Realistic gun value needed

[Myers]

Hey everyone im new here. But i have been looking for a good gun forum. I have a gun i want to sell but i need to get a realistic price to start at. I have looked it up in the books but im not real sure how close you can follow the values they give. The gun i have is a 1890-1891 Colt SAA .45cal. 71/2 inch barrel it is all matching numbers except the loading gate. I also have the holster that goes with it,with the US stamp on the flap. The holster is not perfect by any means but you can still read the US and is fully intact except the plug in the end. The gun i would say is about 60% but then im not real sure how they figure the percentages. It still has a lot of blueing the grips are in good shape the cylinder spins like it is on bearings. It may even be more than 60% but who knows. The book puts it at around 30K and i havent found any price for the holster. But im sure i cant get that for it right???


Any help would be great! Or if you know someone that might interested in let me know with a PM Thanks again!!!!!

 

[moewadle]

What area of the US do you live?

You could take it to someone for appraisal. Find out their appraisal fee and then perhaps pay it so you know what value you have. Take it to a reputable dealer that has lots of knowledge of antique firearms. I asked what area of the country you live because there is a dealer in the little town of Galesburg, Illinois that has a web site and a storefront. They are called Simpson Limited, Collectible Firearms. You could probably get an appraisal from someone of thier ilk.

 

[Trebor]

Talk to Jim Supica at Old Town Station if you are interested in selling the gun. He might be able to point you somewhere to get a good, profesional appraisel if you aren't interested in selling right now but just need a value.

That is a specialty item in high collector demand. It can be worth quite a bit, depending on the condition and whether it is original or has been repaired or altered. Get a good estimate before you sell, if you sell.

Here's a link:

http://armchairgunshow.com/

 

[mnrivrat]

Well, It sounds to me like you need a professional appraisel. That can only be done by a sight inspection and by a knowledgable person having up to date information on values.

A little more information and some nice pictures might draw at least some guidlines , but other than a general range of value,it is all but impossible over the internet forums to produce a good number for the guns worth.

Welcome to THR , by the way. Sounds like you have a good one. Are the grips wood, and marked US also ?

edit: looks like two people got in there before I could get this typed ! LOL - I think their advise is consistant with what you might want to do.

 

[JohnBT]

A factory letter from Colt, although expensive, would be one place to start.

www.coltsmfg.com/cmci/historical.asp

 

[Myers]

I am very interested in selling the gun but,at the same time i dont want to give it away. Im not looking to retire off it but i would like to make a little money Im only 28 so i dont think i will make enough to retire just yet. I will contact Colt that sounds like a good idea. I will have to see what is involved in it. I will also look into getting it appraised also. Yes it has wood grips but i dont remeber seeing a US stamp on them.I will have to get it out and look at it. I will post some pics if i can figure out how to do it. Maybe i will just host them and post a link. To me the gun is in real good shape for being around 115 years old. Thanks for all the advise i will post pics later.

 

[Jim Watson]

I think the best way to get the most money out of a gun like that is to try to get it into one of the big name auctions. But I don't know if they take single pieces. You are not going to sell a multi-kilobuck antique at the local swap meet. A dealer here has a couple of well worn century XIX single actions going begging for $3000+ and $5000+. Are they worth it? Not to anybody here. Could he get it with better exposure? I dunno.

I agree that Jim Supica would be a good resource.

 

[Jim K]

Just FYI, the number stamped on SAA loading gates is not the serial number; it is an assembly number and should match the number stamped on the bottom of the frame under the trigger guard. So if the other numbers match, the gun is all matching.

Proper fitting of those two parts was so critical to the appearance of the gun that they were specially fitted and polished together, hence the special assembly number.

Jim

 

[Myers]

The pics dont do it justice but you can get an idea anyway!
Plus i know you guys like looking at guns anyway right?

 

[Myers]

Well i can tell you the loading gate numbers dont match the rest of the gun. But i researched that a little and the best answer i got on it was that sometimes the loading gate would get broke in the field. So the guys would do a field repair and that could be why the number is totaly different. So it could be that the gun i have saw action at one point?

 

[Jim K]

Hi, Myers,

Maybe you posted before reading what I wrote. If so, go back and read it. The loading gate number will never (except by coincidence) match the serial number, nor was it intended to. Nor is the assembly number on the frame the regular frame serial; it is in addition to the frame serial number on the front bottom. The assembly number is hidden and is in the same "font" as the loading gate number.

Jim

 

[Myers]

I was just saying that all the numbers on the gun say 133278 except the loading gate that says 1352

 

[Trebor]

Contact Jim Supica. Talk to him about the possibility of selling the gun or at least getting a current appraisal. If you don't need the money from a quick sale, I'd say, get it appraised, get it insured, and keep it in a safe place.

It's NOT going to go down in value and will most likely be worth even more, keeping well ahead of inflation and interest rate, in the future.

Just don't lose it, damage it, let it get stolen, try to shoot it, or try to "restore it." Don't even clean it. Leave it "as-is."

 

[Jim K]

And I am saying that is fine, the gun is not "mismatched."

Jim

 

[Myers]

Well that is good to know that it is not mismatched. Thanks for the info. Well i would like to sell it kind of quick because i have some bills to pay off but not a huge deal if it doesnt. I will most likely get it appraised,but how do you go about getting a gun insured? I read some on that link from Old town but im not real sure about just mailing my gun off to some random guy to look at. Seems a little risky. Should i keep it oiled to prevent rust? And no i will never shoot something that old. And it is lock well away in a safe So how do the pics look does it look like it is in good shape to you guys? Im kind of new to the OLD gun seen. Been around guns all my life but im not sure if that gun would be considered in good shape or not?

 

[moewadle]

You insure it by

going to a reputable insurance company that sells home coverage. Take some photos of it with you to show agent.

 

[Jim K]

It would be better to just add the gun to your current home owners policy. You will probably have to provide a description and serial number, but there is no way around that, as insurance companies won't insure a "pig in a poke."

Call your agent and talk about a gun you are "thinking of buying" and see what he says. You might find that your insurance company is one of those that not only won't insure the gun but will cancel your insurance if you even own a gun; if so, now is the time to find out and to shop for a company that is not in the pocket of the Brady Campaign.

Are there large gun shows in your area? If so, take it to a show, find the guy with the biggest Colt display and see if he will make an offer. No matter what the offer is, thank him and try someone else. In a couple of hours, you should have a pretty good idea of what you can get for the gun.

An alternative is to put it on one of the gun auction web sites. The gun is an antique (made in 1890) so it doesn't have to go through an FFL dealer.

Prices on SAA's are slacking off a bit, or at least not rising as fast as they had been but still I wish I had a bushel basket full of them.

FWIW, and this is in no way a formal appraisal, but I think that gun would retail around $2200, but it might bring more at auction or at a gun show. What you could expect to get from a dealer, I don't know. Let's see what others say.

Jim