Educate me

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travellerw

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Ok I've poked around a bit and would love to hear some direct input from you guys.

I recently found out I will be coming into a little bit of money and I'm thinking of buying an antique gun (pistol). I know next to nothing about them.

Would I be crazy to think I could get an antique that is in shootable condition for NO MORE then $1500.

I was hoping for something that looks like a Colt and not like a Webley (I think Webleys are ugly). My main purpose is really as a conversation piece/shooter. We own a largish (section) chunk of land that I would like to take it to and shoot on occasion.

What do you think? Where should I start? What guns should I be looking at?
 
travellerw said:
Ok I've poked around a bit and would love to hear some direct input from you guys.

I recently found out I will be coming into a little bit of money and I'm thinking of buying an antique gun (pistol). I know next to nothing about them.

Would I be crazy to think I could get an antique that is in shootable condition for NO MORE then $1500.

I was hoping for something that looks like a Colt and not like a Webley (I think Webleys are ugly). My main purpose is really as a conversation piece/shooter. We own a largish (section) chunk of land that I would like to take it to and shoot on occasion.

What do you think? Where should I start? What guns should I be looking at?
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How about a S&W DA Frist model there the S&W with the big trigger gard.
There still break top and are anything but ugly. there 44 Russian for the most part.

The only thing in the $1500 range thats colt like in the way it works loads and unloads might be a french 1873 ? they can be had in 45 acp for $1500 or less. or a reichs revolver but thats going kinda ugly again lOL
I dont think there ugly but you might.
I think S&W are the nicest looking handguns.
 
How about a Manhattan made in the 1860's .36 cal. ...looks like a Colt but they are not as expensive. You would probably have to order one from the U.S. but they are clearly antiques so no problems.

Manhattan36004.jpg

Manhattan36003.jpg
 
I too am slowly educating myself on this topic. I started out wanting a Webley, mostly for the low price, but now I know that what I really want is a Colt 1873 in .45 acp. The look is exactly what I want, and the ammo is readily available! I still don't quite understand how an acp cartridge fits into a SA revolver. I don't imagine moon clips can work in a SA, so I figure the cylinders must be modified somehow?? I'm well on my way to saving up for the probable $5,000+ prictag, and am crossing my fingers that Dingus will have something close to what I want, by the end of the summer....
 
There is an 1878 Colt in a .45 Schofield on the EE now for 1800 I think. They are a little finicky about their timing, it's do-able though.
But if you have a roughneck frame of mind then forget it, it's not a piece for heavy handed folks
 
Thanks for the responses..

Shooting Bastard.. I just couldn't spend that kinda cake.. The wife would kill me.. I'm just looking for something I can shoot occasionally and will start conversations.

Tokguy.. I actually have the listing open. Can you elaborate? I really know nothing about older guns and calibres.
 
travellerw said:
Thanks for the responses..

Shooting Bastard.. I just couldn't spend that kinda cake.. The wife would kill me.. I'm just looking for something I can shoot occasionally and will start conversations.

Tokguy.. I actually have the listing open. Can you elaborate? I really know nothing about older guns and calibres.
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PM sent
 
travellerw said:
Thanks for the responses..

Shooting Bastard.. I just couldn't spend that kinda cake.. The wife would kill me.. I'm just looking for something I can shoot occasionally and will start conversations.
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I feel for ya! ;) It's a good thing that I'm divorced, and my girlfriend has her RPAL, digs cowboys, loves my reproduction 1873 lever action, and is generally supportive of my rapidly increasing collection! :D

I'm still having a hard time getting clear with justifying the pricetag, even though I can afford it. I just figure that these antiques will continue to rise in value, far faster than inflation....

Any chance of getting an explanation on how the 45 acp fits into a SA revolver?

(sorry for the hijack Mr. Travellerw)
 
I don't know about what you are comfortable with,but there is always the shock and awe effect.A British sea service pistol or something like Brutus's .69 cal double?A Colt
Walker? It could be pricey, but what the hell do we know.
 
Cyclone... No.. I've been looking at some Ball and Cap stuff. Pretty cool and cowboy as hell..

