Personalized/customized Colts?

[Wolfsburg]

I've been toying with the idea of buying a new Colt SAA at some point and was wondering if anyone here has ever ordered a customized or personalized SAA from their custom shop. If so, what did you have done? Are the prices exorbitant? I can't seem to find any pricing listed on their website, so I assume the worst. I'd eventually love to get one with a blackpowder frame, 1-piece walnut grips and maybe even something like an inscription on the barrel or perhaps a monogram on the grip spade. Does Colt even offer this level of customization? Any ideas what something like that would cost? I know personalized guns can/will hurt the resale value, but I like the idea nevertheless...

[St. George]

Colt offers several levels of engraving - from about 1/4 of the weapon to full, complete coverage.

Contact the Custom Shop directly for pricing and you can talk to one of the engravers about what you want, since prices change and brochures don't always keep up.

No idea what the cost might be, though I've heard it's competitive, but since it'll be 'factory' engraving done by a Colt engraver - the added value will enhance your weapon.

What you want done is pretty simple, and should prove no problem.

Now - that's 'your' weapon, and your engraving ideas may or may not appeal to another's taste if you decide on 'really' personalizing the piece, whereas the standard styles seem to always appeal.

That part is up to you, and buffing off and re-bluing the engraving on the backstrap's also a simple affair, as well.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Wolfsburg]

Thanks for the insight!

If anyone has pics of any custom ordered SAAs, I'd love to see them!

[St. George]

Head over to Barnes & Noble's and look for R.L.Wilson's - 'Steel Canvas'.

Then dream - and chant - 'It's Only Money'...

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Tascosa Joe]

Another place to get a custom Colt is Nutmeg Sports.  They have a great web site.  Prices run from about $2600 for lower coverage and you furnish the Colt up to about $5500 for a fully engraved pistol.

[Wolfsburg]

Haha! I definately don't think I could afford anything that extravagant, but I will have to check out "Steel Canvas". As I alluded to earlier, I was thinking more along the lines of getting them to make me a SAA that's more evocative of the early guns (wood grips, early roll mark, etc.) and maybe add a few engraved personal touches.

[St. George]

Buy a new 'Colt's Frontier Six-Shooter', then.

It'll come with the correct etched panel on the barrel and will be a blackpowder frame - and it'll be chambered in .44-40.

Get the hammer casehardened, and while the black 'Eagle' grips are correct for the era - get a set of one-piece Walnuts fitted if you so desire.

You'll be set.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Wolfsburg]

That's a good suggestion and something I had considered, but I think I'd prefer something chambered in the good 'ol .45 Colt.

[St. George]

That's all well and good - but .44-40s can also handle a .44 Special cylinder - giving you dual cartridge capability and 'very' similar stopping power when using a full-patch load.

The new 'Colt's Frontier Six-Shooters' - when slightly modified as suggested, and with the addition of bevelling the cylinder flutes - will give you what was carried by most of the users in the Old West.

The .44-40 was a popular cartridge for civilians - and could be mated to a lever rifle.

The .45 Colt/.45 S&W were essentially military rounds.

Good Luck!

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Wolfsburg]

Hmm, you've given me something to think about then. How does .44 WCF availability compare to .45 Colt?

[Danny Bear Claw]

Wolfsburg... I posted a pic of my SASS Colt either in the Longbranch or maybe it was in Gun Reviews.  I'll check to see where it is and report it here.  It is one of the last SASS Colts made.  The serial number is my SASS badge number and it has my SASS alias on the back strap.  The engraving is standard scroll type with some dot back ground.  The grips are buffalo horn, though I'm thinking of having a nice set of ivories fitted on it.
I had no idea it was so expensive to have a Colt engraved on a customer supplied gun.  I understand that if the gun is engraved by a "master engraver" at Colt he will put his signature or "mark" on it somewhere.  My  SASS Colt has no such mark that I can find so I guess mine was not done by a master, but the engraving appears perfect to me, so I guess the apprentice engraver was pretty good.   

The pic of my SASS Colt is in the Gun Reviews area, currently on page 4.  Title of the post is "A Tale Of Three 38-40s".  Cllick on the pic to enlarge.

I have a brace of SAAs in caliber 44-40 and have no trouble finding factory ammo to feed them. 

[St. George]

Since C&WAS got itself up and rolling, and more and more old weapons were unearthed and subsequently cloned - ammunition manufacturers have brought back a number of previously difficult-to-find cartridges - .44-40 among them - along with .38-40, .44 Russian and .45 S&W

You should have no trouble at all in locating 'Cowboy' ammunition.

As to the 'Colt's Frontier Six-Shooter' - take a look at a post that Fox Creek Kid did some time back - he delineates what he'd had done, and it's sure impressive.

I have a number of 'real' Colt .45s in all vintages, but my next new revolver 'will' be one of thse .44-40's, for certain.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Wolfsburg]

As always, thanks for the guidance! That is a beautiful Colt, Danny Bear Claw! I've definately gotten some food for thought...

[Fox Creek Kid]

...The new 'Colt's Frontier Six-Shooters' - when slightly modified as suggested, and with the addition of bevelling the cylinder flutes - will give you what was carried by most of the users in the Old West...