Colt Carbine

ajacobs · May 20, 2000, 08:56 AM

I have a antique dealer freind of mine who just bought out an estate of a 70 year old women who lives in northern NY. Her entire family lived in this rural home for 3 generations and it still doesn't have plumbing or electricity. The antique dealer who is a good freind of mine has offered me to come up and look at, in order to purchase, a colt carbine 5 shot with a cylinder and marked with a patent date of nov 24th 1857. Besides the history and the fact that it was found in a whole in the wall (literally) I am fairly certain between her examing it and when I examine it we will be able to tell if it is a reproduction. I found out about it becuase she left a message on my machine so that is all the info I have now. I will of course have ample opertunity to look at it in person before I purchase it but I don't want to ask to many questions on the phone as I want to be fair with her but still get a good deal. What can I do to determine it's model and value? WHat is the relitive rareity? Any tips on assesing condition? thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

[This message has been edited by ajacobs (edited May 20, 2000).]

James K · May 20, 2000, 05:15 PM

Hi, A Jacobs,

A lot more info is needed. My sources don't show a Colt carbine with that patent date. The last Colt revolving rifle was the Root, and those show just the patent year of 1856.

Obviously, the most important issue is identification (what is it?), and I will try to help. Then comes the need to determine whether the item is genuine (not a reproduction) and whether it is complete and original.

The third determination of value is condition. The closer it is to its original appearance, the more it is worth. For example, a gun with 98% of its original finish may be worth $10,000 while an otherwise identical gun, but with only 10% original finish, may be worth $3000.

To try for a ballpark figure, we will need the caliber, all other markings, the overall length, barrel length and shape (round, octagonal), general appearance (percent of original blue, amount of rust if any, depth or rust, stock finish, etc.

If the gun appears to be valuable, you should get appraisals from at least two experts. We can provide names later if you want.

Jim

Jim

ajacobs · May 20, 2000, 05:48 PM

Well like I think she would be more than pleased with an offer of a thousand or so. I don't know much about it like I said and I realize this is a limiting factor but I fully expect to make an offer when I go up there and probally walk away with it without knowing much about it. Not that a thousand dollars is a small sum for me but the standing relashionship and referals for purchases that I get from her are more important. It is almost a silent understanding that I will take all the guns off her hands. Then if I decide to sell it and I do real well with it I will give her part of the profits. I relize there is allot of variability in these just like a SAA, which I do collect. I didn't have a sourse for idenifying the model via pattent date. She did say it didn't have a hammer I don't know if that means it is broken or missing or if it isn't desinged to have one.

May 20, 2000, 08:56 AM	#1
ajacobs Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2000 Posts: 210	I have a antique dealer freind of mine who just bought out an estate of a 70 year old women who lives in northern NY. Her entire family lived in this rural home for 3 generations and it still doesn't have plumbing or electricity. The antique dealer who is a good freind of mine has offered me to come up and look at, in order to purchase, a colt carbine 5 shot with a cylinder and marked with a patent date of nov 24th 1857. Besides the history and the fact that it was found in a whole in the wall (literally) I am fairly certain between her examing it and when I examine it we will be able to tell if it is a reproduction. I found out about it becuase she left a message on my machine so that is all the info I have now. I will of course have ample opertunity to look at it in person before I purchase it but I don't want to ask to many questions on the phone as I want to be fair with her but still get a good deal. What can I do to determine it's model and value? WHat is the relitive rareity? Any tips on assesing condition? thanks in advance for any help you can offer. [This message has been edited by ajacobs (edited May 20, 2000).]

May 20, 2000, 05:15 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Hi, A Jacobs, A lot more info is needed. My sources don't show a Colt carbine with that patent date. The last Colt revolving rifle was the Root, and those show just the patent year of 1856. Obviously, the most important issue is identification (what is it?), and I will try to help. Then comes the need to determine whether the item is genuine (not a reproduction) and whether it is complete and original. The third determination of value is condition. The closer it is to its original appearance, the more it is worth. For example, a gun with 98% of its original finish may be worth $10,000 while an otherwise identical gun, but with only 10% original finish, may be worth $3000. To try for a ballpark figure, we will need the caliber, all other markings, the overall length, barrel length and shape (round, octagonal), general appearance (percent of original blue, amount of rust if any, depth or rust, stock finish, etc. If the gun appears to be valuable, you should get appraisals from at least two experts. We can provide names later if you want. Jim Jim

May 20, 2000, 05:48 PM	#3
ajacobs Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2000 Posts: 210	Well like I think she would be more than pleased with an offer of a thousand or so. I don't know much about it like I said and I realize this is a limiting factor but I fully expect to make an offer when I go up there and probally walk away with it without knowing much about it. Not that a thousand dollars is a small sum for me but the standing relashionship and referals for purchases that I get from her are more important. It is almost a silent understanding that I will take all the guns off her hands. Then if I decide to sell it and I do real well with it I will give her part of the profits. I relize there is allot of variability in these just like a SAA, which I do collect. I didn't have a sourse for idenifying the model via pattent date. She did say it didn't have a hammer I don't know if that means it is broken or missing or if it isn't desinged to have one.