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Purchase advice for newbie please...

2K views 34 replies 17 participants last post by  boaconrp 
#1 ·
I am new to Colt SAAs, and to the forum, but I have been learning a lot from reading the posts. I am considering purchasing a Peacemaker Centennial in .45LC and could use some advice. I've heard that they are great guns. The one I'm looking at appears to be in excellent (98%) condition, but it's the gun only- no nice display box or documents. It's $1500.00, which is certainly affordable, but I'm not sure if it's a good deal for the gun by itself. I love the way it looks, and I was thinking it might make a great shooter. If I do use it as a shooter, will it hold its value? I know the 'commemorative' market is a lot different from the standard models. I'd appreciate your opinions...

I'm also curious about two other things:

-If it was made in 1975 is it still considered a second-generation gun?

-Can I shoot modern smokeless ammo, even though it's a 'black powder' frame? I assume so, but I don't know for sure.

Thanks a lot!
 
#4 ·
Price sounds pretty darn good to me. As for holding its value if you shoot it, without the box and papers it pretty much has zero collector value, so shooting can't hurt it that much. Might as well have fun with it. Guns are terrible long term investments anyway. Those that are really valuable and worth 100-1000 times what someone paid for them, generally that original owner has been under ground for a very long time.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Yes it's a modern gun, smokeless ammo fine.

Yes it's a 2nd gen with removable cyl pin bushing.

Price is ok. If you want one with a case you'll have to pay more. Buy this one, you won't know when another will show up. If and when you find one in a case, resell this gun.

If it's only 98% now, your not gonna' depreciate it any more by shooting it unless you put a lot of holster wear on it.
 
#6 ·
Thanks, that's what I figured. I'd like to find the perfect gun that I get for a great price, get to shoot it, and watch it appreciate in value! But, more realistically, maybe I'll settle for a nice-looking shooter that (hopefully) holds its value.
 
#30 · (Edited)
The workmanship is the same. The basic difference is:

The NRA guns are just standard 2nd gens with NRA on the barrel and the grip medallions.
The Centennial model is a factory reproduction of a 1st gen cavalry model with many authentic features you won't see on any other 2nd gen. This includes Military inspector stamps, and the following list of features:

Original Feature:-------------------------------Accuracy of the Centennial Model:

1Rear sight variations - "V" notch sight. 1873 - 1931correct
2Base pin retaining - front entry screw. 1873 - 1896correct
3Patent date markings - 2 line format. 1873 - 1877correct
4Frame — No Rampant Colt marking - 1873 - 1890 (correct by one year for short barrel),correct
5Hammer - first style knurling length/shanknot correct — knurling
right, but shank narrow, front to back
6Stocks - one piece oiled walnut. 1873 - 1891 militarycorrect
7Firing pin — fixed cone type. 1873 - 1905not correct — fixed, but contoured pin type
8Assembly numbers - under frame and gate. 1873 - 1909correct
9Trigger guard - flat bottom bow. 1873 - 1894correct
10Trigger guard caliber markings - None. Round bottomcorrect

not correct, flat
11Cylinder — BP chamfer, large flute. 1873 - 1913correct
12Base pin bushing - removable 1873 - 1975correct
13Base pin - small hole in each end of base pin. 1873 - 1903correct
14Barrel rifling - rounded or bead type rifling. 1873 - 1910correct
15Barrel address markings - first style Italics address. 1873 - 1876correct
16Front sight -narrow blade but too large-.620” base.not correct
17Barrel - no caliber marking.correct, exc. has Anniv. legend
18Serial numbers — All 3 visual. 1873 - 1920correct
19Serial numbers — Trigger guard markings. Forward of bow. 1873 - 1919correct
20Serial numbers - Frame. Forward of trigger guard. 1873 - 1940correct
21Serial numbers - Barrel. 1873 - 1883 Under ejector housing.correct
22Serial numbers - Cylinder side. 1873 - 1883correct
23Ejector housing — tapered, no full slotnot correct
24Ejector head - Round "bullseye" style. 1873 - 1882correct
25Ejector rod - Round style rod. 1873 - 1884correct
26Loading gate - tapered width.not correct
27 Corners beveled
where the trigger
guard strap meets
the wood ---------------------------------------------------------correct

28 Royal blue ----------------------------------------------------not correct

29 Fouling cut-out under top strap --------------------------doesn't have, incorrect

30 Of course screw threads -----------------------------------not correct
 
#17 · (Edited)
Simple answer, one of the best 2nd Gen SAAs Colt made. One of their "best guns made" ever... in fact. $1500 makes me wonder what is wrong with it.
Meh, I have seen some overpolished examples also.

Each gun needs to be judged on its merits. I don't agree with carte blanche telling a newbie to buy a SAA without seeing pictures of said specimen. The newbie doesn't know what he is looking at and neither do we.

1 - How do any of you know the gun is original finish? Can the OP judge if the finish is original? He is just starting in the SAA world
2 - What is the action like on this gun? Will it need action work? Does the OP know enough to look at and handle the gun and tell?
3 - How is the build quality? There were some that slipped through Colt.
 
#16 · (Edited)
My local Cabela's just had one that just sold that was "like new" in the box. It was a lot more than $1500. It along with the Bat Masterson Lawman series are my favorite Commemorative/Centennial Colt made. There is a good article on the Peacemaker Centennial from "American Handgunner" from March/April 2016 on why it is one of the best Colts ever made. I'm hoping Colt is still around and makes a 150th Anniversary Peacemaker in 2023?!
 
#20 ·
Well, I went ahead and bought it. My wife said to consider it an early birthday present! What can I say- I'm a lucky man. I found it on GunsAmerica and it's coming from a shop in Chicago called Midwest Guns. The pics are resized here, but the full-resolution images are huge, and the gun looks right to my relatively untrained eye. I believe it is the factory finish, and everything looks good to me. Of course I can't tell anything about the action, but that's a risk I'll have to take. From what I read on this forum, there are several qualified people out there who can work magic on Colt SAA actions.

Here are a couple pics. I hope they come out okay- it's my first time trying to post photos. Let me know what you all think.

Firearm Gun Trigger Revolver Gun accessory
Firearm Gun Trigger Revolver Gun accessory
 
#25 · (Edited)
What Saintclair says. I own a 1873-1973 .45 and a finer gun would be hard to find. I run black powder through it and it looks as new. I have 4 of the 44-40s from that run with thousands of black powder rounds through them, a little nickel on the front of the cylinder is worn off otherwise they are in wonderful condition. Nice purchase.
 
#32 ·
Last month at their shop, I bought a 1970 vintage 45 SAA NF from Midwest. They advertised it as 98%. Close examination in person made me think it was at least 99% and virtually unfired. They said it was all matching and were more than happy to remove the cylinder and grips to confirm that the serial numbers and assembly numbers matched. And they did. They have been advertising several Colt SAAs over the last few months. Their story is that they were owned by some rich collector who is now divesting himself/herself of the collection. I don't recall them saying if the previous owner just lost interest or passed on. Right now they have 1/2 dozen SAAs for sale, I believe from that collection...mostly commemoratives and one k-serial number 22. Unfortunately no boxes are available although, who knows, one of their sales people said they may show up some day. If that happens, I hope they go back through their sales files and offer the boxes to whoever bought that SAA. I go to their shop about once a month and to their website daily. If I hear that that the original boxes become available, I'll post it here. Overall, buying from Midwest was a good experience (no, I don't work for them) and I don't anticipate any issues buying from them again. Enjoy your new SAA. I'm loving mine.
 
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