Now can someone tell me how hard it is to import an Antique and what are the rules! I found a Colt SAA .45 that has had some "work" done so its value is significantly reduced. The seller tells me the serial number dates it to 1898!

I've also found some nice Colt Army/Navy pistols but they are chambered in 38LC. Seems like that cartridge might be problematic to obtain or even reload for.

Ahh so many options and so much to learn.. The Thunderer or Lightening are cool (Billy the Kid Carried one).
 
travellerw said:
Cyclone... No.. I've been looking at some Ball and Cap stuff. Pretty cool and cowboy as hell..

Now can someone tell me how hard it is to import an Antique and what are the rules! I found a Colt SAA .45 that has had some "work" done so its value is significantly reduced. The seller tells me the serial number dates it to 1898!

I've also found some nice Colt Army/Navy pistols but they are chambered in 38LC. Seems like that cartridge might be problematic to obtain or even reload for.

Ahh so many options and so much to learn.. The Thunderer or Lightening are cool (Billy the Kid Carried one).
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I have some random comments in reply....:yingyang:...the first of which is that cap & ball revolvers are totally fun !....:D

Also, it's "curious" to note how the U.S. considers even reproduction cap & ball firearms to be antique firearms, whereas the "genius minds" administering Canada consider a modern Uberti '1858 Remington' to be evil and restricted....f:P:

Now ;) , I never wanted to be "that guy" who dumps all over a given model of firearm :redface: , but some Colt revolvers had "hiccups" with the company's transition into double-action...:(....that said and for all the comments about the "fragile nature" of Lightning (and less-so re: the Thunderer), they were apparently very popular among "shootists" !...:wave:

Maybe that's b/c - like how escalators can never break but simply become stairs :evil: - many of those double-actions simply "became single-actions" !

Personally, I like the S&W double-actions (but then again, I'm a break-top fanboy) over the Colts, but the Colt 1878 does hold a certain charm in my humble estimation....

One other note, esp. about cartridges - brass is out there, esp. thanks to the lovely folk at Starline ! ....:dancingbanana:
 
cyclone said:
.:(....that said and for all the comments about the "fragile nature" of Lightning (and less-so re: the Thunderer), they were apparently very popular among "shootists" !...:wave:
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I think the problems with the Thunderer in part is that to my mind it has a fragile cylinder lock. The lock sticks out quite a way from the recoil shield and in the one that I have, was broken off when I got it. The second problem I had was that so far I have been unable to get the gun to shoot single action which I would much prefer to double action. I am suspicious the problem has to do with the "grasshopper spring" which is a single spring split in two and doing two jobs. I am suspicious that if one side is too strong it will effect the other side.

I suspect the reason for the popularity of the Thunderer with the shootists (presume you are referring to the cowboy shooters) is that they tend to be spray and pray types where time is as important as accuracy and a double action gun is preferable for that reason.

A final note is that the Thunderer in a 41 long Colt is a bit of a nuisance cartridge to load for because it uses a healed bullet.

Going back to the original criteria, I think that even though a Colt SAA is twice or more the price of the OP's price range, it will probably hold its value or increase over the long haul as well as being somewhat fool proof in terms of repair. I think some of the S&W's may be a bit cheaper and probably almost as durable and also have a similar ### appeal to the SAA

cheers mooncoon
 
mooncoon said:
I think the problems with the Thunderer in part is that to my mind it has a fragile cylinder lock. The lock sticks out quite a way from the recoil shield and in the one that I have, was broken off when I got it. The second problem I had was that so far I have been unable to get the gun to shoot single action which I would much prefer to double action. I am suspicious the problem has to do with the "grasshopper spring" which is a single spring split in two and doing two jobs. I am suspicious that if one side is too strong it will effect the other side.
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Any issues with the "forcing cone area" on the Thunderer ?..:yingyang:


IIRC :redface: , one of the "issues" with the Lightning was that it was small and fiddly to get at the internals....:confused:....this was apparently less of an issue with the larger Thunderer ?...:wave:
 
I don't recall any problems with the gun spraying lead; just was not accurate with me shooting double action. Internal springs and double function ones in particular are a royal pain because you can't really see what they are doing and how they need to be adjusted

cheers mooncoon
 
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