Need Help Identifying Colt Revolver Please.

[RosieBemis]

Make model year and hopefully a rough estimate on worth would be phenomenal. I appreciate any feedback though. Even if you don't think it's important it might help me. And if I can get good enough answers it might be in classifieds soon.

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[206thsense]

Have you also removed the grips?

 

[cooper]

It should/will have engraved markings...older than Colt police positive right folks ???? Grips give me that vibe. .... 32 police???

 

[Norwestr55]

Looks like a Colt 1895 New Navy? Pictures in the link below.
Antique Arms, Inc. - Colt Model 1895 New Navy Revolver in Attic Condition

 

[Flopsweat]

Looks like someone gave it a good scrubbing. That's not going to help the value. What are the letters/numbers on the cylinder release? I can't make them out. See if there are other markings anywhere - even on the underside. And like 206thsense said, pull the grips and look under there. See if your camera has a "macro" setting. You may get better images that way.

 

[Norwestr55]

From the link I posted....

 

[RosieBemis]

Removing grips now... Having trouble finding screwdriver.
Top of barrel says "Colt's PT F.A. MFG CO. Hartford CT USA Patented Aug 5 1884 Nov 6 88 March 5 95"
On left side of barrel it says "Colt. D.A. 38"
And then by the barrel it has "717" printed a few times. Then a horse on the left side.
Didn't find anything else except the serial number. Is that needed? Am I missing anything? Thanks for the feedback so far.

 

[Flopsweat]

From the link I posted....
View attachment 324735 View attachment 324736

Yep. Looks an awful lot like it. There's a serial number on the left side of the barrel, but I can't make it out in the OP's picture.

 

[RosieBemis]

Oh and above the 707 hidden by the barrel it has a little u printed above the numbers.

 

[Flopsweat]

Pretty sure it's an 1889 Navy.
Double action.
Caliber is .38 long colt. This is not the same as modern .38, so don't shoot .38 Special in it!
Last production was 1894.

Judging by how shiny it is and the scratches on it, I'm guessing someone took a Brillo pad or a Scotch-brite to it. Unfortunately, when you remove the patina from old guns like that and scratch them up, they loose a lot of value. It's hard to say from these pictures how bad the damage is, but I would not expect to get more than a couple hundred dollars for it. Maybe less. Too bad, since a really nice one can bring a few thousand dollars.

Now bear in mind, this is a rough guess from a non-expert you met on the internet. I could be completely wrong.

 

[RosieBemis]

Okay wait... So that brings me to another question. Wtf is patina and if my friend was right as far as the finish goes, there are supposedly places I can take it to get it refinished... I just can't see how the finish is that big a deal if you can read all the engravings and it can be restored. So if anyone has anymore info that way that would be lovely.

 

[eldbillbo]

Somebody who knows a little more will chime in with more info but from what I know

Patina is oxidation or tarnish something that naturally comes with age. Original finish has a lot to do with collect-ability of a firearm. One reason is with even and equal patina on certain parts, It can show what parts are original or if any thing has been replaced. It also shows the history of the gun and how it was cared for. Most Patina if not expose to elements without oiling Is usually very attractive on a firearm and which is something you can't just add on by "refinishing" which only comes with years of oxidation and tarnish. In about 50 years it will have a nice patina on it again.

Collectables are more valuable the more original that they are and that includes the finish.

 

[RosieBemis]

Thank you eldbillbo (and sick username by the way ;p) that explanation makes a lot of sense actually and I also love learning things like that. And it gives me more confidence when it comes to selling this thing, which once I'm more confident and knowledgeable I very much plan on doing

 

[Mistman]

