Help please

Millertime9595

New member
EE Expired
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Location
MB proud son
Hey I am new to this forum and I'm looking for a little help. I have a colt frontier six shooter that was built in 1893. It has a really beautiful patina finish on it due to being stored in an oily holster for what I would imagine was a good portion of its life. The gun is totally numbers matching and the action was rebuilt by the p.o. It was rechambered in 44 special to acquire antique status. It fires like a brand new gun. I have owned it for a few years and really do like the gun however circumstances have changed in my life and I'm thinking I could better use the money elsewhere in my life. What id like to know is where to begin to value this gun. What's going rate on something like this that's been rechambered for antique status? Who should I be talking to to get this info? I have applied for EE access and will be posting it when I have a better idea what I will be asking. Thanks in advance for any useful info.
 
Uhhhh...nobody wants clunky old guns like that any more...I'll take it off your hands for a hundred bucks 'cause l'm a nice guy... :D

Seriously that gun is worth thousands. Get it properly appraised...don't bother asking here.
 
Haha thanks man. I don't know who to take it to for appraisals nobody in my neck of the woods has a sniff when it comes to anything outside of your average deer rifles and shotguns.
 
Haha thanks man. I don't know who to take it to for appraisals nobody in my neck of the woods has a sniff when it comes to anything outside of your average deer rifles and shotguns.

Yeah, that could be a problem. Perhaps there are some antique dealers in your area that can recommend somebody? Also, there must be a Colt Collector club or forum somewhere...I'll leave the Google searching to you. [oh all right.... http://www.coltcollectors.com/home].

In the meantime.... Treat that old wheelgun like the precious jewel it is. Don't store it in the holster...this is usually a great way to ruin a gun's finish, so you're lucky there. Get or make a case for it with a soft padded interior that won't mark the finish. Handle that Colt with white gloves...and I mean that literally! You don't want fingerprints or skin oil on the steel. BTW, if that holster is original with the gun, it's a valuable antique too, so take care of it.

Take some good hi-res pictures of the Colt and be prepared to send them or post them. If all you have is a phone camera, find a friend with something better. When you find someone capable of doing a reasonable appraisal, they will need GOOD pictures if you don't send them the actual gun. Good luck with the project...let us know how it turns out.

One more thing -- a post that just has 'Please Help' as a header may not get many views. Try changing it to something like 'Got an antique Colt single-action. What might it be worth?' That will get _plenty_ of attention from people who will know the subject better than I do.
 
Perhaps post in the Antiques forum for an evaluation.

The problem with posting it in the EE is that as a new seller with no feedback score you'll need to post it at less than it is worth to encourage someone to take a chance on the gun. You'll likely have to settle for $300 to $500 less than it's worth to get a sale compared to if you had a good feedback score of a dozen or more deals. But hey, start high with the intent to come down. That way you'll get as much as you're going to get.
 
Haha thanks man. I don't know who to take it to for appraisals nobody in my neck of the woods has a sniff when it comes to anything outside of your average deer rifles and shotguns.

Call NRA in US they will be able to help, if they give you hard time I am a Life Member and I would be more than happy to call them on your behalf. Let me know

Josko
 
My biggest question is how is the rechambering going to effect the value on a gun like this? I have gotten mixed answer. Some are telling me it cuts it in half others say the antique status is worth $2000 plus the guns value. I'm assuming the answer falls somewhere in the middle but which side?
 
The Antiques forum has many collectors and dealers as contributors...some who deal with rechambered/antique guns almost exclusively, the big divide is between serious collectors of antiques who insist on originality and those that want to use the gun in a less restricted way due to its antique status.
If you are really into shooting you may want to consider how much it is going to cost to get a similar gun later on if you can find one.
 
The rechambering has lessened its value by at least half. As mentioned, .44 Special does not make it an antique. Ruins any antique value it may have had. It is certainly not worth 5 grand. Collectors don't want stuff that is not original.
Storing it in an oily holster hasn't done it any good either. That's one if the worst things you can do. That patina is rust.
In any case, you'd be better asking on the BP and Antiques forum. Even though it's neither.
The NRA doesn't care or know anything about Canada. Absolutely nothing about firearm values here.
 
I think the value really sits on the fact that you can take it out and shoot it "legally" outside a gun range...
 
Maybe you had better check what the laws say about that

There's a lot to read, but here is the meat and potatoes of it - you can correct me if I'm wrong... but you can technically (and many folks do) carry an antique pistol in the bush. The moment you point it at a human or try to commit a crime with said antique, then and only then does it become a firearm... that's my understanding. Anyways - that's why antiques converted to "modern" calibers cost so much! .45acp, 44 Russian, special etc...

Source: https://nfa.ca/resource-items/antique-and-blackpowder-firearms


84. (2) Notwithstanding the definition "firearm" in susection (1), for the purposes of the definitions "prohibited weapon" and "restricted weapon" in that subsection and for the purposes of section 93, subsections 97(1) and (3), and sections 102, 104, 105 and 116, the following weapons shall be deemed not to be firearms:

(a) an antique firearm unless

(i) but for this subsection, it would be a restricted weapon, and

(ii) the person in possession thereof intends to discharge it... [emphasis added throughout].

The equivalent subsection in the current legislation says,

84... (3) For the purposes of sections 91 to 95, 99 to 101, 103 to 1007 and 117.03 of this Act and the provisions of the Firearms act, the following weapons are deemed not to be firearms:

(a) any antique firearm [emphasis added throughout]...

Therefore, under the previous legislation, any antique firearm became a "firearm" and a "restricted weapon" or a "prohibited weapon" (if it met the CC s. 84(1) physical characteristic list for such a designation) at the moment the possessor formed an intention to discharge it.

Under the current legislation, "any antique firearm" (including, apparently, a loaded one) is not a "firearm" for the following purposes:

1. Firearms Act: None of the provisions of the Firearms Act, including those requiring registration, licences, ATTs and/or ATCs, apply to any "antique firearm."

2. CC s. 91 and 92: Possession of any "antique firearm" without a licence or registration certificate is legal.

3. CC s. 93: Possession of any "antique firearm" at any location is legal.

4. CC s. 94: Being in a motor vehicle with any "antique firearm" is legal.
5. CC s. 95: Being in possession of a loaded "antique firearm" (which is also a "restricted firearm" or a "prohibited firearm"), or one with readily accessible ammunition is legal even if the person is not the holder of any licence, registration certificate, ATT, or ATC.
6. CC s. 99: Transferring or offering to transfer any "antique firearm" is legal.
7. CC s. 100: Dealing in any type of any "antique firearm" is legal.
8. CC s. 101: Transferring any "antique firearm" is legal if the transfer apparently violates the Firearms Act.
9. CC s. 103 and 104: Importing or exporting any "antique firearm" is legal.
10. CC s. 105: Not reporting the loss or finding of any "antique firearm" is legal.
11. CC s. 106 and 107: Not reporting the destruction of any "antique firearm" is legal, and knowingly making a false report of that type to a firearms official or the police is legal.
12. CC s. 117.03: A peace officer who finds a person in possession of any "antique firearm" is not authorized to demand that the person present a licence, registration certificate, ATT, and/or ATC.
 
Back
Top Bottom