colt generation

[bigted]

hey all. I have a fairly regular question that for the life of me I don't remember ... if I ever knew ... LOL.

how do you tell from pictures or in person the difference between the second generation colts and the third generation?

also were the second gen's Italian built like the third gen's were?

got a hankerin for either a'60' or '61' or '51' in a real Colt built revolver but I want a shooter ... not a mantle piece. short on cash but have a couple respectable trade guns that should entice if I found a good second gen colt ... providing they are real Colts.

thanks for the info in advance.

[Captainkirk]

Mostly, third gen were the 'Signature Series'...i.e. Sam'l Colt's name signed in gold on the backstrap.
I'm sure there are other means, but that's the most obvious....
Glad you found your way back!

[Fingers McGee]

2nd Gens were made by the Colt's Manufacturing Co of Hartford Connecticut.  The C series guns were made from 1971 to 1977 in Hartford.  The F series guns were made in Middlesex NJ by Iver Johnson.  All 2nd Gens were made from rough castings supplied by subcontractors from Italy and the US.  C series guns came in black flip top boxes, two toned brown fliptop boxes or wood grained boxes.  F series guns came in black boxes with gold lettering.  Colt's Manufacturing did the QA, marketing and warranting of 2nd Gens.  They are real Colt's

Signature Series (3rd Gen) guns were made by the Colt Blackpowder Arms Co of Brooklyn NY under a license from Colt's.  They were made from rough castings supplied by subcontractors from Italy and the US.  Sig Series guns came in gray boxes with black lettering with a plain white outer box.  Colts manufacturing had nothing to do with their manufacture.  They are not real Colt's.

Sig Series guns have Sam Colt's signature on the back strap and are generally a brighter blue and more highly polished than the 2nd Gens. 

[bigted]

thanks for the info. I thought as much in that the second gen "C" series were real colts.

its good to be getting settled somewhat. least I have gotten out and shot the snappers some. what a relief. they still work ... LOL.

[Fingers McGee]

thanks for the info. I thought as much in that the second gen "C" series were real colts.

So are the F series. 

[bigted]

thanks again. other then the sig on the backstrap ... is there any obvious differences in the 2nd and 3rd to differentiate the two apart from a photo?

[Fingers McGee]

Sig Series:
higher polish & brighter blue. 
SNs start at higher # than where 2nd Gens stopped. 
Gray box with black letters.

[bigted]

so is there a spot where I can check my serial numbers for years built ... as with the trapdoor Springfield's?

my little 1862 police has no sig but it has a pretty high number ... 53XXX

[Fingers McGee]

so is there a spot where I can check my serial numbers for years built ... as with the trapdoor Springfield's?

my little 1862 police has no sig but it has a pretty high number ... 53XXX

2nd Gen 1862 Pocket Police SN 53XXX was made in 1980 or 81

Colt An American Legend by R.L. Wilson has an appendix that shows when all 1st and 2nd Gen Percussion Colt's were made as well as all other models of Colt's revolvers up through 1985.  Book was written before the Sig Series guns were made.

[bigted]

awesome. is there a web page that has these numbers listed as to date of man per serial number other then the book you mentioned?

[Fingers McGee]

http://proofhouse.com/index.htm  has most but not all.

[Captainkirk]

Thanks for that link, Fingers!

[cidcw4]

Some recent conversations I've had with other 2/3rd Gen Colt collectors led me to believe that while officially Colt does not consider the 3rd Gen percussion revolvers to be Colts in the sense they will not issue Colt letters because the guns did not pass through the Colt Factory like the 2d Gen guns did.  So, if a 3rd Generation percussion revolver went through Colt (for example through the Custom Shop) they may issue a letter on it.   For example, I have a 3rd Gen Walker with Colt Factory Ivory Grips. When I get the time I'm going to see if Colt will issue a letter.  Now, does that make that gun Colt or not?  Just a thought!

[Fingers McGee]

The walker will letter from colt to the extent that it put the Ivories on it.  It will not provide any provinance for the gun itself.  A few years ago Colt engraved, customized, silver plated and cased a pair of Sig Series 1860 Armies.  The Colt letter that accompanied the pistols stated that the custom shop did the work on a pair of pistols obtained from another source.

[cidcw4]

Fingers, thanks that is good to know.