Old guns are cool. I'm fascinated by the fact that basically we're shooting the same guns that have been around for well over 100 years. If you pick up a late 19th century Colt revolver and a later gen model they're pretty much the same gun. Same w/semi-autos, 1911's being the most obvious. A Colt 1911 made in 1911 is basically the same as the Colt 1911 made today.
I'm personally a shooter and accidental collector. I buy guns to shoot and once in awhile get lucky and get something that's a little 'more' than just a shooter. Gun collecting is a difficult genre of gun ownership for the average shooter to 'get' sometimes. The things that are important to a collector at times seem very counter intuitive to someone looking at a gun as a shooter. Value is at the extreme ends of the range between shooter and collector pieces.
Just as an example a fine, unmodified, documented WWII issued 1911 that wasn't returned to the arsenal for a rebuild could be worth several thousand dollars to a collector depending on maker and provenance. Even though it may appear a little rough. That very same gun, brought home by a GI, refinished and 'upgraded' to be a better shooter than issued will basically have no collector value, none. Unless all work was documented and performed by a top level, well known gunsmith and even then the collector value would shift from a 'bring back' war piece to a 'custom'.
One thing collectors hang their hats on is original finish which as described above will age into a nice 'patina' over the years. That is honest wear, honest wear is collectable. As you may have heard on antique roadshow, original finish is everything on old collectables. While the firearm that is the subject of this thread could be a fantastic shooter it appears the finish was very crudely attacked with something abrasive. Collector value for the most part is gone. IMO the only thing that could salvage it as a collectable would be a trip back to Colt for a rebuild/refinish. That would cost a ton and again shift it to a different collectables market.
Even if the above gun were in perfect untouched condition as a collectable it would only be worth what the market would bring. You would be marketing it to a smaller more demanding subset of the firearm market where products often take awhile to find their way to that one guy who's willing to pay 'what it's worth'. People often get caught up in the book value of a firearm which is often out of touch w/what people are willing to pay.
Best of luck whatever you decide.

 

[tac]

'Cleaning up' an older gun to make it look 'purty' can, and does reduce the value by between 25% and 90%, depending on the rarity of the gun itself.

Basically, you have removed the last 116 years of history, and that can't be replaced by something out of a bottle - ever.

'Restoring' the original arsenic salt bluing will likely cost you north of a thousand bucks. Anything less than that and it will look like a modern blued gun, which it patently is not, since in the old days they blued stuff by fuming over tanks of poisonous fumes. Nowadays they dip them in a bunch of fancy chemicals. If you go that way, then in the end you will have a restored-finish gun worth couple of hundred.

Your call.

tac

 

[dobeman]

No expert here, but I have a few Colt wheel guns. That one looks similar to my new service. And the one pictured is ruined from a Colt collector stand point. Refinishing it would only be from eye of beholder viewpoint. And an expert should examine it to see if it's safely shootable.

 

[RosieBemis]

Doberman I think you're right. Thank you thank you everyone for the feedback.
I think it's a New Navy and I think the year was 1901. And I don't think the finish was blue. I think it was actually nickle and I believe that it's perfectly safe to shoot
I came across this in trade basically and have no need/desire to own it and got an offer for $400 for it and everything I got with it which I think is beyond fair based on all the feedback I've gotten. Holiday season equals lots of binging and purging. I'm going to post it in the classifieds without expecting anyone to buy it of course but hoping I can make back what I'm missing in my budget.
Thanks for being so helpful and patient and I guess it's about time to take better pics and list it

 

[Flopsweat]

Doberman I think you're right. Thank you thank you everyone for the feedback.
I think it's a New Navy and I think the year was 1901. And I don't think the finish was blue. I think it was actually nickle and I believe that it's perfectly safe to shoot
I came across this in trade basically and have no need/desire to own it and got an offer for $400 for it and everything I got with it which I think is beyond fair based on all the feedback I've gotten. Holiday season equals lots of binging and purging. I'm going to post it in the classifieds without expecting anyone to buy it of course but hoping I can make back what I'm missing in my budget.
Thanks for being so helpful and patient and I guess it's about time to take better pics and list it

If you can get $400 for it I think you're doing well, unless the everything you got with it includes another gun.

 

[jbett98]

Just curious, when you cock the hammer, which way does the cylinder rotate, CW or CCW?

 

[dobeman]

Doberman I think you're right. Thank you thank you everyone for the feedback.
I think it's a New Navy and I think the year was 1901. And I don't think the finish was blue. I think it was actually nickle and I believe that it's perfectly safe to shoot
I came across this in trade basically and have no need/desire to own it and got an offer for $400 for it and everything I got with it which I think is beyond fair based on all the feedback I've gotten. Holiday season equals lots of binging and purging. I'm going to post it in the classifieds without expecting anyone to buy it of course but hoping I can make back what I'm missing in my budget.
Thanks for being so helpful and patient and I guess it's about time to take better pics and list it

if you have a $400 cash offer for it, I'd take that.