Colt SA .22 Question

[harley_52]

Newbie to the site. Maybe somebody can help.

I purchased what I believed to be a Colt New Frontier SA .22. It has both cylinders and is in good condition. Barrel says "New Frontier .22." Blued barrel, case hardened frame. Seller said he bought it new "sometime in the 1970s."

When I check the serial number (L098xx) it comes up as a 1974 or 1975 Peacemaker .22 model. The front sight is ramped and the rear sight is adjustable. It's my understanding that the Peacemaker .22 had a rounded front blade and fixed rear sights.

In other words it appears I have a New Frontier revolver with a Peacemaker .22 frame, but with New Frontier sights.

Anybody ideas on whether it may have come from the factory this way, or should I assume the seller was feeding me a line?

Thanks...

 

[Jim K]

The Peacemaker .22 and the New Frontier .22 were introduced at the same time to replace the Frontier Scout. IIRC, they were numbered in the same Peacemaker .22 series, so a serial number search will show your gun as a Peacemaker .22, not as a New Frontier .22.

Jim

 

[harley_52]

Thanks, Jim. That's exactly what I found. I was wondering if anybody else had a similar revolver, by chance. I'm wondering if it's possible the factory installed the New Frontier barrel on the Peacemaker frame, that's what the serial number might indicate. But when I look at the front and rear sights, they are NOT the sights that are supposed to be on a Peacemaker .22. Mine has an adjustable rear sight and a ramped front sight. Peacemaker's have a notched backstrap rear sight and a blade front sight. The barrel says New Frontier, but the serial number indicates Peacemaker .22. Very strange. The seller claimed to have purchased it new and made no modifications.

 

[Jim K]

Maybe I didn't make myself clear. Colt made two models of .22; they called the first one the "Peacemaker .22" and started a serial number series. Then they added the gun they called the "New Frontier .22" which had a flat top and adjustable rear sight. But they didn't start a new number series. They produced both guns at the same time and in the same number series. For example, 12345 might be a Peacemaker .22 and 12346 a New Frontier .22. Colt didn't distinguish them by serial number.

There was no separate New Frontier .22 series, so a search on any New Frontier .22 serial number will tell you it is in the Peacemaker .22 series. Any New Frontier .22 will look exactly like yours, and will have a serial number in the Peacemaker .22 series.

Jim

 

[bannockburn]

There's currently a New Frontier at the local gunshop that has the half rounded front sight and the adjustable rear sight. I always liked it with the ramped front sight; just seemed more modern and stylish that way.