rescued a colt Officers model match .22mag

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bigtubby

bigtubby

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picked this up yesterday it had been sitting in a storage unit for awhile so the story goes, good news is no pitting just blue loss. Is this worth restoring or just make it a shooter I believe only around 850 were made. It is missing the ejector rod head and the grips have a crack that has been repaired. Anybody have a value on this gun in this condition?
colt22mag002.jpg

colt22mag001.jpg
 
Can't tell you about the value, but if it is still tight I would definitely keep it as a shooter. The rod end may be available at Numrich, and the original grips still turn up on E-Bay and Gunbroker. If the price was commensurate with the wear chances are you got a good buy.

A little brass wool and gun oil will help clean up some of the finish issues and should stop the rust from advancing. Those guns were/are fine, accurate and long lasting to boot. Whatever you decide, good on ya for saving that one from rusting to a heap somewhere.
 
The rare caliber makes it a collector gun, but the condition won't excite collectors. Nice ones go for around $3,000. In this shape, I have no idea. I guess a lot more than you paid for it.

If it were me, with my utter lack of interest in shooting 22 Mags, I would put it on Gunbroker at a $500 start and see what folks will offer for it. If you want a deluxe 22 Mag target revolver, then keep it and fix it up.
 
Great find! Personally, I might consider sending it to Turnbull for some charcoal bluing. Maybe also color case harden the hammer and trigger. Fit it with some Herrett's Ropers or maybe ivory or stag with a Tyler T-Grip. :)
 
Would colt refinish this gun? Talked to turnbull they don't want to take it apart and polish it they only want to do the blueing. Any recommendations for taking it down and polishing it?
 
I'd keep it and shoot it.

Depending on whose bidding, you could get as much as 1500 at auction on a good day. You could drop 1500 on a good restoration and maybe break even or lose money at auction 'cause it's a re-blue.

Your call.
 
You could drop 1500 on a good restoration and maybe break even or lose money at auction 'cause it's a re-blue.
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HUGE difference between a restoration and a reblue. He wouldn't be losing any money either. Not that in doing such work resale value should be a prime consideration. If that's the case, don't bother.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is the only consumer product where someone buys something, uses it for 20yrs and doesn't expect to lose any money on it. Silly, at best. :rolleyes:
 
I disagree. No collector I know pays top dollar for a refinished gun (and a restoration is refinished). Value absolutely is diminished.
 
I disagree. No collector I know pays top dollar for a refinished gun (and a restoration is refinished). Value absolutely is diminished.
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I guess I better send a message to Turnbull that all his restored guns are worthless garbage. Come on, this is just silly. Like I said, there is a HUGE difference between a restoration and a refinish. Absolutely NOT the same thing and absolutely NOT the same effect on value. No way in hell is a $200 gun worth less after it's restored. Please. You send a $200 Colt to Turnbull for $500 worth of restoration work and it is worth at least what you have put into it. Period. Does it appeal to the same guys who are buying pristine original Colts? Probably not. Is it worth at least what has been invested? Abso-friggin'-lutely! I'll pay $700 for all the Turnbull restored Colt's I can get.

I see custom guns going for replacement cost all the time. Maybe you guys need to broaden your horizons. :rolleyes:
 
it is rare when I disagree with SaxonPig but in this case, the gun has such a bad finish, I cannot imagine it not being worth more with a good reblue
 
200 OTD?

I would phrase that 'Running out the door':)
Nice find.

As others mentioned, you should first take it out and shoot it to see if you want to keep it.
.22 mags can sometimes give sticky extraction, so use a fired rimfire case over the ejector rod to protect the threads while searching for a replacement.
The screwed don't look boogered so there is every chance that the internals haven't been messed with.
Pull the sideplate and apply some oil judiciously.

If it were mine.
Finish loss on guns I shoot has never been cause for the slightest concern for me at all. Abuse is something else but this gun just looks neglected.

Dferriswheel - Colt forum - has a sticky on proper method for re-polishing the sides of the hammer. I would also properly repair the chipped grip.
Never have seen that crack on a rimfire set. I've bedded my .38 and .357 full checkered targets though as that crack is in a very familiar place. Weak spot in the design with the wood grain angle.

The quality of a blue job is entirely dependent on the polish. I agree with Saxon that any refinish takes the gun out of collector status, at least for our lifetimes. The gun is not a 130 year old SAA.
Your gun is not in top collector grade obviously, but it is an original 1st or 2nd year rarer model, so tough to make a market call.
Since Turnbull won't touch it, you could get in touch with Colt if you want it looking new. Long wait if they will do it.
If you are selling it, I sorta think that letting the next owner decide might be the best way to go.

Enjoy it while you make up your mind though!
JT
 
Very nice I know a guy who picked one up in .22l.r. at a gunshow last month for $800. He managed to sell it to the lgs for $975. I understand that the .22 mags go for quite a bit more as there were only about 850 made.
 
It is worth about $1000 as is. I would send it to Colt and invest another $600 or so and have a wonderful gun. 6" .22 MRF are very, very good small game fun tools BTW. Don't o any thing other than clean up the beautiful grips.
 
The only firearm Colt produces with a good blued finish is the SAA. They're already farming out their case coloring to Turnbull. Why does everybody still think that Colt is the last word in refinishing??? I'd send it to Ford's before I'd send it to Colt but the only place to get authentic Pre-war charcoal bluing is Turnbull.
 
Craig,

The reason to send it to Colt is because of the rarity of the piece.

Since it must have a refinish, it's value and collectibility is enhanced by the receipt that says "Colt"...no matter who they have do it.
 
But my question is, is Colt even still qualified to do fine finish work on a rare old sixgun? IMHO, a Colt refinish is not going to be worth any more than that from a well respected restoration house. Just don't take it to Billy Bob around the corner. Screw the receipt, if I'm spending that much on a refinish/restoration, my first priority is getting it done right. Not the name on the receipt. Unless you're doing it strictly for resale value. In which case, why bother???

Same for S&W, they do not produce any finely made, hand finished sixguns any more. Do they really still have the skilled labor required to refinish a bright blued sixgun?

Personally, I'd send mine where I KNEW they had the talent to do it right. I would NEVER assume that the manufacturer still had the capability of giving me the same level of fit & finish they produced 50yrs ago, just because.
 
The S&W looks good and the price is more than reasonable. It just always sounded to me like folks were repeating what they heard when it comes to S&W's refinish work. I like to be sure. ;)

That said, I may send them my freckled 27, if I decide to keep it.
 
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