Restoration Project of a Pre-70 Government!

[Rocket 6R]

Some of you may have read my prior posts on this pistol. This pistol was given to me after a relative had past away. It was missing the recoil spring plug and barrel bushing. I currently have after market parts in for now.

Anyway, I want to restore the pistol which will include re-bluing it, new barrel (it’s pitted), barrel bushing and recoil spring plug. I wish these parts to be pure Colt from its original time period. If not Colt then parts that are in true spec. with the Colt's. According the pistol’s serial number, it was manufactured in 1956. Does anyone know where I can find the Colt parts for the pistol? I tried calling Colt but they have no answers as they do not have parts or will not even work on a pistol that is not a 70 series or newer. I have tried the looking on-line but have not found what I’m looking for. Also, you may notice that the pistol does not have the original grips that came with the pistol as the original ones were a brown plastic and not wood. I don’t think I could find these grips no matter how hard I try.

Here is a picture of my Colt.
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f382/prsalazar/Picture316.jpg

I realize that refinishing this pistol may not help collector value. However, I plan to shoot the pistol and do not care of its value as I will never sell it. I also want to restore the pistol as a tribute to an honorable man who served as an officer in the Army Air Corp as a fighter pilot in WWII, he flew the Mustangs. I have special place in my heart for Vets as I am a former Marine (infantry).

Thanks, Rocket 6R

[OD*]

If you are meaning a true restoration and not just a refinish, I can highly recommend Bill Adair, he has done two restorations and one buffing job & repair for me.
http://www.restoration-gunsmith.com/

You might get lucky on finding the correct stocks but, if they have not been kept on a receiver, I doubt they will fit, they shrank in a very short time.

[Hawkmoon]

For Colt parts from that time period, your ONLY hope is to haunt gun shows and keep your fingers and toes crossed. If you haven't already done so, you might look at Numrich (www.e-gunparts.com). They list Colt parts. I'm not certain that all their parts are genuine Colt, but Colt has many of their small parts produced out-of-house now anyway, so I'm not sure it really matters.

Sarco, Inc. (ww.sarcoinc.com), has bins of brown plastic grips that are take-offs from discarded military pistols. In fact, the recoil spring plugs you get from Sarco are also inexpensive, and might be as close to authentic as you're likely to find.

And Brownells also sells Colt parts (www.brownells.com), but they only sell new replacements, so again it won't be a part authoentic to the pistol's age. If they have anything, it will be a current Colt part.

[OD*]

Hawk,

The military take-offs would be incorrect for the commercial models, commercials had the Rampant Colt logo in the center of the stock.

http://mysite.verizon.net/od45/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/1950b.jpg

[Rocket 6R]

Well, thanks for all the post. I checked out the site where the pistolsmith does restorations. Boy, his guns that he did work on look really nice. I figured that all the work that needs to be down would put me at about $1000 for his services. If I did that I may not want to shoot the pistol ever again as it would be too nice to do so.

So, I think I'll have it re-blued by a gunsmith that I know. As far as the parts go I checked my new (month old) Colt XSE and measured the barrel and barrel bushing. Guess what! The specs match up. True, the parts would not be in the same time era, but they would be at least Colt parts and I can get them in carbon steel.

Although, I do have another question. According to Colt's website, they produce difference blued Government barrels.

GC - 1 BARREL* .45 Gov't 5", Blue SP56953B*
GC - 1 BARREL* .45 Gov't M1991A1 5", Blue SP56859Z*

Does anyone know the difference in these two barrels? I would like to have the barrel with the original chamber throat and not the dimpled one that is on my XSE model.

Thanks, Rocket 6R

[OD*]

I seriously doubt you'd have any where near a grand in it.
Mine cost $365 each, that's a deal.

You will need a wide hood barrel, many of the newer Colt's are coming with the narrow hood.

[Rocket 6R]

OD, I meant the cost of the refinish work with all the parts and barrel that needs to be replaced, any gunsmithing for the parts, shipping, etc.

Thanks, Rocket 6R

[OD*]

OK, I see what you where saying now, sorry about that Rocket. :o

[Hawkmoon]

Hawk,

The military take-offs would be incorrect for the commercial models, commercials had the Rampant Colt logo in the center of the stock.
So sorry.

I scanned the thread too quickly, and sort of assumed (bad idea, as always) that we were dealing with a GI pistol.

"Never mind."

[OD*]

Hey, it happens to us all. ;)

[Rocket 6R]

Hawkmoon and OD, this is a commercial model pre-70, not a GI.

Thanks, Rocket 6R