Value of 45 Colt Revolver

[Jonathan125]

I have a Colt 45 caliber single action revolver with stag grips and 4 3/4 inch barrel. The serial number is 91430 on barrel and frame of gun. The serial number on trigger guard does not match and is S/N 51335. The trigger guard looks like it came from a 44. The side of the gun has 3 dates. The first one appears to be Jan 1871 (not sure about this one) the second is 2-72 and the third is Jan 19 - 75. It is nickel plated and as far as I can tell the plating is intact. I also have the holster for this gun manufactured by H. H. Heiser of Denver, Colorado. It is intricately carved. Pictures of gun and holster are attached. This gun belonged to my father and I've had it since his death in 1989. I'm not sure where he got it but I remember him having it when I was a kid back in the 50's. I would be extremely interesting in knowing the value of this gun and holster. Thank you.

[Bill DeShivs]

The nickel plating and grips are not original.
That's all I can tell you.

[Hawg]

What Bill said. Somebody was really ham handed with the buffing wheel. That gunbelt is worth some bucks, maybe more than the gun if it's in good shape but it needs some serious cleaning and preserving.

[rhmc24]

Barrel length and mixed numbers would make me want to investigate if it was a US Artillery piece. Should have US stamped on left side below the cylinder near where the numbers are (sometimes faint). Plastic stag grips don't do it any good. Heiser holster rig is a big plus. Hipshot at value $1500, maybe a third of that in the holster rig. I would consider selling the holster & belt separate from the gun.

FOINF the Artillery is a gun that started out as a 7 1/2" barrel piece for the US Cavalry. They got rebuilt, barrel shortened and put back together without regard to matching the original numbers.

If proven to be an Artillery, it could be worth more to someone who would strip the nickel plate and put on the correct grip. I once did that with a distressed nickel plated Artillery I bought for $600. I made a new grip, refinished it and have a nice gun. Here is a picture of it. You can see the US mark.

[Hawg]

I don't see anywhere near 1500 there. Maybe with the gun rig included....Maybe.

[rhmc24]

To repeat --- " Hipshot at value $1500, maybe a third of that in the holster rig" -- meaning about $1000 more or less for the gun, the rest $500 more or less for the holster rig.

Fine leather seems to attract serious money.

[Jonathan125]

Thank you for your quick replies. I had the feeling that the gun wasn't worth a great deal of money just from the mismatched serial numbers. I was wondering if it might vbe a civilian model since there is no US on the gun. To rhmc24, that is a nice piece!

[wonderwhippet]

Doesn't look plated to me, more like it was buffed down to bare metal.

[rhmc24]

Actually it looks a lot like mine did when I got it but mine looked a lot worse. It wasn't electro-plated but 'metallized'. It was a process in use 50 years or more ago, spraying molten metal, used mostly for build up of worn parts like bearing journals on machinery. I spent quite a while scraping it off, not sure what but might have been aluminum on my gun.

[Jim K]

I agree with wonderwhippet; that does not appear to be nickel, but just bare metal. It is possible that the gun was rusted all over and someone buffed it down, leaving it like that rather than refinishing it.

I think the barrel was cut down because of the front sight position, but doubt it was done by/for the military both because of the lack or the US marking and because both Springfield and Colt were careful to get the front sight in the right place.

Jim

[Bill DeShivs]

No, the gun is nickeled. Nickel plating will darken slightly with age and look dull. Notice there is no evidence of rust? Bare steel "patinates."
You'll have to trust me on this-I do a lot of buffing and nickel plating.

[Jim K]

You may be right, Bill, but I have seen thousands of nickel plated guns that didn't darken with age or look dull. In any case, the gun shows all the signs of heavy buffing and whatever finish that is, it is not (as you said yourself) original.

Jim

[rhmc24]

I have several nickeled S&Ws and Colts, some that I got in a sort of grayish condition. Those with most nickel intact I clean up with Flitz. In places I can't reach some of the gray remains. Some in raunchy finish condition have a mix of rust, patina and dull nickel. In the pix of this piece looks to me some base metal iron may be peeping thru at the muzzle - nickel, metalized or whatever.

Here a couple of mine with dull old nickel:

[Hawg]

I'm leaning toward nickel but not anywhere near the age of the gun. The screw holes are dished from over buffing, the barrel has been shortened, the grips and trigger guard are not original. Personally I don't see more than 700 at the most.

[rhmc24]

I just noticed it can't be a US military, looks like the trigger guard has caliber 44CF on it.

[Skipper]

Info on Hermann H Heiser:

http://www.vintagegunleather.com/com...r_history.html

[rhmc24]

I have to agree with hawg, I wouldn't offer more than $600 for it now that it can't be an Artillery. If I had it I would strip it, antique it, make a one piece grip for it and have a homogenized SAA worth maybe 1000 to the right person.

Looking at that vintage gunleather site, the Heiser rig might be worth more than the gun.-

[Hawg]

Originally Posted by rhmc24

I

Looking at that vintage gunleather site, the Heiser rig might be worth more than the gun.-

Yeah, seeing as how it's a full rig and not just a holster. If the rest of it looks as good as the holster and it all cleans up good it should go for close to 1000 if not more.