1800's Colt Single Actions - Finish

[Highlander999]

Just wondering, after perusing the books COLT and PEACEMAKERS by R.L. Wilson, it seems that most of the Colt SAA's shown are either nickle or silver plated.  Does anyone know what the numbers on these look like.  Were most nickle plated, or did only these "presentation" guns survive well enough to be shown?  Were the 19th Century guns basically nickle?

I remember that somewhere in the book SHANE, Joey talks that Shane's gun was black, not like any paint, but into the metal (as best I remember the quote fromm the book), leaving me to believe that most guns were nickled.

Thanks,

Steve

[St. George]

Very briefly - Colt Single Action Armies of the period were either - Blue and Casehardened (most common), Nickel-plated (more expensive) or 'Government Blue' (only found on Government-contract guns)

You see the Nickel ones simply because there were a helluva lot of them - that plating acting as a great barrier to rusting and corrosion.

It was the 'stainless steel' of the day.

Jack Schaefer's book notwithstanding - those were the options Colt offered.

If you get the chance - or if your Library can get a copy - read:
 'A Study of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver' -  Graham, Kopec and Moore
'The Book of Colt Firearms' -  Sutherland and Wilson

You'll learn more than you'd thought possible about Colt's Model P.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Highlander999]

Howdy.

Based on what I saw, there did appear to be an inordinate number of nickle or silver plated Colts.  And, I sort of knew that part of the issue was rust and corrosion protection. 

Thanks for the response.

Steve

[Advertising]

[Laredo Crockett]

I believe that most were blued-these were cheaper and thus more were sold. It's likely that more of the Nickled ones survived as the Nickle was a barrier to rust. Guns of the period led a hard life. It's likely that most owners didn't regularly clean their guns, if at all. It woul dhae been a real pain to properely clean a black powder gun on the Frontier of those days. I am the first of my family to have ever cleaned firearms-the ones passed down thru the faimoy were junk.