Is it true the new Colt signature series is Italian made?

[RickD]

I went today and looked at several of my friends Ubertis and the Colt has it beat all the way around..The Colts fit and finish are nothing short of outstanding,the action was smoother, trigger pull is nothing short of crisp and clean..Is it worth the price,depends on what you want..I`m buying it for a shooter and dont care if I ruin the value of it..I`m keeping it and shooting it

 

[Veno]

Can you post a pic of it?
Good move, keeping it.

 

[arcticap]

A few months ago I went to a gun show and a local vendor had an unfired Colt "Colt" stainless steel 1860 Army made around 1979 for $400 w/o box.
The serial number had "SS" in it.
Uberti doesn't even make this stainless model today, and many folks sure wish they would.
BTW, what's this SS model really worth?

 

[mike101]

There was a thorough explanation of all of this in Guns & Ammo a while back. Hope this clarifies everything for everyone.

I've seen the 2nd Gen. stainless guns going for $750 to $1300, NIB, on Gunsamerica.
[url] http://www.gunsandammomag.com/ga_handguns/cap_ball[/url]/

 

[mike101]

Howdy- The next time you see anything like this for $400, jump on it.[url] http://www.gunsamerica.com/classifieds/none/_976837361.aspx[/url]

Mike

 

[Robert an saa fan]

mike101 - I second your jump on it!

The stainless steel 2nd Generation Colts are very rare guns. Colt was going to sell 2000 stainless versions of each blue & color casehardened model. They sold far less than the advertised 2000 of each... I think just 7 of the 1861 Navy .36.

I do not currently have time to access the exact production numbers but from memory about 1,300 1860 Army, about 700 1851 Navy.

I still own two stainless 1860 2nd Generations of the three bought new from Davidson's back about 1983 (they are not for sale).

I stupidly passed up a used, no box, Pocket Navy .36 stainless about 1986 thinking along would come an unfired one or at least one with box & papers... have never seen another one.

Until two years ago I had never seen in person, the 1851 Navy stainless 2nd Generation... then a dealer I know got two of them inside three months... he wanted $1,600 each for them... dealer is a liar and hard to deal with so I did not make an offer on either one.

In summary, as mike101 posted... if you want one, jump on it!

 

[mike101]

I've never seen anything is stainless other than the '51 and '60. Didn't even know they made anything else. I'd love to get ahold of one of any of them. Congrats on yours.
Mike

 

[muzzelloader69]

the colt second generation 1851 navies that were made back in 1971 , were made at the old iver johnson plant in middlesex , n.j , mr imporato , who owns henry rifle comp. worked there , email him if you have any questions about those early navies or the signitures guns becuase he made them to in brooklyn ny.

 

[mike101]

According to that article in G&A, the C-Series 2nd Generation Colts ('51 Navy and 3rd Dragoon only) were made at the Colt factory, using rough forgings from Val Forgett (Navy Arms) who had obtained them from Uberti, for the cylinders, barrels, and backstraps. Much of the article is an interview with Lou Imperato. When the F-Series guns came out, production was moved to the old Iver Johnson factory. Guns were then shipped to Colt for final inspection and marketing. Colt Blackpowder Arms Co. (owned by Imperato) guns were made at the I.J. factory, entirely of parts sourced from Uberti, under license from Colt. These are the 3rd Gen. Signature Series guns. It's all in the article.

Check it out. It's a good article, and lots of great pictures.

One nice thing about the stainless guns, is that you can actually shoot them! 2 minutes light work with 3M 0000 Synthetic Steel Wool will make them look brand new!

Mike

 

[Bob Riegl]

:v To my knowledge all of the "Colt" repro series had parts manufactured by Uberti and shipped stateside to a factory in Brooklyn NY, to be assembled and finished. I have my Walker for at least five years and other than the usual Colt preference for fouling the cylinders and slightly oversized nipples, it is a smoking beat and quite accurate. :grin: :hatsoff:

 

[mike101]

I don't remember anything about a factory in Brooklyn, but here. See what Lou Imperato has to say. He's the guy who talked Colt into getting into the percussion revolver business again. He was Colt's largest US distributor.

