Should I have them redone? Colt SAAs

I have purchased 2 1st gen Colt 1873s (at a good price). Both mechanically work just fine. Both are 4 3/4" barrels. One has the old type black powder frame while the other is early 1900s. My issue is both weapons have been 'beautified' by an unknown bubba who polished off many markings (while ignoring some pitting) before giving one an amateur bluing while the other one may have been nickle plated in someone's garage. These deeds happened long ago, possibly in the mid 20th century. Someone stuck a white plastic stock on one and the older one (of still not yet positively identified caliber) now has a smooth 2 piece walnut grip of unknowb origin.

My temptation is to get a Colt letter on both so as to know the original configurations, then have the lettering restored, the metal polished and appropriate finish (and or re-barreling) re-done and fit grips of the correct type.

My thought is who ever the bubba was, whenever he (probably) did his 'improvements' he already destroyed much of the collector value. They remain shootablel Colts, but, er, not pretty ones. Would restoring them as much as possible to their original appearance be a good thing, or a bad thing?

I am sorely tempted. This is onw of them. The rebluing was so long ago it is turning brown. A true shame the clumsy polish job took off most of the writing.

Some thoughts. Both were pretty cheap as authentic Colts go, much less 1st gen guns. In the ballpark of a used Uberti.

I am checking my Kuhnhausen and note a lot of parts interchangeability between 1st and 2nd gen Colts so replacing the pitted cylinder won't be that hard. Indeed, since this a type 1 BP iron frame, there is little downside to replacing an iron cylinder with a modern steel one. The old cylinder can just go in a bag with any other replaced parts, so if someday I want to sell it to some purist who insists on original parts, well, here is the bag of original parts. Curreently the orig cylinder is soaking in WD40 so I can get the bushing out. Experience with 1878s has already taught me a stuck bushing is probably BP corrosion welded and that will need replacement no matter what.. There is no readable caliber marking remaining on the barrel, just a 4.. After I get the bushing out I will play with that. Choices probable, 44 American, .44 Russian, .44 Ely, 44 WCF (aka .44-40), .45 Colt. Checking, yes I can get cylinders, although if it turns out the original from Colt was any of the first 3 a simple .44 Special cylinder of modern steel will suffice. Similar with the barrel. I am not convinced that in the early days the 4.75 lenght was common yet. This could be a barrel switch gun. Time will tell.

I am well aware of the heavy advertising pushing Turnbull and I fully concur they do brilliant work. However, so do many other not as heavily advertised craftsmen shops where the same kind of work can be done far cheaper. I have someone I have used before, who did superlative work on an old 1903 someone had possibly soaked in ocean water before I got it. He is fully capable of restoring the lettering and giving proper colors (once Colt tells me what the original was). I don't see spending thousands to restore the gun. That's silly and results from using mainstream shops while ignoring the many craftsmen who only had a few gun rags show their work once or twice a decade or so ago. LoL to those who think having work you do appear in multiple magazines is always done for free.

I am undecided about the 2 piece wood grips. I am not an SAA expert, but I thought the choices available in the first frame SAAs were one piece wood (or ivory) and 2 piece black rubber. Somehow I had been of the impression 2 piece smooth Walnut grips were a post WWI invention. I may be wrong. Does anyone know of any 1870s specimens with factory original 2 piece smooth wood grips?

I mourn the loss of Kathleen Hoyt as a Colt history resource. She spent way more effort researching Colt guns and generating information than her replacements do. Many current Colt history letters have blocks that say unknown. That didn't happen very often when she ran that shop. But as C. Bartocci has noted repeatedly,,Colt has changed.

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