The most iconic and collectible firearms in history have arguably been Colt pistols. Samuel Colt made his first firearm in 1836 and a long-lasting legacy was born. A famous saying from the 1800s was, “God made all men, but Sam Colt made all men equal.”
The Colt Single Action Army (AKA the Colt SAA, manufactured 1873 to present) is an obvious standout in the field, but pretty much any old Colt is desirable somewhere in the collector world. There are hundreds of different models and versions to go after. But no matter which version you are focusing on, savvy collectors tend to put value on certain things. Here are the top 5 things to consider when valuing a collectible firearm.
First would be rarity and popularity. It takes a combination of both because not all rare models are popular—and not all popular models are rare. An example of a rare and desirable handgun would be the Colt Walker Revolver. These were made in 1847 and only about 1100 of them were ever made. To this date, the most expensive firearm sold was a Colt Walker which brought 1.8 million at auction (even a worn out one can bring 50k or more). On the other hand, there were also only about 1000 of the Model 1855 Colt Revolving Rifles ever made, but they do not command anywhere near the price of a Colt Walker—they are just not as desirable to collectors. When collecting for investment, savvy collectors search out rarity, while keeping in mind desirability at the same time.
Next would be condition. There is a saying which goes, “condition is everything.” This is especially true when dealing with older and collectible items. Old Colts that remain in good condition are highly desirable. A few things to consider which can affect a condition score are: Is it original or has it been restored or tampered with? If original, how much finish is left? Is it mechanically sound and tight? In the “Blue Book of Gun Values” an early black powder model 1873 Colt SAA (under serial number 22,000) in excellent condition books at $35,000 while one in poor condition is worth only a couple thousand dollars. As you can see, condition makes a huge difference in value.
Read below and understand.What is a Handgun?A handgun is a short firearm made to be there in one or two hands while shooting instead of braced against the shoulder.There are three basic types of handguns:MuzzleloadersRevolversPistolsMuzzleloader HandgunsThe first handguns were muzzleloaders.
Due to this, muzzleloaders are quite limited to the empire of historic re-enactors as well as gun collectors.
For this reason, let’s put emphasis on more commonly utilized modern handguns.RevolverA revolver is a handgun with a rotating chamber that has various chambers.The emblematic cowboy weapon, the revolver’s widespread used, is credited to Samuel Colt.
He licensed the mechanically ordering chamber in 1836.
This lets you shoot numerous rounds without reloading.Basic Parts of a RevolverGrip – The part you use to grasp the firearm.
When the trigger is pulled, the hammer touches the firing pin and get into the cartridge primer.Firing Pin – A pin is hard in formation, when struck by the hammer, affects the primer of a cartridge.Cylinder – Found just in revolvers, the cylinder has all loaded cartridges.
