Welcome mstuff, the gun is in pretty rough shape, and the barrel is a later replacement. I would try to clean off the rust with an oily cloth as best you can. I'm thinking you may get about $400 - $500 for it.

 

The number on the bottom of the frame is the number assigned when the revolver was accepted by the government. The serial number will appear on the frame in the cut-out area. That appears to be an early number, so it would have been accepted during the summer, 1918.

There's a lot of rust, so the value will be that of a "shooter" grade. Without seeing the bore, its difficult to rate the overall quality. But with the apparent surface rust, my guess would be in the $400-$500 range. The stocks are in good condition, so that's a plus. Many of these revolvers were returned to the Springfield Arsenal and refinished. We have some members here who have data on the arsenal refinishes, and they're really helpful.

I wouldn't advise having the gun refinished. That would ruin any collector value.

It may very well be a good shooter. It will handle .45ACP rounds with full- or half-moon clips. But before you shoot it, if that's what you want to do, it should be given a thorough going over by a qualified gun smith. Sitting in a safe for so long, it will need a good cleaning, especially the inner parts.

Welcome to the forum! There will be some others along shortly, who know far more than I. They'll be very helpful.

 

Had it been taken care of and wiped down with just a oily rag it would be worth a lot as basicly the gun looks unused. Also the front sight looks like it was filed and reshaped. The gun isnt worth a lot but could have been. Had it been taken care of, maybe above $900 or so. As is, maybe $350/$400.
Most of us is death on refinishing a gun. It never is worth it from a financhal standpoint. That said were it mine I might consider a refinish. The gun is finish challanged but should have good inwards. That or just clean it up and shoot it.

 

It's a 1917 .45 ACP with a .45 Colt barrel. Barrel appears shortened with a goofed up front sight reinstalled crooked. Must have been done long ago because the finish matches. Real bad finish issues obviously but this is the type of gun folks here like to modify. If the action worked perfect but it looked like this I'd pay $275 for it. I mean, that's what i would do if I saw it locally.

Edit: Mstuff. Take note of what those other guys said of value. My number is based on what I'd pay for it if I wanted one which I have no interest in. I find the Webley more interesting, though.

 

I am very interested in the Webley, as well. Since it was found with the Colt, it is sort of peripherally related. Any pics or video of it?

 

MOV00D - YouTube

thats the webley

 

MOV00D - YouTube

thats the webley

Now we're talking. That's a better version than I expected. Very nice. And you take great videos.

 

And thanks for the replys on the colt, ya its ruff

 

More of those asking "What do I have and what is it worth?" should submit such good videos. It has no collector value at present due to its condition and mismatched barrel, so there is nothing to be lost in refinishing it if you wish, assuming you are willing to spend $200-300 to do so. Or, as others have suggested, try to clean it up as best you can using steel or brass wool and kerosene and use it as a shooter. Or, there are ways you can refinish it yourself using a rust blue - but it takes a lot of time and hand labor to polish it.

 

Some oil and some Big Bore 45 frontier metal cleaner would do wonders for that old revolver.

Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner

This stuff works great and won't harm the blueing.

 

Well, of all the rotten luck, I just went to order some of this product and on their WebSite it says, "* Canadian residents please contact us at 800-342-1548 for shipping information."

So, I called the number and a recording comes on and says, "the number you have dialed cannot be reached from your calling area."

Go figure huh?

Bud

Some oil and some Big Bore 45 frontier metal cleaner would do wonders for that old revolver.

Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner

This stuff works great and won't harm the blueing.

 

I wasn't going to say anything since you're new to the Colt Forum. However, I thought about it and if you are going to be interested in guns at all you need to know that abusing a revolver the way you've done in this video just makes me, well, angry. I held off as long as I could with this but when I have to say something, I just have to say it.

In your video of that old Colt, at about 4:10 or so into the video you are slamming the cylinder in and out of the frame. That is the LAST thing you should be doing to that old Colt (any revolver actually). By slamming the cylinder shut with a twist of the wrist, and then "flipping" it open again the same way is a great recipe for disaster. If you want to ruin a good revolver then you're going about it in the right way.

Use the cylinder release latch on the left side of the revolver to open and close the cylinder. That way, people might actually buy a gun from you.

Sorry to give you a negative reply on your post but there isn't a single serious Colt collector anywhere that wouldn't tell you the very same thing as I have told you.

Matchlock

 

I'm no where close to where these guys are on this forum in gun knowlege terms, but I've shot worse than that. I think it could be cleaned up.

 

With all due respect Sam, what you would pick up and shoot is entirely your choice, but to tell someone to just "clean it up" and shoot it, is potentially very dangerous advice.

A few posts earlier, a Colt Forum member, Pendennis offered correct advice, " . . . . . . "but before you shoot it, if that's what you want to do, it should be given a thorough going over by a qualified gun smith."

Now that is good avice.

Bud

I'm no where close to where these guys are on this forum in gun knowlege terms, but I've shot worse than that. I think it could be cleaned up.

