Howdy Boys! I am new around here, and this is my first post. I see that no one has commented on this for several months, so lets see if I can stir the pot some. Back in 1995 I got the "I have to have a Colt" fever, REAL bad. I went to the local Phoenix gun store and looked at the Colt Peacemakers and if I were generous I would call them junk, but actually, they were WORSE than junk. I wanted one in the worse way, but couldn't see spending $1200 on something SOOO bad. Then I looked at the "U S Patent Firearms" Peacemakers (that was what they were called in those days. I bought one for $595, one of the last of the imported but unfinished Italian ones (finish done here). I put some money down for an action job, and to this day that USFA Peacemaker is the most accurate Peacemaker I have EVER owned (I've owned several Colts, Rugers, and other Italian replicas). My original USPFA takes a back seat to no gun I have ever fired. My son recently layed claim to it and now it is his. Still, it is THE BEST, BAR NONE!
Now, fast forward to about 2 years ago...and I was again looking to buy a Colt. I had heard that the quality was better and the ones I saw looked good. I finally spent $1250 on a new in the box black powder frame Colt 45 with a 4 3/4" barrel. Craftsmanship is excellent, and after several hundred rounds it still has NO cylinder drag marks(and I still havn't had an action job done yet!). Is it as good as my USPFA Peacemaker? No. But it is REAL close. It will probably never be as accurate, although it is very accurate in and of itself and more accurate than I can be these days with my eyes as they are. The USPFA gun has a better bullseye ejector rod (closer to the early Colt's), and I still don't like the super polished Colt hammer with the "enammel" finish on the top. Still, the fit and finish of this new gun is worthy of the name "Colt" and I am very proud to show it to my friends. Fit and finish are excellent and I will have it till the day I die. I put it next to my original 1851 Navy (manufactured in the fall of 1861- and I still shoot it!!) and I am very pleased to have 2 real Colts. For the longest time I wanted a "real" Colt, and just couldn't afford to buy one. In years past when I had more money, over the years I had bought several, and then foolishly sold them when things got tight (like when I sold my 1900 vintage Colt 45 to pay the doctor when my daughter was born. DUMB!!). I am glad that Colt again makes a quality product, and glad that for a short time 2 years ago I was able to afford one.
A lot of folks prefer the Rugers, and they are great guns. A lot of folks can only afford the Italian guns, and they two are awesome in quality (when it came time to ante up the $1250 for my Colt I felt a moment of guilt and almost bought a Great Western II. Awesome little gun for the price). My advice, buy the best you can afford, and shoot it with pride, wether it is a Colt, USFA, Ruger, Uberti etc. Unlike the old days of a few years back I don't think you will find a junk gun in the bunch.