WARNING- The photos therein may require you to take a cold shower.
[url] http://www.gunsandammomag.com/ga_handguns/cap_ball[/url]/

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

The 3rd generation or "Signature Series" Colts were made in Brooklyn, N.Y. Some of them were pretty sad, while others--maybe the later ones--were much nicer.

 

[Jeff Coates]

Yes, the Colt Signature Series were made with some Italian parts being put together in New York by the Imperato family who also still make modern Henry rifles. In general, the Signature Series are not as well made or as authentic in detail as the 2nd Generation Colt cap and ball revolvers.

I own and have owned many 2nd Generation Colt cap and ball revolvers since I came back from Vietnam in 1971.

The 2nd Generation Colts were made on and off from about 1971 to 1982. These are mainly Uberti parts shipped in as semi-finished components which were then built and finished into guns to Colt STANDARDS.

Several companies subcontracted with Colt to assemble and finish these generally fine quality 2nd Generation Colts.

Then there is a gap to approx. mid-1990's when the then owners of Colt made a licensing agreement to allow the Colt Signature Series to be made. The agreement included that the Signature Series would be referenced in the regular Colt catalogs.

Confusion ensued.

A few years ago the Signature Series went out of business. In my opinion the Signature Series, while o.k., is no where near as high in overall quality and attention to accurate detail as the 2nd Generation Colt cap & ball revolvers.

An EXCELLENT book which included all this and more is "Colt Blackpowder Reproductions & Replicas" by authority Dennis Adler. Think book has been updated and revised. A very good read with great pictures. Also has lots of information on Italian and Ruger revolvers as well as shooting and maintenance.

If you want to shoot the Colts, author & respected authority Mike Venturino has an entire chapter on Colt cap & ball revolvers in his book on shooting Colt single actions.

Sidebar: Mike Venturino taught actor Tom Selleck how to accurately handle and shoot the Sharps rifle for Tom's movie Quigley Down Under. Tom Selleck collects guns including big bore Winchester lever actions such as the Model 1876 Winchester.

Question: Who actually made the 1971 Grant & Lee 1851 Navy commerative sets?

 

[45D]

Question: Who actually made the 1971 Grant & Lee 1851 Navy commerative sets?

Colt of course. Just like USFA.

Mike

 

[ZUG]

Many years back I called Colt about a .22 rifle that was made by Colt. I asked if it had any real value and was told that ANY firearm with the Colt name on it was worth much more than any other gun manufactures. Those words were good enough for me to buy that .22 rifle! I did sell it years later for a handsome profit.

 

[Smokerr]

So yes Colt had a cachet.

I suspect the Italian forgings met the Colt spec as would their own forgings for mfg in their guns.

 

[OldMaineWoodsman]

Received the sad news that Mike Venturino passed away this week.

Big loss for the shooting and outdoor community.

 

[springfield art]

The parts were made in Italy; finished here by the guy that owns Henry Arms. BTW, I'm not a Colt history specialist, but the 2nd gen. Colts were after WW2 by actual Colt; the Italian replicas (Colt Black Powder Series) are 3rd Gen. at best. (More guys know about this than me!) It could be argued that the CBP series were replicas, as never touched the actual Colt factory.

 

[springfield art]

At an auction several years ago, a Colt Special Model musket sold and the buyer afterwards questioned it's originality; apparently the replicas are so close to the originals that some people get confused. My cousin has an actual real one w/ sling & ctg. box, and the relative's papers from a NJ reg't.; it's still in shooting condition although he never did that. Has bayonet, too. I don't believe it was in any active combat, maybe a late war thing. Probably will go to his son some day.

 

[Hawk54]

The parts were made in Italy; finished here by the guy that owns Henry Arms. BTW, I'm not a Colt history specialist, but the 2nd gen. Colts were after WW2 by actual Colt; the Italian replicas (Colt Black Powder Series) are 3rd Gen. at best. (More guys know about this than me!) It could be argued that the CBP series were replicas, as never touched the actual Colt factory.

The Authentic Colt Black Powder Series (2nd Generations) are Colt's. Colt recognizes them as Colts and will letter them. The Colt Black Powder Arms Signature Series (3rd Generation) were not touched by Colt. That is why Colt doesn't recognize the 3rd gen pistols and papers only a few that for one reason or another were sent to Colt for work.