Matching Pair Colt SAA w Holsters

[Tizz]

Trying to gather some information on these. A matching pair, one is a Colt 45 and the other a 38-40. Also have old holsters made in Graham Texas that go with them. Trying to get an idea of the value of the guns as well as any other info you guys may have on them.

Serial Numbers:
45: 998xx
38-40: 1980xx

[hrf]

I won't attempt to guess value, but both guns appear to have been heavily refinished and fitted with non-original grips, which destroyed most of their collector value, so what you have is an attractive pair for the "Cowboy Action" shooter or Western reenactor.

The lower gun must be the .45 sn 998XX, a blackpowder model made in 1883.

SN 1980XX was made in 1900.

[Alpo]

I'll go a step farther. I blew those pictures up as far as my computer would let me, and where it should say Colt, they don't say anything. I can see no name on either gun.

Without the rollmarks, how would anyone even know they are Colts, and not Italian copies?

I'm thinking, maybe 300 each. If you're lucky.

[Tizz]

Originally Posted by Alpo

I'll go a step farther. I blew those pictures up as far as my computer would let me, and where it should say Colt, they don't say anything. I can see no name on either gun.

Without the rollmarks, how would anyone even know they are Colts, and not Italian copies?

I'm thinking, maybe 300 each. If you're lucky.

They are Colts. It's just a bad photo. The markings are there. Just refinished at some point. We think these were used in the Wild Bill Elliott B Western Movies as he was from Graham, TX which is where the holsters are stamped.

Also the grips are sambar stag.

[RJay]

The holsters are not Wild Bills, He wore his guns " Butt forward". Nice hand tooled holsters, " Parade Holsters ", the set is worth a few bucks but not the big bucks. I would set the price of the set ( the guns are old colts SAA ) at closer to a thousand. Only an auction could give you the true value, items such as these are not in the Blue Book. Very difficult to set a value on such unique items, JMO.

[Tizz]

Here is some more details on the leathers. Also have matching spurs.

The spurs say stainless on one side and CROCKETT on the other side. No other markings on the spurs.

The leather holsters are marked Eddleman Bros Sad Co - Makers - Graham. Tex

Sounds like the leathers may actually be more valuable than the guns?

[RJay]

Yep, you have a rodeo or parade outfit. I'm always surprised at what tooled leather brings on the market. A lot of work seems to have been put in on that rig. I think the spurs are just spurs, but you should cruise the auction sites for possible value on the other items. You should try and research the holster makers, they may still be in the business and could give you information on what you have.

[Papaw]

What do you want for the spurs?

Papawlambert@starband.net

[jondar]

Tizz, Elliott was one of my favorites in the cowboy movies when I was a very small lad. I tried to get some pics of Elliott wearing his guns and buscadero. The holster outfit he wore in the movies isn't the ones you show but, if they did belong to Bill then may have been made at his request later on. The holsters you have now seem to be monogrammed, can you tell what the initials are? I was able to download two pics which show (kinda) the grips on the SAA's he used in the movies. They resemble the "quality" fakes I now have on my second generation Colt and use them because I like the looks and are very comfortable to use while shooting. I will try to scan these and post them if you are interested. I realize you may already have all this if you have researched.

[Tizz]

Jondar, I don't believe Wild Bill wore mine in the movies, from what I understand he did Rodeo's and Parades in Graham, TX in the 50's and he used these for the Rodeo shows.

I don't see any monogrammed initials anywhere on the holsters, where are you seeing that? And yes, I'd be interested in any more info that you have. Thanks!

[jondar]

I may have been reading more into those designs on the holsters. One seems to be a mirror (reversed of the other) image of the other. Perhaps they are really just abstract designs. I believe Elliott's real name was Nance.

As to the grips, I''ll try to post a pic showing pretty much (if you can zoom in) of the design of the grips in the movies. They don't resemble the grips as you show in your pic which doesn't mean anything as people change grips on their guns all the time. When I got my 2nd Generation Colt it had black plastic (?) grips, then my wife got me a pair of elephant ivory ones. The ivory ones didn't give a firm enough grip when shooting, then I found a pair made by the Pointer Co. in Chicago which were nicely made fakes and I bought them and haven't taken them off since. These (to me) resemble to a "T" the grips on Bill's gun in the movie scene pic I'll try to post.

There's a wealth of information on Google, search "Wild Bill Elliott's Guns". About four or five years ago I surfed into a sale selling off items from the estate of Jack Palance. I wish I had bought some of them. I think one of the posters above made an excellent suggestion about seeing if the leather sompany in the town in Texas is still there.

[Goody]

"I may have been reading more into those designs on the holsters. One seems to be a mirror (reversed of the other) image of the other."

saw the same thing. Then I realized what we are seeing is the white piping around the edges of the holster