Sound fishy to me. 3 lines is way to late for a 2 digit gun even a 44 rimfire. To the right of the patent dates should be blank or marked US if it is a martial gun. Sounds like a very worn gun with a mystery mark. Can you post a link to the auction with pictures?

 

Already sounds like you have a Mexican or Belgium copy. Colts were not marked with a caliber on the frame next to the dates. Copies also had Colt or Olt incorporated into and address, but it's not correct. All parts should have a matching two digit number except the housing to be Colt.

JP

 

It was a live auction i have these 2 pictures but thats it.
If its a clone im assuming it has no real value and there would be no harm in cleaning it up?
https://imgur.com/a/XcTQ5

 

I have no idea what that is but I can tell you it is not a Colt.

 

The Trigger and Bolt screw positions appear to be off also. That is not a Colt!

 

In the two digit serial number range, it would have a pinched frame. Also, as others have stated, there would have been no calibre markings, as all would have been .45 Colt (not .44 Winchester, as yours is). Also, as discussed, improper patent date markings.

 

You bought yourself a 'Mexican' copy. I hope you didn't give a SAA price for it. These 2 digit ones are common, a friend has a #12 and I saw another 2 digit that did have a Colt bbl screwed in bring over 4k at auction because the bidders didn't know what it was. There was one on GB a while ago that the seller claimed was a pinched frame....

http://www.coltforum.com/forums/single-action-army/228417-turnbull-said-what.html

it's still there....

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/702271591

 

Well i paid $400 hopefully it can be shot and ill get my value out of being able to shoot it. Whats sad is a colt lightning .44 went for $450 which is where i should have put my money.

 

You need to study up on what you are bidding on. If the Colt Lightning was truly a .44 you would have still been buying a hoax since the Colt Lightning only came in .38 and .41 (nicknamed Thunderer).
tdennis

 

Those were basically built of wrought iron and lo pressure cartridges - do not try shooting it, if you still have use for your fingers and eyes.

You bought a decorator.

Next time, buy a book...

 

Or, if the price is too good to be true, it is probably not true. Or, know your seller. Or, well you get it..

 

It sounds like a 'shady' auction site.

 

You've been offered some excellent advice above. We all make mistakes and I'd turn around and sell it for what it is (or, if possible, return it to the auction house for a refund), recover your 400 bucks, and put it into a Cimarron for plinking.

Chaz

 

Oh i wish i could return it but why would an auction house take it back?

 

Some will and some won't If it was sold as a "COLT" and it is not a colt you have a leg to stand on.

 

Yeah they didnt lead anyone to believe anything about any of the guns even obvious ones. Sad part about that is i ended up being the biggest sucker of the day. Im not too worried about it though. Lesson learned ill survive. Not sure what ill do with it though doesn't seem worth the effort to try and resell. Maybe plug it up and sell it to a reenactor? Practice some ingraving on it/clean it up and display it?

 

Don't kick yourself. Experience is costly and this is a lasting experience at low cost. People are not born cperienced, they become experienced.

 

Bingo! Don't beat yourself up over it. Give the auction people a call and see what they have to say.

 

Yes sorry it was the pump action rifle.

 

Yoyo.
Theres equally as much to know about the Lightning rifles.
And one at $450 was no deal either.
It was a sinking turd too.

 

Theres fakes of those or they are just going down in value? Im sure that was a better buy than mine because that rifle definitely looked shootable.

 

Check your private message, I sent you one regarding this pistol. There may be more to it.

JP

 

Thanks JP. I got your pm but i dont have enough posts to reply yet. Ill post more pictures when i get it back

 

Fyi

Real lightnings ain't cheap: http://www.gunbroker.com/item/702678767
And neither are the USFA replicas cheap: http://www.gunbroker.com/item/703791876

 

Read auction houses fine print re inspection and reps and warrants. Read the description carefully for detail. If the description does not watch the gun, and the house stands behind the description in the catalog, let them know. If the description was vauge or open ended, well, not a bad experience to learn a bit on. Might be a good curio like a kyhber pass rifle. Wouldn't shoot it, but an interesting piece of work. Folk art.