That's my .02 and it's probably only worth .01

Thanks for sharing.

Bob

 

[Matchlock]

Thank you, and perhaps Brent can help. What an excellent idea, thank you very much.

I hope Brent will see this thread and respond. Wouldn't that be nice if he (Chas. Van Studdiford) really did work for Colt?

Bud

This I believe is the one with the adjustable front sight? They are really unique, because of that feature, I think. Also they are very accurate, at least mine is.
Maybe Brent who is on this forum and works for Colt, can look into this for you. It should be easy enough to verify if this guy worked for Colt. If Brent doesn't know, he will know who to contact at Colt. I hope you get the answer.

 

[Matchlock]

Hi Mike;

Thanks very much for your reply. What a great thing to have a Colt born the same years as you were. Although I don`t have anything to do with car collecting, a friend of mine that collects Chevies, recently found a licence plate for one of his classic 1957 Chevrolet`s that had the same year as his birth. I thought he was plum crazy when he told me he paid $125.00 for it.

Then I look at what`s inside my safes and I think HE`s crazy? Ha!! That`s a laugh.

Bud

Very nice, I recently picked one up from 1948 my birth year.

 

[MtnSpur]

Hi Mike;

Thanks very much for your reply. What a great thing to have a Colt born the same years as you were. Although I don`t have anything to do with car collecting, a friend of mine that collects Chevies, recently found a licence plate for one of his classic 1957 Chevrolet`s that had the same year as his birth. I thought he was plum crazy when he told me he paid $125.00 for it.

Then I look at what`s inside my safes and I think HE`s crazy? Ha!! That`s a laugh.

Bud

Define crazy....My grandpa loved new fangled power tools and he'd buy them saying: "look, this will do in 10 seconds what used to take me 10 minutes to do" and then he'd put it away in his locked "tool room" in his garage. He may never have used 90% of what he got, but he had them IF he needed them. Wife's dad, never and I mean never, threw out anything that could "someday be useful" AND he collected "Hot Wheels" NIB. Me? I accumulate firearms, primarily Colt handguns, that appeal to me by design, aesthetics (in my eyes) and function. Some of my stable are over 100+ years old and a few are some of Colt's newer semi auto offerings but all PLEASE ME. So, crazy is semantics. A perception of someone else's opinion that may or may not matter to US . I chuckle at myself more often then not but I've paid my dues. Yeah, sometimes I'm crazy, but in a good way.

Nice pickup Bud, enjoy it

 

[Colt-SL]

This I believe is the one with the adjustable front sight? They are really unique, because of that feature, I think. Also they are very accurate, at least mine is.

Yes sir, you're correct. Photos on my serial number #508 Officer's Model.

Bud, you have a beautiful piece!