Rare Find - A NIB Colt Revolver

[FPrice]

I guess you are asking, "What's so rare about a NIB Colt?".

Well, as far as we can tell, this is a 1918 Colt Army .38 Special. The blueing looks as good as the day it came from the factory. Just the barest hint of a dragline around the cylinder, absolutely NO evidence of burned powder or residue suggesting it has never been fired. The bottom of the grips match exactly to the frame, have probably never been off this revolver. Still some traces of cosmoline or other preservative on the trigger, hammer, and inside the crane area.

My dealer, a former Colt employee, plans on keeping this for a while. Any one care to estimate what such a revolver would sell for today?

 

[Old Fuff]

WOW!!!!!

Yes, things like this happen, but not very often. The "Army Special" isn't a particularly hot collectable, but in time I think it will become so - especially in the condition you describe. It is hard to price guns like this because they are seldom offered for sale, and therefore you can't find a market baseline to estimate from. Also the number of interested parties are fewer then would be the case with some other models - such as a New Service or Government Model made at the same time and in the same condition.

All of this said, I would say it would be in the $600.00 to $900.00 ballpark, but a serious collector might well go higher.

 

[Majic]

You also have to consider that it has been fired (the cylinder ring) sometime in the past, cleaned and then had cosmoline applied to it before it was put up.
Back in those days the stocks were fitted to the revolvers so the perfect fit is not unusual.
I do agree with Old Fluff as they aren't as collectable as say the OMT, but his pricing is right on track considering the condition.