Which Colt Da 45 Are Worth Money

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Turk Member

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I'chiliad looking at a 1917 Colt 45 US army. The frame is in good condition with any average bore, cyclinder is tight. I desire to utilize it for my woods bear sidearme so I programme to have it reblued. I can get is for $475.00. Any ane have a book that lists a 1917 worth?
Thanks,

Turk
A $475 Colt 1917 will be worth $250 later on you reblue it. Why not become a more than modern stainless steel gun? For $475 and the cost of reblueing you lot can become a squeamish S&Due west Mount Gun.
Turk Fellow member

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Gator wroteIt's non virtually getting my coin back it'south about that I like the feel and looks of the 1917. I have big bore manus guns 357 mag., 357 Max., 41 Mag, 44 Mag., 45 Colt, 454 Caus., 480 Ruger, 444 Marlin, 45/70 Govt. so whatever of the revolvers makes a good forest comport gun but 45 Colt in lower force per unit area loading still is a formable round. If in big bear country I'd carry my 454 even though I'm not particlur plant of the circular but it is a super duper dragon killer. Even ameliorate is a 870 with slugs
Have a proficient twenty-four hours.

Turk
I bought one for 100 bucks, but it was loose and out of fourth dimension and even afterward my smith tuned it up a fleck, it was withal pretty ratty. Check it out before yous buy it, make certain it's non a worn out POS. Back and then, it was "NRA proficient". You could get a VG for 150 which MIGHT have been shootable. On top of all that, I found out the matter wouldn't shoot atomic number 82 bullets due to the shallow rifling. I don't keep guns that won't fire lead bullets, then I sold it.
Just buy a modern gun. No way those onetime things are worth 400+, not equally a shooter. If you're a collector, well, you take a collector'south mentality. An Indian head nickel may exist "worth" 10 grand with such a mentality, but to me it'south worth a nickel. I read about a new release from smith of an one-time design .45 ACP revolver, model 20 something I call up it was. Forget. Call back information technology was in a recent "American Rifleman". The price was high, of grade, simply a new gun afterwards all and I don't think they put a lock on it IIRC.
The new .45acp revolver from Smith is the 22-4. I understand that it is basically the Thunder Ranch version without the TR markings. Has the lock. I got one anyway and similar it. Nice trigger, good balance. I call up the checkering on the stocks a bit sharp. Unremarkably I would replace 'em, only they accept squeamish effigy so am going to endeavour a Tyler T-Grip and see if my old-human being-skin tin toughen up enough non to get sore after 100 rounds. Cost was in the mid $500's w/tax IIRC.
James
It would be a shame to reblue an original 1917. Manner to many of them have been chromed, chopped, and otherwise butchered over the years.
Information technology a piece of American history, and the few remaining good ones should be left alone!
If you only want a .45 ACP revolver, S&W & Taurus has fabricated, and still makes them.

rcmodel
The 1917 (Colt New Service) was a rugged tank of a gun, and it has a positive hammer block that insures information technology can safey be carried with 6 rounds - something that Smith & Wesson 1917's didn't have.
I would prefer a New Service in .45 Colt, but the .45ACP or car-rim will practice.

I wouldn't bother to have information technology reblued though. The new blue will presently get-go to wear, and you'll be back where your are now. If it were to exist done right, the refinishing could come up close to 1/2 of the gun'due south toll - and wouldn't make any difference in the mode it shoots. Safe queens (I accept some) should exist perfect, simply those that are still working should expect it.
You say "45 Filly in lower pressure loading even so is a formable round."
I may be wrong, I have it this item gun is in .45 Colt, not .45 ACP. If that's truthful, beware! The Model 1917 was but made in .45 ACP, and this gun must have been converted from that cartridge. Unless it was done by the factory, or a actually knowledgeable gunsmith, you lot'll have problems -- considering it isn't a simple thing of reboring the throats, or changing the cylinder. The hand and other parts must be swapped out and tuned for that converson, also.
Hm, has a lock? Darn. I must have been reading betwixt lines or something. LOL For 550 NEW, though, I'll take a new 22-four any day over a 1917 for 400 plus. It'll shoot better, it'll be new, probable volition accept normal rifling that will stabilize cast bullets (a major requirement of mine.)
No, non a lock - a hammer block. If the revolver is dropped, or a blow hits the hammer, a round under the firing pin won't fire. Because of the hammer block the revolver is safe to carry with all of the chambers loaded. The blueprint was incorporated into all Filly double-activeness revolvers by 1908.
In 1908 no one would have even suggested putting an internal lock into a handgun, and any gunmaker that did would have soon gone bust.

Or do you lot mean the new Smith & Wesson? I thought this thread was near the Colt model 1917...

