1877 thunderer worth

ausjulius

ausjulius

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hello, well i just put a day or so back a thunderer storekeeper in .41 colt on the forsale section and put it at 900$ but i dont get replies. i wanted to sell it for a fair price, the sear spring is became weakened and i dindt by a replacement one for it so it dosnt lock in full #### (seems to have happened recently as last time i picked it up it did.)
anyway, guns in decent condition no rust on it and it works,
is the 900 i put a fair price (sorry im not a canadian so im newer to your market, antique stuff that can be shot seems to have odd prices here)
normaly these old thunderers are quite collectable , but i dont know what you folks value them here??.
sorry not trying to pump up my sale or anything, just really dont know the value of these guns here,
 
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I saw your ad on the EE and thought that the price was reasonable for an antique in shootable condition but I wonder how difficult it is to re-load for .41 Colt also the Thunderer has gained a bit of a reputation for being somewhat fragile internally...can't say that from personal experience and it could be bunk,just what I heard on the grape vine.
 
I have one that looks very similar to yours but mine works in both single and double action i would probably ask about $900 for mine.I think most people would be a bit nervous buying one that's not working right because they have a reputation for being really hard to fix.
 
I think $900 is more than a fair price, maybe the low trader rating has something to do with it. Maybe starting that low with listing a problem has scared some off. The 41 Long Colt is not that had to get reloading supplies for. Rusty Wood and Ellwood Epps should be able to fix it right up for you or whoever buys it. Just give it some time and I am sure it will go.
I own an 1892 in 41 Long Colt and really enjoy shooting it occasionally, usually when I can’t get to the range to shoot restricted firearms for one reason or another. You can load them down low enough to start someone off and have a lot of fun. Some people are scared to come to the club at first and this is a good way to show them firearms are safe and get them to the club for the next trip.
 
after doing some research as to what old handguns to start collecting , i was told to stay far away from these guns if a person was looking for a shooter .
they are suposed to be finicky and hard to work on .

there is one gunsmith ( in the states ) i was trading emails with about a year ago who flat out refuses to work on these guns , they are that much a pain in the ass to work on .

as for price ..... you want 900.00 for a gun that needs work done to it before it can be used safely ...... i have seen several guns in the last 6 months sell in the 900- 1400 range that do not need any work repair work at all before use ( well at least they where advertised as working properly .
 
I have a thunderer that I bought that needed a couple of springs plus the cylinder lock and sear. While I replaced these parts, I am not able to fire the gun single action; I am guessing because of problems with the "grasshopper" spring which is a split spring with two functions. I am suspicious that if the tension is too great on one leg, that buggers up the tension on the leg pressing on the single action sear.
I would avoid such guns in the future because I don't understand them well enough to repair them (for myself)

Ultimately the price something sells for is what someone else will pay for it. If there are relatively few people willing to pay big dollars for something and / or the economy dips a bit, then the price goes down

cheers mooncoon
 
mooncoon said:
I have a thunderer that I bought that needed a couple of springs plus the cylinder lock and sear. While I replaced these parts, I am not able to fire the gun single action; I am guessing because of problems with the "grasshopper" spring which is a split spring with two functions. I am suspicious that if the tension is too great on one leg, that buggers up the tension on the leg pressing on the single action sear.
I would avoid such guns in the future because I don't understand them well enough to repair them (for myself)

Ultimately the price something sells for is what someone else will pay for it. If there are relatively few people willing to pay big dollars for something and / or the economy dips a bit, then the price goes down

cheers mooncoon
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The spring needs to be installed correctly for the mechanism to work. The proper fitting is counterintuitive, the first couple times. One leg of the spring seats against the cylinder lock, the other against a little notch in the sear itself, IIRC.
Of course. all the other bits have to be in correct order for it to work well too.

I dug around the web for assembly instructions, and found some with good pictures.

Cheers
Trev
 
Hhhmm funny... In %100 shootable condition.. People are telling me $1500 is not unreasonable.. I was warned.. Don't play with them, don't take them apart.. If you got a working one, shoot it and put it away..

I just bought 2 working ones.. Love them..

1 is the same configuration (minus caliber) that Billy the kid carried.. Pretty cool to say..

I think $900 is more than fair.. I was just at a gun show in Wyoming and many Thunderers were going for $1200 - $2000 depending on condition, history ect.. They may be fragile but they are Colts first DA and are starting to become collectable for that.
 
travellerw said:
Hhhmm funny... In %100 shootable condition.. People are telling me $1500 is not unreasonable.. I was warned.. Don't play with them, don't take them apart.. If you got a working one, shoot it and put it away..

I just bought 2 working ones.. Love them..

1 is the same configuration (minus caliber) that Billy the kid carried.. Pretty cool to say..

