Colt DA41 Refinished or Not Refinished (Pics)

[XxWINxX94]

Hello everyone,
I inherited this Colt D.A. 41 and have done a little research and its a 41 Long Colt caliber, double action revolver mfg in 1902ish with S/N 130,7XX. I asked a friend about it and he said it could have been refinished, thus making the value alot less.

I went to a gun show this past weekend and saw one just like this in 38 caliber for over $1000!
Took it to the gunsmith because the cylinder wouldn't turn. The gunsmith found a part for it, however, he said the part would be very diffifult to fit in and he "didn't want to take the chance" because the gun was so old and expensive.

Anyone have any info on a 1902-ish Colt DA 41?
Here are the pictures:

By fenderman77, shot with DSC-W70 at 2010-04-20

By fenderman77, shot with DSC-W70 at 2010-04-20

 

[Steve C]

One can usually tell a refinish job by how sharp the lettering is, the corners and if parts that are normally not blued have been. On old handguns like this its probably worth while to get a professional appraisal though you will have to pay for it. Occasionally one runs into an old gun that's been kept in good conditions and not shot much so there's little to no wear on the original finish. As a collectors piece guns in this condition can have a value many times the top "book" value typically found in the gun trading guides but you need to know what you are looking at.

I had a friend that picked up an old percussion pistol from civil war era at one of the large Las Vegas shows that came from a family that had owned it since the 1800's. Can't remember the make but it was in such good original condition that many of the less knowledgeable thought it was a replica or had been refinished. The book said it was worth a little over $2k as an original antique in what is excellent antique condition but there's an adjustment in the books for exceptional condition antiques that put its value at $16,000. He bought it for the $2K.

 

[XxWINxX94]

Wow your friend got really lucky!
Anyway, The letters and markings seem pretty crisp and legible, it does not look like it has been sanded or anything, it shot when I tried it out, but does not function at the moment. I'm sure that lowers the value alot.

 

[Old Fuff]

The revolver is a Colt model 1877 .41 D.A. (Double Action). They were made from 1877 to about 1908. They are not safe to shoot unless the cartridges are loaded with black powder, and even then it is questionable if they should be fired.

The $1,000 figure is high, unless the gun is functional, and the finish is original. Most (but not all) of these revolvers had color- casehardened frames and hammers, so I think a refinish is probable, but I can't say for sure without examining the piece.

Most gunsmiths won't touch them with a ten-foot pole because the internal action is complicated and dificult to fix.

One possible exception is David Chicoine, who is highly qualified but not inexpensive. He can be found at www.oldwestgunsmith.com

 

[XxWINxX94]

Old Fluff,
Thanks for your information,
I checked out the link on David Chicoine, and I'm sure he is the man for the job, however he doesn't offer a price for a mechanics/part replacement, from what I seen. How much could it possibly be? I already have the part for the gun, just has to be fit in.

Do you have any idea where David is located? Or if he does walk-ins? As I will be taking a road trip this summer.

 

[Old Fuff]

Do you have any idea where David is located? Or if he does walk-ins?

Last I knew, he was in North Carolina, but that was in 2004. I believe his son is a member here, but I don't remember his user name.

I don't think he has a price list as such, because antique restoration is mostly a unique job, going from one gun to another.

Perhaps an e-mail (if an address is listed in his web site) might get the ball rolling.

To add: You may have a part, but getting it to work in this particular revolver can turn most gunsmiths that take one on, to strong drink. Anyone that has had any experience with one usually doesn't want any more -experience that is. What ever he charges he'll earn his money.

 

[LC '92]

That Colt looks suspiciously dark and uniform in color. Also the grip wear is inconsistent with the metal wear. The metal should have a patina to it that I just don't see. Maybe its the quality of the pictures, but from what I can see it doesn't pass my smell test. Didn't these have a case hardened frame and blued grip frame? I see no turn lines on the cylinder either.

In gun traders circles this little revolver is referred to as a Colt Thunderer. If it were a .38 it would be called a Lightening. Colt never used these names, just one of the major marketers.

 

[XxWINxX94]

LC '92,
I agree, It seems to be in NRA: 'Too Good to Be True' Condition for a 100+ year old gun.
It could however, be those pictures, here are a couple more:
Something still has me believing it could be original. The relation I inherited this gun and an entire collection from, really new his stuff. He had some of the finest, oldest guns that were in very good condition, some of which are very hard to believe. Only 1 replica that I knew of.

But ya never know.

 

[VA27]

Sadly, it looks refinished to me.

You should not shoot or dry fire the gun as they are a complete nightmare to work on. A friend of mine had one not working. Got the part, had it fixed and broke the same part the first time he shot it.

If it's a family treasure or has some historical connection, shadow-box it and hang it in a place of honor.

Do a search of auction sites and see what guns in similar condition are bringing and make a decision to sell or not.

Become a collector of 1877s and buy all you can find.

Learn to make them work and become rich beyond your wildest dreams.

 

[LC '92]

The latest pictures tell the tale. The lettering on the barrel is way too shallow. Whomever buffed it did a good job as they did not smear the letters or dish the screw holes, but that lettering is buffed in my opinion.

Still its a nice piece and I am by no means an authority on refinished Colts.

I hope this was helpful.

 

[XxWINxX94]

Well thanks for all your input guys.
I'll probbaly take it to a gun show and see what the best offer is, if I dont like it, Ill probbaly keep it cause its old. I've got a thing for old stuff in general!

 

[sherpa]

refinish no doubt.

 

[Guillermo]

letters tell the story

refinish

 

[EnsignJimmy]

Yes. The letters tell the story, and the finish is the wrong color for a Colt factory-original finish of the apparent condition (if you've seen a Colt finish from that era, it'd be shinier and . . . well, more blue. This finish looks like a modern blue.) This is a refinished Colt 1877 in .41 Colt, commonly referred to as the "Thunderer." It is in the usual mechanical condition for these guns (i.e. broken.)

Fixing it will require disassembling the Rube Goldberq-esque collection of parts that passes for an action in this weapon, and very precisely hand-fitting the replacement part (which was probably scavenged from another equally old gun which was broken down for parts. Ergo, it will be made with the same 19th century metallurgy, and will begin wearing the moment you start working the action for any reason.)

Even gunsmiths who work on antique actions absolutely hate working on the 1877, as the action has a well-deserved reputation for fragility, and is usually described as "the worst double-action mechanism ever conceived."

With all that in mind, I'd say you'd probably get between $400 to $600 for this gun.