To Shoot or Not to Shoot?

[Jeff Vicars]

I just bought a Colt Signature Series Walker that is unfired and unturned. Should I shoot it? What's it worth unfired vs. fired?

[1860]

Oh Boy, this topic could get all over the place with various opinions..

I see them on the .com auctions being offered at 500 and up.  I had 4 of them when they were being made and I doubt that all of them added together were worth that much.  I still have a 49 pocket that after a total rebuild(and I mean total), is a fine little gun, the others were 1860s and totally hopeless.  If you keep yours unfired, it may go up in value someday, most guns do, the 2nd generations are doing OK.  If you do shoot it, Uberti parts generally fit fairly well, atleast the internals.  

I found the exterior finish was great.  The internal fitting was horrendous, cylinder pins way too small for the bbl., poor to non-existant timing, I had one 1860 come without any rifling the last 3rd of the bbl and the replacement they sent me did not have a spring on the hand-(never did)..

Sorry to bash your new gun, not really my intent but I had a great deal of trouble with these guns and am astonished to see the prices on the net.  I hope yours turns out to be a good one, I understand they they did some improving on the later guns and I've not seen them.

60

[filmokentucky]

Jeff, as 1860 says, you may get a number of differing opinions on this one. The "C" and "F" series guns are going up in value due to their high quality and relatively small production runs. The Signature Series guns got a bad rap for exactly the reasons 1860 has stated. Current Blue Book value on a mint Signature Series Walker is $575.00. This is for a revolver in 100% condition with its box and all paperwork. New, the gun cost $750.00. At this point, the gun has been a disaster as an investment. For
contrast, an"F" series or "black box" Walker is worth $895.00 in the same condition and cost $562.00 when new. But the "F" series Walker was made 23 years ago.  It is impossible to say what your gun will be worth after twenty years have passed. If it is in mint condition and you have all the trappings it came with, it might be worth putting aside. After twenty years, the number of unturned guns will have dwindled quite a bit. To be sure, it won't have lost value. And don't let anyone tell you it's not a real Colt. It is a real, made in America, by Americans, COLT!

[Evil Dog]

Shoot it and enjoy.

[Shorty]

filmokentucky,
Made in USA?  Now, I could be wrong,  :oops: BUT it is my understanding that all of the Colt Signature series guns were made from Uberti parts, shipped to Colts subsidiary in NYC, polished and fitted to a higher standard than Uberti and marked as Colts.  The only Colt Signature that I own is a 1861 Colt's special musket, and I paid dearly for that polish, fit and nice wood.  However, I shoot it and do not baby it!  Inflated prices for these guns are dealers suckerbait.  :roll:  :lol:

[Flint]

The 2nd gen guns were made of Uberti parts and assembled and finished by Iver Johnson in the USA.  They were very well fit and finished, authentic in detail and worth the price.

The Signature Series, on the other hand, assembled by a completely different vendor in Brooklyn NY, were made of parts from various manufacturers.  For instance, the 1860 Army I have has a frame clearly made by ASM, if I correctly read the way the grooves were cut on the cylinder base pin.  The gun lacks the capping groove, came in the box with a loose cylinder pin, the timing was awful, and the parts polished BEFORE, rather than after assembly, so the corners of the mating surfaces are rounded where they should meet flush, and polished before they were smooth....  I could go on.  

I do shoot it (now that it has been cleaned up, tightened and retimed), and shoot my very fine second gen 1860 I as well, and it was correctly done, and needed little touchup tuning out of the box.  I have a second gen 1851 Navy that was perfect out of the box, and polished like a black mirror, yet all the corners are square and sharp and all mating surfaces match.

[filmokentucky]

This is one story that won't go away. The second and third generation Colts were made in the U.S.A. using rough forgings purchased from Uberti. They are considered to be genuine Colts by Colt and by collectors.
The second generation guns are felt to be of a higher quality than the third generation or Signature Series guns. All of them are finished to a higher standard than the imports. When you get a higher degree of polishing and bluing and bone charcoal case hardening instead of a cheap chemical substitute, you will pay more. Some folks don't care to do so and that is their right. Putting the Sam Colt signature on the third gen guns was probably not the smartest decision Lou Imperato made, but if you don't want it on your gun, just look for a clean second gen piece. In any case, these guns are American made, genuine Colts and have always been considered so. This story about them being Italian guns that were given a higher finish just isn't so. But as long as mis-informed folks keep tossing this rumor around, I will be able to occasionally pick up a second gen gun for a very reasonable price because its owner tells me it's just a fancy Eye-talian Yoobooti. Just got an F series NIB Walker for $350 from one of these knowledgable gents. I pointed out the lack of Italian proofs on the gun and the Colt box but he thought he got the best of the deal. I saved $ 545. I will try to feel guilty if I can find the time.