I think $900 is more than fair.. I was just at a gun show in Wyoming and many Thunderers were going for $1200 - $2000 depending on condition, history ect.. They may be fragile but they are Colts first DA and are starting to become collectable for that.
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You're very close :redface: - Billy the Kid was supposed to have liked 1877 double-action Colt revolvers ;) , esp. the .41-calibre one commonly with the trade-name called the "thunderer"....:yingyang:


IIRC, the 1877 was the first Colt double-action revolver, and the .41-calibre "thunderer" was supposedly "larger in the internals" and easier to dissect than the .38-calibre revolver commonly known as the "lightning"...:wave:


The 1878 was larger still "internally", and was supposed to have a tweaked-design, but - and this is only my poor opinion - those earlier Colts seemed to weaken when used in single-action ?......:(
 
yeah you know i noticed these 1877s dont sell for more than their collector prices in the u.s. but the 1892s and 1889s sell for 3 times the price!! some with the s&ws in .44 russian, but others like the lebel 1892 only sell for a bit more than the normal price ive seen.
you guys have got a unique market when it comes to antique guns. because of the laws, so i like to check i have the price right, yeah 900 seems low i guess, but im happy with that, if i had time id just buy another sear spring, its not busted just full #### is slipping, tiny little spring opperates the sear!,
would work before, to much n clicking it maybe,
id probably just ask for 1000 or 950 if i put a new spring in it , theyer only afew dollars, i might do that if its motivating factor in its sale.

yes they are a very horrid gun in their internal function little flimsy springs and odd springs to hard to make them your self.. the split spring on the sear is very good for a gun spring...
 
mooncoon said:
I have a thunderer that I bought that needed a couple of springs plus the cylinder lock and sear. While I replaced these parts, I am not able to fire the gun single action; I am guessing because of problems with the "grasshopper" spring which is a split spring with two functions. I am suspicious that if the tension is too great on one leg, that buggers up the tension on the leg pressing on the single action sear.
I would avoid such guns in the future because I don't understand them well enough to repair them (for myself)

Ultimately the price something sells for is what someone else will pay for it. If there are relatively few people willing to pay big dollars for something and / or the economy dips a bit, then the price goes down

cheers mooncoon
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hey mate, working on them is "interesting" its best if you talk with somebody else whos done it as not much good info on fitting the partsn them selves.
the little split spring you speak of is the worst part in the gun ,
buit if somebody shows you how youll get the workings first time round looking at them is a jumble, its not very clear like other guns, i spent some time figuring one out first time i took it apart, just trying to get an idea what part i needed..
 
ausjulius said:
yeah you know i noticed these 1877s dont sell for more than their collector prices in the u.s. but the 1892s and 1889s sell for 3 times the price!! some with the s&ws in .44 russian, but others like the lebel 1892 only sell for a bit more than the normal price ive seen.
you guys have got a unique market when it comes to antique guns. because of the laws, so i like to check i have the price right, yeah 900 seems low i guess, but im happy with that, if i had time id just buy another sear spring, its not busted just full #### is slipping, tiny little spring opperates the sear!,
would work before, to much n clicking it maybe,
id probably just ask for 1000 or 950 if i put a new spring in it , theyer only afew dollars, i might do that if its motivating factor in its sale.

yes they are a very horrid gun in their internal function little flimsy springs and odd springs to hard to make them your self.. the split spring on the sear is very good for a gun spring...
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I think that the hand does "double-duty" on the 1878 Colt...:redface:...making it a unique sorta revolver ?.....:yingyang:


Prices for French revolvers have rather exploded over the past 5-10 years :wave: , both b/c of the movie The Mummy as well as the fact that France apparently has a "creeping antique/curio status" that moves forward like the Curio & Relics do in the U.S.


Add to that the notion that segments of the French are indeed about as proud of their older firearms as Americans are about U.S. militaria ;) - and that the French revolvers also "qualify" for the UK's unique and weird antique-status listings - and you've got a recipe for supply decrease in antique French arms, right there !....:(
 
There are four reasons why this revolver isn't generating much interest.
1. mechanical/operating condition is less than 100%
2. the '77 colt has a reputation of being fragile and difficult to work on
3. the .41 LC cartridge has a reputation for being finicky and difficult to reload
4. The sheriff's models are less desireable as shooters than the longer bbl models with extractor.

I'd say that it might not sell too quickly at $900 but you never know until you try. If you fixed the mechanical problems you would probably get more interest and could even ask a bit more for it.