S&W is cutting rifling barrels with a EDM system - the rifling is more than shallow then that in a model 1917 Filly or Due south&W. These days everyone is suppose to use jacketed bullets....
I have a 1917 U.S. Army that I picked up off one of the auction sites for $385 final year and the barrel is marked 45 Long Colt. The 1917 Civilian/Commercial models marked "Colt Model 1917 Ato Ctge" were .45 ACP.
I know next to nothing nearly the Model of 1917, so I consulted the SCS&Westward. According to Supica and Hahas, the model of 1917 came in .45 ACP or .45 Machine Rim. Good condition=$475. Very Good= $700. Fair=$375. Poor=$275. I'm not certain these prices are nonetheless electric current, although I'm looking in the tertiary edition.
I would agree that the cost of the gun and a re-blue would be detrimental as well as uneconomical, simply to each his own. I retrieve I would only oil it, and acquit it if I was to actually use the revolver. If it'south a situation of wanting to forestall corrosion, and y'all don't care about the collectible aspect, then go whole hog and have the affair difficult chromed. I can't believe I said that.......merely it will be more applicable for your purposes, and the stop will hold up ameliorate. The greater suitability of the more than rugged finish on a gun you want to acquit will be first by the respective drop in collectability.

But for myself, I would just oil it and tote it. This would preserve and add to the history of the gun. There is a certain freedom that comes with a gun that bears carry marks. It's liberating when the gun is no longer a collectible, but a tool.
I'thou tickled at the opinions about restoring model 1917 revolvers. Who the heck sets the rules on what one should practice with their own property, is there antiquity laws by gun archyologist who demand such.
My S&Westward M-1917 was mechanically sound and tight, the bore had no rust or pits.

Simply the exterior blueish'black finish looked like it had been dragged behind a dirt bike through rocks and castor.

Found a good gunsmith to restore its bluing, and replaced the wood grips with some originals I plant from a guy in Alaska.

Now I could have left information technology in its pitiful condition, but I'm an one-time human and won't be passing this way again. Nuts to leaving to some money grubbing dealer who would like to make a swell profit on its sad original conditon.

Now don't get your shorts in a agglomeration, its my property and my coin that went into restoration. When I boot the bucket they can throw information technology in the pino box with me...bound to exist some of yous out at that place wanting to dig this 1 upwardly.

Jim
Then it isn't a 1917.
If it says "U.S. Army Model of 1917" on the butt, and "Us Property" on the barrel, it should be .45 ACP/.45AR.

If it says all that on the butt, and is a .45 Filly, information technology almost likely has been converted with a new barrel & cylinder, or it started out as a Commercial Hand Ejector model and shouldn't say "U.South. Army Model of 1917" on the butt.

There were a very few 1917'southward made and sold commercially in .45 Filly, but they are extremely rare. And they were non military.

rcmodel
Wouldn't a U.Southward. Army Colt New Service in 45 Colt exist a model 1909 instead of 1917 (45acp)?
Yeah, I was talking well-nigh the 22-4. In regards to the thread, all I'thousand sayin' is why pay 400-700 bucks for a 1917 for a shooter when yous can become the 22-4 for 550? I have no particular reverence for the 1917, simply another old revolver IMHO. So there'south some history behind it? So what? I buy guns to shoot. I don't run a museum. If all y'all want to practise is shoot, the new gun makes more than sense IMHO.
ALL MODELS!?!? You MUST be joking! Well, that settles it and then, no new Smiths for me. When did they do all this? My bud'southward 80s era 686 shoots wadcutters and cast .357s pretty decent. No wonder all the complaints most not hit squat past vii yards with a 642. All this time I figured they just couldn't shoot! Maybe they were using 158 SWCHPs?
Hmmm. HOW IN HECK could y'all build, say, a .45 Colt and not build information technology to stabilize cast bullets? This is puzzling.
Yous are right!
I was talking Filly and thinking Due south&W!
Some other Senior Moment, ala Brain Fart!
Merely regardless, if it's a U.South. Holding marked 1917 Filly, or 1917 South&W, it wasn't chambered for .45 Colt originally.

rcmodel
I have on of the Thunder Ranch Revolvers and I like it. Information technology was in the used instance and came with a T-grip installed. I've tried it with out, but the grip is too small-scale for my easily.

Equally for the Colt.... I'd dearest to have one and $400-$500 seems to exist what you are going to pay for one. You might be able to observe a Colt new service in .45 ACP or .45 Colt. I'd pick a .45 Colt New Service over my TRR as a woods gun.
Jim, that's a nice looking revolver.
I think the want in many folks to preserve older firearms comes from a time about fifty-60 years ago. M1911A1s were available for $50-100 a piece back and so. They were purchased, hot rodded, tweaked into race guns, scoped, cut up, cutting down, and experimented on by the finest gunsmiths of the time. This experimentation literally spawned handgunning as we know information technology today.

