Some (colt) porn

Recently had to sell a couple of colts, which is a good way to finally get some photos taken. Seems like filtered overcast light highlights blueing well.

Fishpaw grips on a purported Sherman action OMS

Finally got (a colt with) Fishpaw grips. I see why he was so justifiably famous. The workmanship is exquisite. Unfortunately it seems that he stopped doing work.

I took a couple quick photos. These came on an OMS that I'm really happy with.

I'm naturally a bargain hunter for colts: the number I bought since they were shooters for "below market value" is, well, probably more than I should have.

With that said, the two guns I've been most happy about were two OMSes that I paid a steep premium for. In both cases the function is just superb, and the finish flawless.

The most recent one (this one) the seller stated as having a sherman roller action. From feeling it I can well believe so. Hopefully there will be enough time to take it apart soon and see what's going on.

So, in any case, here's the grip porn. The gun is much better in person...

recent pickup: bi-centennial python

Lately my buying habits have been closer to profligate than penurious. But sometimes you have to "invest"! (More on this later: guns are the only thing I have that have gone up in what people will pay.)


First investment property: LNIB bicentennial python. The thing is the most LNIB of any LNIB python I've seen. I'm not sure how it got seperated from the other two guns in the set, but I'm glad of it. This is my favorite special edition python that colt has done (though there were so many, I've seen relatively none) --- most others seem to have a weird explosion of engravings that seem tacky.

I really like the grips --- unfortunately I haven't seen them anywhere else. The closest ones I know of are the "oversize ebony" grips at grips4guns.com





Kind of cool to see the .357 on the right side of the barrel:

oms party!

I recently went a bit overboard buying OMSes ("officer model specials") off of random forums, sometimes GB, and once a mislabeled auction arms auction (a typo of "OMT" versus "OMS" probably cost the guy a couple hundred dollars).

These are mostly shooter grade, which is good. Two .22lrs, the other 5 are 38spl. The one with the jeweled hammer has a un-$*&#@&7!!$-believable action. Unfortunately the guy who built it died a decade ago, otherwise I would send the rest to him. Easily beats almost all of my pythons.

If you haven't got an OMS I'd recommend it! It may be the placebo effect but to me they feel much silkier than officer model matches (which shouldn't be the cscase), more like weird looking pythons. They are also all C&R for those of you with such FFLs.

Unfortunately, after this initial run I've seen very few for sale. And, oddly, most were 22lr rather than 38spl, despite the big difference in quantity produced.

The most beautiful blued python I have...

... is a reblue. It's amazing quality --- I think it's even better than the original old blueing. Everything is very sharp and clear. I wish I knew who did it so I could get some more done like that. The best guess from one of the guys on the colt forum:

Black Chrome like bluing could well be from Milt Morrison of Qualite' Pistol and Revolver (QPR); he called it "Black Diamond" and mixed his own formula of bluing salts to get it. I have a Ruger Bisley that was given that finish, and it truly is VERY black, and yet very shiny as he was an expert polisher that could get that shiny finish without dishing the screw holes and rounding every edge. QPR has been gone for several years now, and I miss having Milt to work on my guns.

Unfortunately, my photos don't match the finish, but here's it alone:



And with two other non-reblues:



You can tell it's a reblue since the side of the hammer is black. All hammers left colt w/ the metal exposed (shiny).