I have a 4" 1969 Python with factory nickel finish. I guess it was an old LEO wheeler as a lot of the finish is worn off on the holstering side of the barrel and cylinder. Sooo, I want to have it refinished. If I do it in blue, i have a local gunsmith who does beautiful work. If I want it re-nickeled, I guess I have to send it back to Colt for a pro job as nobody locally does nickel work, and I have some reluctance to sending it off to strangers. Which finish makes the gun easier to sell? Blue or nickel?
Python blue or nickel?
- Thread starter 223lover
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Python finishes seem to go in cycles.
Sometimes it feels like the Royal Blue is in more demand, and other times Nickel is hot.
Being that the gun we be refinished either way, and the collector value will not be as great as a factory original gun, I would probaly run with what makes you happier.
The cost of having the gun refinished may have a bearing on which way I go.
If your local boy tells you he can do it for $200 and Colt tells you to renickel would be $350, you may sway one way of the other.
***On a side note, I do however feel if someone knows that the gun was refinished by the COLT factory, they would not hesitate in buying the gun from you. Where as if you told them it was refinished by Bob down the street, they may not want to pull the trigger (if you know what I mean).
Good luck either way.
Jeff (GUNKWAZY)
Sometimes it feels like the Royal Blue is in more demand, and other times Nickel is hot.
Being that the gun we be refinished either way, and the collector value will not be as great as a factory original gun, I would probaly run with what makes you happier.
The cost of having the gun refinished may have a bearing on which way I go.
If your local boy tells you he can do it for $200 and Colt tells you to renickel would be $350, you may sway one way of the other.
***On a side note, I do however feel if someone knows that the gun was refinished by the COLT factory, they would not hesitate in buying the gun from you. Where as if you told them it was refinished by Bob down the street, they may not want to pull the trigger (if you know what I mean).
Good luck either way.
Jeff (GUNKWAZY)
Olympus
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+1
I know someone who bought a blued Python that was probably the roughest shape I've ever seen. He sent it back to Colt and they replaced a lot of the internals and smoothed everything back up to factory specs. He then had them redo all the roll marks and logo and had the gun reblued. He bought some nice woods stocks on GB and put them on afterwards. The gun looked like it was brand spanking new! If I hadn't known it was refinished, I wouldn't have been able to tell.
I know someone who bought a blued Python that was probably the roughest shape I've ever seen. He sent it back to Colt and they replaced a lot of the internals and smoothed everything back up to factory specs. He then had them redo all the roll marks and logo and had the gun reblued. He bought some nice woods stocks on GB and put them on afterwards. The gun looked like it was brand spanking new! If I hadn't known it was refinished, I wouldn't have been able to tell.
Jim Watson
Member
If it were an antique, a real collector would prefer a worn original finish to a factory refinish and would turn up his nose at even a first class commercial refinish.
Pythons are kind of a cult object and looks count. I think a factory refinish would enhance its resale value. But the question is, would it enhance it enough to pay for itself?
Would the refinished resale value equal the worn resale value plus the cost of refinishing?
I don't know because Colt does not publish their refinishing charges. Check at
http://www.coltsmfg.com/custom-q10048-FIREARM_REFINISHING.aspx
and call them up.
If I were going to keep it and shoot it, I think I would change it to blue. Blue will wear more than nickel but it is not as ugly when it does.
Pythons are kind of a cult object and looks count. I think a factory refinish would enhance its resale value. But the question is, would it enhance it enough to pay for itself?
Would the refinished resale value equal the worn resale value plus the cost of refinishing?
I don't know because Colt does not publish their refinishing charges. Check at
http://www.coltsmfg.com/custom-q10048-FIREARM_REFINISHING.aspx
and call them up.
If I were going to keep it and shoot it, I think I would change it to blue. Blue will wear more than nickel but it is not as ugly when it does.
10X
Member
This may be a dumb question. If you take the nickel off and then blue the gun, would you not get some gaps. i.e. the sideplate fitting the frame, more gap from cylinder to barrel, etc?
dfariswheel
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- Dec 26, 2002
- Messages
- 6,656
No.
Nickel plating is thicker than plated finishes like hard chrome, and you do have to take that into account when plating guns, especially when plating auto slide and frame rails.
However, revolvers are plated AFTER the parts are fitted, so side plate fit is not an issue.
Neither is barrel/cylinder gap, since the plating isn't THAT thick.
A refinish depends on what you want.
If you intend to just sell the gun, likely you'd loose money after paying for a refinish, unless you flat out lie and tell the buyer its the original finish.
A badly done refinish will actually lower the price to any knowledgeable buyer who can see the damage done by a ham-fisted re-finisher.
Best advice is to either send the gun in to Colt for an original quality refinish, or just sell it as-is.
There's no reason to ruin a good Python by having a crappy polish and finish done to it.
This is like taking a Ferrari down to one of those cheapy one day paint shops and having it painted.
Nickel plating is thicker than plated finishes like hard chrome, and you do have to take that into account when plating guns, especially when plating auto slide and frame rails.
However, revolvers are plated AFTER the parts are fitted, so side plate fit is not an issue.
Neither is barrel/cylinder gap, since the plating isn't THAT thick.
A refinish depends on what you want.
If you intend to just sell the gun, likely you'd loose money after paying for a refinish, unless you flat out lie and tell the buyer its the original finish.
A badly done refinish will actually lower the price to any knowledgeable buyer who can see the damage done by a ham-fisted re-finisher.
Best advice is to either send the gun in to Colt for an original quality refinish, or just sell it as-is.
There's no reason to ruin a good Python by having a crappy polish and finish done to it.
This is like taking a Ferrari down to one of those cheapy one day paint shops and having it painted.
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