There have been some excellent condition longer barrel Thunderers that stayed on the EE for months when they were priced in the $1500 range. There just is not as much demand for them as some other antiques.
 
cyclone said:
You're very close :redface: - Billy the Kid was supposed to have liked 1877 double-action Colt revolvers ;) , esp. the .41-calibre one commonly with the trade-name called the "thunderer"....:yingyang:


IIRC, the 1877 was the first Colt double-action revolver, and the .41-calibre "thunderer" was supposedly "larger in the internals" and easier to dissect than the .38-calibre revolver commonly known as the "lightning"...:wave:


The 1878 was larger still "internally", and was supposed to have a tweaked-design, but - and this is only my poor opinion - those earlier Colts seemed to weaken when used in single-action ?......:(
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I and Wikipedia tend to disagree with you about Billy The Kid...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_M1877

He may have actually died with one in his hand. Pat Garrett official story claims that Billy was holding a "Self-Cocking" gun when he shot him.
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/billythekid.htm
 
jethunter said:
There are four reasons why this revolver isn't generating much interest.
1. mechanical/operating condition is less than 100%
2. the '77 colt has a reputation of being fragile and difficult to work on
3. the .41 LC cartridge has a reputation for being finicky and difficult to reload
4. The sheriff's models are less desireable as shooters than the longer bbl models with extractor.

I'd say that it might not sell too quickly at $900 but you never know until you try. If you fixed the mechanical problems you would probably get more interest and could even ask a bit more for it.

There have been some excellent condition longer barrel Thunderers that stayed on the EE for months when they were priced in the $1500 range. There just is not as much demand for them as some other antiques.
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hmm , yah i might just fix it and sell it in the u.s. as the price i can get for it there is more that 900$,
its working but yes not getitng full #### all the time.
you can whip it out and shoot it as it is , i just dont want to muck about and order new parts , but i guess so. if i put a new spring in id ill see..
its odd seems gun specific here those 1892s aint very collectable guns and not that well made, but they sell very well here, i think the look of the thunderer better but yeah theyer crazy guns for sure when it comes to working on them. very poor designs. but they are nicely machined. ,
 
cyclone said:
I think that the hand does "double-duty" on the 1878 Colt...:redface:...making it a unique sorta revolver ?.....:yingyang:


Prices for French revolvers have rather exploded over the past 5-10 years :wave: , both b/c of the movie The Mummy as well as the fact that France apparently has a "creeping antique/curio status" that moves forward like the Curio & Relics do in the U.S.


Add to that the notion that segments of the French are indeed about as proud of their older firearms as Americans are about U.S. militaria ;) - and that the French revolvers also "qualify" for the UK's unique and weird antique-status listings - and you've got a recipe for supply decrease in antique French arms, right there !....:(
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yeah the 1892 is a very well made gun , makes a colt from the same era look like a poorly made toy , vry good machining and fit a finish,

but thats my question with the thunderer, seems there is no general idea of the worth here???
i see busted rusty ones in the u.s. sell for 600-700$ or more....
but here they seem uncommon,
whats the opinion on a fair price for it??
 
Just keep relisting it and drop the price 50 bucks a week till it sells, then you will know the market value.

One thing about your ad is the bore description: "Good and no deep pus" translates in my books to sewer pipe with discernable rifling. Not saying that is the reality but anytime you see NRA Good describing an antique bore it is buyer beware. If you could get some bore photos posted it might help. If the bore only has light scattered frosting and the chambers are very good and the innards are very good (with exception of parts required) then your price is not too far off the mark. IIRC someone on here sells the proper heeled bullet so someone could get a few pieces of brass and have a neat shootable display piece.

The fact it requires service is really hurting you especially with the 'time' excuse. At least get the parts that are required that would help.

From watching the EE a bit over the years I can guess that for 600 shipped and it will go instantly. For 7-8 it will linger. Most the guys capable or willing to take on projects can find lots in that price range.

Edit, looked at the pics again, you only show one side, alarm bells ring, more pics will help.

Any idea if barrels are available for it? Working as it should with a mint bore it would be a desirable gun.
 
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cyclone said:
I'm pretty sure we're actually in agreement.....;)
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hahah deep pus indeed wrote it latelast nigh.
ill fix, it no there is little point to drop it much lower, i can sell other guns an keep it, the price for it cant be mauch lower, maybe ill put it 850 or so but thats it..
 
ausjulius said:
i see busted rusty ones in the u.s. sell for 600-700$ or more....
but here they seem uncommon,
whats the opinion on a fair price for it??
Click to expand...

a fair price is what someone else will pay for it. I bought mine for $650 shipped plus another $50 for a spring and a cylinder lock. I would describe it as renickled but in good condition outside and with an excellent bore. It functions in double action but not single
bottom line is that I would not buy another one because they are so fiddly to get working properly. I also do not consider the cylinder lock to be a very good design

cheers mooncoon
 
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