Colt Bisley Questions

mark clausen · July 25, 2015, 09:44 PM

I have the opportunity to buy a Standard Bisley in 38 WCF. 38-40? This gun is in good to very good condition. 1904 vintage, strong bluing, case hardening still apparent and the checkering on the grips is very sharp. Left side grip is shrunk a little with a small gouge. right side grip is beautiful. Some very light scratches and wear on the sharp edges. 4 3/4 or 5 1/2" barrel. This going by a pictures sent me. I will see it later this week.
2014 Gun Digest rates a good condition at $4500. Looking at Gun Broker sold items I found them in the $1100 to $1900 range. One nicer than this one sold for $1725. There are many high reserve auctions with no bids. A retail site I looked at is ASKING in the $25-4500 range and I can't seem to match condition to price. It just seems the prices are all over the place. Not being sold at the $4500 blue book price.
I'm not sure what is a fair offer.
Also could I get some opinions on the direction the prices of SAAs might be headed. I have read perhaps the prices will go down in the future as younger folks aren't as interested in these guns as... well... baby boomers I guess. Thanks.

Jim Watson · July 25, 2015, 10:41 PM

I am not qualified to discuss resale prices, I am old enough that they all sound absurd to me.

Barrel length should be obvious in a decent picture; 4.75" is flush with the ejector rod housing, so 5.5" sticks out 3/4".

Is this to show or shoot? 1904 is right on the cusp of smokeless powder proofing. Does it have the VP?

mark clausen · July 26, 2015, 07:25 AM

5.5" it is then Jim thanks. This gun would pretty much be a safe queen. Perhaps shot a time or two. I'm not familiar with the proofs and should learn.Thanks. In my reading I have found that smokeless powder guns produced after 1899 have the push button cylinder release pin which is the case with this gun. I meant to mention in my original post that the screws on this piece don't look to ever have had a screw driver put to it.

Jim Watson · July 26, 2015, 12:00 PM

The crosswise base pin latch predates the Colt smokeless powder proof, coming in about SN 165000, and they did not warrant smokeless until SN 180000. But that was in 1898 or 1899 so your 1904 gun is good to go.

The old rounds are not loaded any hotter than they ever were and I bet a lot of people in the day were glad to shoot cleaner without worrying about what their guns were "rated" for.

July 25, 2015, 09:44 PM	#1
mark clausen Member Join Date: January 17, 2011 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 79	Colt Bisley Questions I have the opportunity to buy a Standard Bisley in 38 WCF. 38-40? This gun is in good to very good condition. 1904 vintage, strong bluing, case hardening still apparent and the checkering on the grips is very sharp. Left side grip is shrunk a little with a small gouge. right side grip is beautiful. Some very light scratches and wear on the sharp edges. 4 3/4 or 5 1/2" barrel. This going by a pictures sent me. I will see it later this week. 2014 Gun Digest rates a good condition at $4500. Looking at Gun Broker sold items I found them in the $1100 to $1900 range. One nicer than this one sold for $1725. There are many high reserve auctions with no bids. A retail site I looked at is ASKING in the $25-4500 range and I can't seem to match condition to price. It just seems the prices are all over the place. Not being sold at the $4500 blue book price. I'm not sure what is a fair offer. Also could I get some opinions on the direction the prices of SAAs might be headed. I have read perhaps the prices will go down in the future as younger folks aren't as interested in these guns as... well... baby boomers I guess. Thanks.

July 25, 2015, 10:41 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,545	I am not qualified to discuss resale prices, I am old enough that they all sound absurd to me. Barrel length should be obvious in a decent picture; 4.75" is flush with the ejector rod housing, so 5.5" sticks out 3/4". Is this to show or shoot? 1904 is right on the cusp of smokeless powder proofing. Does it have the VP?

July 26, 2015, 07:25 AM	#3
mark clausen Member Join Date: January 17, 2011 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 79	5.5" it is then Jim thanks. This gun would pretty much be a safe queen. Perhaps shot a time or two. I'm not familiar with the proofs and should learn.Thanks. In my reading I have found that smokeless powder guns produced after 1899 have the push button cylinder release pin which is the case with this gun. I meant to mention in my original post that the screws on this piece don't look to ever have had a screw driver put to it.

July 26, 2015, 12:00 PM	#4
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,545	The crosswise base pin latch predates the Colt smokeless powder proof, coming in about SN 165000, and they did not warrant smokeless until SN 180000. But that was in 1898 or 1899 so your 1904 gun is good to go. The old rounds are not loaded any hotter than they ever were and I bet a lot of people in the day were glad to shoot cleaner without worrying about what their guns were "rated" for.