 

In your video of that old Colt, at about 4:10 or so into the video you are slamming the cylinder in and out of the frame. That is the LAST thing you should be doing to that old Colt (any revolver actually). By slamming the cylinder shut with a twist of the wrist, and then "flipping" it open again the same way is a great recipe for disaster. If you want to ruin a good revolver then you're going about it in the right way.

Matchlock has you dead to rights and it's at 4:20 in the video and I still wince when I see it. Even old finish challenged revolvers are nothing but a parts gun once you spring the crane when handling like a TV actor. Go easy on the old girl and while you're at it you might do a timing and function check. This thread is outstanding for information:

http://www.coltforum.com/forums/col...m/forums/colt-revolvers/18654-question-about-old-officers-model.html#post105842

 

First of all nice Webley and video! I have a Mk IV Webley in the same configuration as yours. The Mk II Webley was used in British service from 1897 to 1900. It appears in your video that there is a letter 'N' on the back strap behind the hammer. If so, this gun was issued to the Navy. The original caliber was .455 and your gun being stamped 'England' was imported to the U.S. in the 1950's. I can't tell in the video but most of these imported guns were modified by grinding the rear of the cylinder and extractor down to accept the more readily available .45acp round in moon clips or .45 Auto rim. One way to tell if your gun has been modified is whether or not the gun's serial number is visible on the rear face of the cylinder, along with other military stampings as well. If these are not visible, your gun has been modified. A word of caution! Should you decide to shoot this gun, use reloads and lead bullets, with a max of 700fps. These guns, while robust in appearance, cannot handle the pressures of modern .45acp factory loads! Enjoy your find!

My MkIV Webley from 1914 and unmodified.

 

Hi there Goldcup62;

I just wanted to drop in here and say thanks for that information. I've been a gun collector for more than forty years and although I have owned a Webley or two over the years I never knew they wouldn't take modern factory .45 ammunition. Just like "they" say, you learn something every day, and today I learned again.

So thanks for that, I really appreciate that.

Bud

First of all nice Webley and video! I have a Mk IV Webley in the same configuration as yours. The Mk II Webley was used in British service from 1897 to 1900. It appears in your video that there is a letter 'N' on the back strap behind the hammer. If so, this gun was issued to the Navy. The original caliber was .455 and your gun being stamped 'England' was imported to the U.S. in the 1950's. I can't tell in the video but most of these imported guns were modified by grinding the rear of the cylinder and extractor down to accept the more readily available .45acp round in moon clips or .45 Auto rim. One way to tell if your gun has been modified is whether or not the gun's serial number is visible on the rear face of the cylinder, along with other military stampings as well. If these are not visible, your gun has been modified. A word of caution! Should you decide to shoot this gun, use reloads and lead bullets, with a max of 700fps. These guns, while robust in appearance, cannot handle the pressures of modern .45acp factory loads! Enjoy your find!

View attachment 31689

My MkIV Webley from 1914 and unmodified.

 

Bud,

Many modified Webley owners have shot factory .45acp in their guns with no apparent problems over the years. Yet, in my research to work up loads for my Webley, time and time again I ran across the fact that the Webley's .455 rounds were very anemic, and that you should not exceed 700fps when reloading for the modified guns. And while you could use jacketed bullets, lead was softer and was in fact more accurate to shoot in this gun. I purchased my gun recently from a neighbor and got all his reloading stuff to go with it. He was using shortened .45LC brass and thinning the rims to fit the revolver/cylinder gap. All this was legit as I discovered on the internet. He had done his homework. And.... it's a fun gun to shoot!

 

Nice Webley! Even with the shaved cylinder, I'd bet it's a $600 piece.

 

thanks for all the info

i looked at the cylinder and sure enough only about half the height of the numbers remain so it looks like it is shaved

and it does have N with a 11 under it, navy i guess

i sold the colt to a guy that just wants to clean and shoot it, gunstore guy, 150 bucks, its ruff

i may try to find someone to go over this webley and just keep it

im over 50, in second grade, i took this gun and a box of ammo to show and tell, parents didnt know, until i told my mom last week

all they did was take it from me when i was done then give it to the bus driver and told her not to give it to me until i got off the bus

me and the little red headed girl from down the lane walked the mile from the bus stop to the house throwing the ammo at the paved road trying to make it go off.

we knew not to load it in the gun and fire it

it didnt go off throwing it at the road

and thats how it used to be in fairfax county schools in virginia : )

 

I do not know that the succesive .455 Cartridges became per-se more powerful merely oweing to a change to Smokeless propellent.

I can not think of any American Revolver Cartridges which became more powerful, merely for having been changed to Smokeless propellents.

.45 ACP is a much higher pressure Cartridge, than any of the .455 Revolver Cartridges were or are.

I would not fire standard loadings of .45 ACP in any 'converted' Top Break.

If one were to use .45 ACP Brass, I would hand load, and download appropriately for use in Top Break Revolvers.

 

Thanks, mstf, for getting this discussion going. A minor addition to the cautions re: Webley--my MK VI (1917) has a barrel groove dia. and cylinder throat dia. of .450. So using lead bullets that size assures reasonable pressure and improved accuracy. They're fun to shoot.