colt 38 super nickel pre-war?

[wot_racing]

I have been contacted by a gentleman with a nickel plated colt 38 super, with a serial number very close to 19000. The gun is supposed to be in excelent condition. What is the value of such a firearm? He has offered a trade for my bushmaster ar15. I plan on inspecting the gun tomorrow, what should I look for, and what is the estimated value of such a gun?

[Landman]

The serial number puts it being made in 1935 or 1936. The fact it has been nickel plated will hurt the collector's value of the pistol. It's really hard to put a value on it with out seeing how well the plating was done and the overall condition. What may be considered "excellent condition" to your seller may be considered something much different to true Colt fans. I would venture to say though, that with the prices going up on AR-15's, that your Bushmaster is probably worth quite a bit more than this refinished Colt. If you can take a picture of it, post it here and you'll get some much more informed opinions than mine.

[Rich-D]

As Landman points out, the Bushmaster is most likely worth much more and it's value is climbing daily. If the fear of a Ban becomes reality, the Bushmaster will skyrocket in value!

Rich