Colt Diamondback Price

[Olympus]

Yeah, I guess I need to get some pictures of it and get them posted. The left side of the gun is probalby 85-90% on the finish. The right side is more corroded and I would probably call it 60-65%. I looks like someone spray painted too close and got overspray on the one side. I tried the Flitz and it really makes the nickel shine, but didn't do anything for spots. They only had the liquid instead of the paste, so I don't know if that will make a difference or not.

 

[Olympus]

Well here are the pictures I promised. They didn't turn out as good as I would have liked. It's harder to see the corrosion spots than I would have liked. The left side of the gun is the side that is in better condition. The right side has the most spots. A couple of the pictures you can see them a little better in if you're looking hard. So I need some expert opinions about what to do. Refinish or not refinish?

 

[Olympus]

Well I posted some pics and I'm still waiting on the learned guys to weigh in with whether or not to refinish. I've probably rubbed and buffed on this thing for hours. I even got some 0000 steel wool and rubbed the worst spots....not joy. I'm thinking the spots are actually in the finish. When I rub my finger over them, they're not rough or course like you would expect corrosion to be. They're just a smooth as the rest of the gun. That's what leads me to believe the spots won't come out.

 

[Brian Dale]

I'm not one of the experts. I've been around good Colt revolvers from infancy, but I don't have the truly remarkable expertise that some of these guys have. Still, I've been aware of their prices in various conditions for a few decades now.

Unless the learned guys tell you different, I recommend that you buy lots and lots of standard pressure ammo, shoot your Diamondback frequently, and keep taking good care of it.

 

[Guillermo]

what Brian Dale said

 

[don95sml]

My vote hardly counts, since I'm not an expert even though I own a Diamondback. I'll buck the majority and vote for the refinish. But that's because I'm a picky owner, and if that were my gun I'd want it to look better.

 

[Ateam-3]

Like others have said, I am not an authority either. However, I do speak from experience as an owner of Colts. I would not refinish this gun. I purchased a Nickel Python about 5 years ago that was in about 70% condition. Its finish had been ruined by long term storage in a leather holster. Like yours, most of the 'black spots' are on the right side of the revolver. It could pass as a big brother to the gun you show in your pictures. As you have described, I cleaned and polished with Flitz polish along with a cloth polishing wheel. It cleaned up well and has been enjoyable to shoot.

I chose not to have it factory refinished as I thought it would hurt the value. This decision was based on personal experience and recommendations from many others.

In the end, make the decision that you feel is correct. Enjoy this as it is a fine revolver.

 

[DC3-CVN-72]

If it were me I would leave this one alone and just have fun shooting it. I think over time this COLT will always be worth more than you paid for it. do what you like. over time even if you refinish it I think you'll at least break even. If you never sell it, you restored a piece of history for yourself & children or good friend.

 

[Olympus]

Thanks to everyone who has provided some feedback on this issue. I greatly appreciate all the help! I also agree with what everyone has said. That's probably why I'm so torn between the two choices. I see the point of leaving it like it is and I also see why it might be worth it to refinish.

I think that I've decided to do both actually! I didn't buy the gun because of collector value or because I could turn around make money selling it. I've always wanted a Diamondback just to keep. I have no interest in selling it now that I have it. But I also hate to have a gun that's too valuable to shoot or that I'm worried about hurting by taking it out of the safe. So I think I'm going to leave the gun in the present condition and just enjoy shooting it. I won't feel bad taking it to the range because the current finish is already flawed. I'll keep it like it is until I move on to another gun that's fun to shoot. So maybe after a few years down the road, I'll revisit my decision to refinish. Because really it just hurts me to see a gun this pretty with "acne" because I know how much better it would look and make me feel knowing it was perfect again.

So thanks again for everyone's opinion on this matter.