Colt Walker ENGRAVED value?

[johnh]

I am going to be selling this Walker, and have never seen another like it. Perfect action. Deep hand engraving, the pictures show only some of the engraving. It is engraved on the top of the barrel, butt, and backstrap. What looks like marks on the wedge is just glare on the fully engraved wedge. Gold bands at the muzzle and around the cylinder. Very few markings, just Italy, the date code for 1965 and 2 small proof marks hidden under the rammer. Any idea of value?

 

[SOLANCO]

No idea on value. But it is so unusual that you should work on uncovering provenance. Knowing how it came to be and for whom may significantly increase its value.

 

[johnh]

I have no known provenance. It is 60 years old, so the history is probably lost.

 

[SOLANCO]

Go to the maker. Contact Uberti or Pietta or whoever.

 

[Hawk54]

Did you look under the rammer to see if it marked on the bottom side of the barrel? I have seen a couple of early factory engraved walkers on GunBroker recently. One was a Replica Arms (ASM) and I think the other was an ASM also. If it is a 1965 I would bet it is a factory engraved ASM and ASM often marked their pistols under the barrel or by the front serial number. The Replica Arms Walker was $695.

 

[45D]

Yap, looks like early style ASM.

Mike

 

[johnh]

Full hand engraving, gold bands, seems like a lot for a reproduction revolver.

 

[Hawk54]

Full hand engraving, gold bands, seems like a lot for a reproduction revolver.

No. There were different grades of factory engraving offered by Italian manufacturers. From partial engraving to to near fully engraved pieces. Grades A, B, and C. The higher end engraved pieces had partial gold filling in some of the engraving like his Walker. Say a grade B was engraved like his Walker without the gold. The higher engraved model would basically have the same style engraving but have the gold filled areas with maybe a touch more engraving.

Most all if not all the engraving was done by hand up until around 1980 when the cost of hand engraving became cost prohibitive so they went to acid etch or laser engraving which was much cheaper but not near as nice looking. Look in some of the 1960's and 1970's Navy Arms, Replica Arms, Uberti, EIG, etc. catalogues and you will see engraved pieces offered in different grades. Various engraved pieces come up for sale on GunBroker once in a while. An 1861 Navy with case and shoulder stock fully engraved w/gold filling sold yesterday on GunBroker. They didn't make a lot of the engraved pieces.

Imagine what it would cost today to have that same hand engraving done on a revolver.

Here is a picture of a 1971 Navy Arms 1851 with the same level of engraving. Notice it has the gold fill like the Walker

 

[SDSmlf]

Full hand engraving, gold bands, seems like a lot for a reproduction revolver.

You may be surprised if you do some research. Remember seeing an Uberti made ‘Walker Sesquicentennial Tribute’ (or similar name) gun that had much more detailed engraved embellishments than the one you are showing. Believe it had portraits of Eli Whitney, Sam Colt and Captain Walker that were done in gold. Also remember the back strap was gold (plated). I may still have a photograph of it.

 

[2 shots]

ill start the bidding at $200.00 very nice

 

[Hawk54]

You may be surprised if you do some research. Remember seeing an Uberti made ‘Walker Sesquicentennial Tribute’ (or similar name) gun that had much more detailed engraved embellishments than the one you are showing. Believe it had portraits of Eli Whitney, Sam Colt and Captain Walker that were done in gold. Also remember the back strap was gold (plated). I may still have a photograph of it.

Yes. Some of the commemorative pieces had really high levels of engraving and gold fill. Those were special offerings usually commissioned by or for States, companies, battles (ex. Gettysburg) anniversaries (ex. Sesquicentennial Tribute), organizations (ex. Texas Rangers) events, or individuals like Grant, Lee, Custer, or Wild Bill. His Walker appears to be a standard catalogue offering with engraving offered in the grade A, B, or C level. The Historical Society commissioned and sold a lot different commemorative pieces. The Society would commission a certain number of revolvers from one of the Italian makers like Uberti to make a set number of pieces to commemorate and event or person say like George Washington or the Bi-Centennial.