Need advise!!! Colt 1860 serial #s fake or legit
- Thread starter J.B. Arthur
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Anyone??? Bump
Not an expert by any stretch, but serial numbers look mighty clean. What does the rest of the gun look like? What is on the cylinder? Is it a Navel engagement scene for example? Clear detailed photographs would definitely help.
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The Colt has been refinished there's no doubt but for me that's not a deal breaker. I'm not interested in any civil war era Colt that I can't pull the hammer back on and fire. Even if the serial has been restruck don't bother me but my concern would be if the barrel, , frame, gripframe, backstrap are from the same gun.
Per Colt, looks like your 1860 has the wrong scene on its cylinder.
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And at least to me, the inscription appears to be contemporary engraving. Check the screws, if you find that they are metric you have an Italian made replica gun.
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Phil Coffins
69 Cal.
Original Colts had gain twist rifling the replicas don’t.
Looks contemporary as in period correct for 1866 or do you mean modern? This isn't my gun so don't know if screws are metric or not. For me this gun would never sit in a gun safe. It would be run though it's paces, then be ready to be mustered Into service in short order. I'm interested in this Colt due to the engraved cylinder and the inscription on the backstrap a.d the date of Oct 21 1866. I live in Jackson County Indiana where worlds first train robbery took place Oct 6 1866 two weeks before backstrap was engraved.. IF it was engraved then
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Im in no way smoozed over the refinish except for factit make me pull the hammer back on this with no regard for an investment for the future. The investment for me would be for the here and now and how it feels in my hand now. . But the engraving on the cylinder and inscription on backstrap is cool as hell. But if it's a fake replica and or the parts are from different guns with fake serials then I wouldn't be interested
Very clean gun, modern (to me) engraving, the wrong scene on the cylinder (the current engraving in the cylinder looks modern to me)…. So to me, a non-expert, appears to be a modern made gun, be it Italian or later generation Colt, though it’s hard to imagine why someone would do that to a later Colt then turn the cylinder.
Wait for some of the more knowledgeable Colt forum members to check in and comment on this gun.
Double post.
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Hey thanks for your response and opinions. For it is appreciated. I figured the cylinder prob isn't correct but that doesn't bother me due to the engraving that's on it now. Mainly my concern is if the barrel, frame, triggerguard, backstrap from the same colt.. Those cylinder marks from turning would only get worse as I'd see to that right quick. Again Im not a collector in the sense that it would never be put away in a gunsafe for an investment.. Yesterday is dead and gone.. and tomorrow's out of sight sorta thing.
Well the first thing would be to confirm whether or not it’s a real Colt. The check for metric threads is an easy test to separate out a lot of the fakes if you can get the gun in your hands. Pictures of the entire gun may help folks here notice tell tail details.
The barrel, frame, triggerguard, backstrap are likely from the same gun, be it a Colt or a replica. If you can buy it for the price of a nice condition replica, buy it and figure things out later.
Im not out to wreck an old Colt either. I would have never refinished an old Colt in the first place but seeing it's already been done..
If ‘real’, the refinish kills a lot of value. The wrong cylinder… Unless the seller has the provenance documentation and H E Campbell or A J Kindig Jr are relatives of yours, almost $2k overpriced in my opinion. You can buy NIB second generation Colt 1860s for less than a $1k. Buy a pair and a nice holster rig and blast away if that’s what you want to do. A set of fired second generation Colts should be worth around $1500+/-, depending.
Hey I appreciate and value your opinion and knowledge. Well. We did make em both sit at another table at the reunion some years back. Black sheep and all haha. I know it. Have been looking hard at the C series Colts. The value is different for me as I don't have the mindset of a collector. As long as I'm alive it would never be a safe queen nor the future value considered unless I put up to prevent theft.
I want a period correct 1860 but don't care for it to be patina enough to look as uniform as to not want to turn the cylinder.. So the refinish doesn't bother meI. I get that it's prob a different cylinder. But the engraving on it ties into what I'm after with THIS colt. The inscription on the back doesn't bother me at all and closely links to the time period and Oct date of reasons to what led me to cap and ball colts is first train robbery in United States in my home town Oct 6, 1866d during and after the cival war and the right out lawlessness and murders in this town. ...But it's pricey way pricey and I'm not after this colt if its fake either. Been looking hard at alot of 1st generation colts and any info I can soak up about them. But I' But it's expensive. This is more expensive than some other 1st Gen colts I'm looking for
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If not for the engraving on the cylinder and the inscribed backstrap with the particular date I would done passed it up due to the refinish and different cylinder but its gotta be correct far as those serial numbers and from the same gun.
Just be aware that there are duplicate number stamps or dies out there and they get used. The numbers alone do not always tell the story. Trust if you must, but as number 40 said, verify.
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