The M1911A1 wasn't being made anymore though. Then came along the US regime to destroy remaining pistols in their inventory rather than sell them as surplus. The toll of previously common M1911A1s went from $l to $2000 in a menstruation of approximately fifty years. The latest and greatest bound came in the concluding decade. Nosotros are seeing the same thing start to happen with Smith & Wesson Victory Models at present. These are armed forces firearms with a very definite history. The Model of 1917 has the same potential.

It is truthful that a man may do any he desires with his own property. It is true that you can't accept these things with y'all, and yous may equally well savor them. No problem at that place. If yous want to accept a WWII vintage Willy'due south Jeep and lower it with chrome rims and fat tires, install a kicking smash nail stereo, and string pom poms effectually the canvas summit, that is your right if information technology is your Jeep. If you desire to take a Porsche 356 and put mud tires on it, paint it camo and get jumping into mud pits with it, same thing, it'southward your vehicle. Just don't be surprised as those around you expect on in wonderment as you lot brand their property more than valuable in the marketplace past decreasing the finite supply.
Quote:
Just don't be surprised as those around you look on in wonderment as yous make their belongings more valuable in the market by decreasing the finite supply.

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Oh I'm more than happy to brand you sellers and buyers happy about increasing the resale value of your old guns. After all, you wouldn't want the 1950s prices of the OLd Hunter's Ads posting these guns for $24.95 to notwithstanding be that price today...would you.

I also don't owe anyone the legacy of my old revolver as to the supply drying upwards...my restored revolver is still here and not dried upward.

The reason these quondam revolvers are in demand is the sole fact that a demand is created by the I've to get me one of those crowd. And who beats the pulsate for that assembly, why its the sellers to the collectors who autumn into that scenario. This is the siren call to the suckers, create a demand by offering your wares at higher prices, there is always some chump who will start the ball rolling and create the demand for more suckers.

The need didn't begin subsequently WW-1 did it. Information technology didn't begin after WW-2 did it. In all honesty it begin about 10 to 15 years ago.

Another affair, I didn't chop and channel my gun, like your car clarification then profusely illustrated...I tried to restore it to its original condition then I could wait upon it and admire it while shooting it. It was a scratched upward mess that had more than nicks and dents than a German tank on the Russian front lines, it looked pitiful but worked fine.

There are some guns I wouldn't attempt to restore, those that belong to historical personalities. Or the gun just doesn't need a reblue chore because it has some pocket-size habiliment on its finish.

But if it looks like a handbasket case, I don't want to ain information technology or shoot it.

Jim
Knowing what I do now, I'd be delighted...
I make a practise of restoring older guns, specially those that can be bought because the have something wrong with them that no one else wants to carp to fix. Merely when it comes to refinishing whatever gets refinished oftentimes gets put into the safe queen side of the moving-picture show, and zippo gets refinished where doing so would essentially reduce the value.

My everyday worrking guns sometimes look information technology. Refinishing wouldn't concluding long and I'd be dorsum where I started. I'll utilise others for show and tell...
If it's a Colt, chambered for the 45 ACP and marked "The states Property" I'd snatch information technology upward. Mine has a Parkerized finish.
I keep mine in the safe and simply take information technology out a few times a yr to shoot. If it's the Commercial Version, made for the civilian market it isn't such a proficient deal but would be fine as a "woods's gun". I wouldn't re-blueish or refinish any gun. You will ruin any value your gun has unless information technology'southward a pitted rusted wreck.

That'due south my $0.02 on the matter.

Biker
I sold this one a few years back for $550.00 and the heir-apparent wasn't squabbling.
It too has a parkarized finish, Anniston Arsenal rebuild marks, and a Mail Part use provinance.
Wow, that ways I might get half that for my reblued POS that some regard as ruined because it was refinished and had original period grips replaced.
Jim
I would expect that your refinished S&Westward will indeed fetch a higher cost now that it'due south refinished - but about likely from a shooter, rather and then a collector. That of class doesn't thing - money is money.
The problem is - if and only "if" - you don't go on it that fashion the investment in refinishing - from a resale perspective - will be anything from slightly to substantially lost if you continue to use it under less then optimal conditions. Evidently you don't care, merely others in the same boat might. Quality refinishing is not inexpensive.

Turk's basic New Service would run him $475.00. Quality rebluing could add together another $200.00, which would bring the full up to $675.00. In today's marketplace that corporeality isn't unreasonable, merely I can think of some other chocies for a woods-gun that might exist a improve, and less expensive to buy.

But in the end it boils down to what you lot desire, and how much coin you have to spend. All nosotros tin can do here is lay out the various options.