Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Incredible good fortune. Saved a Colt SAA from getting "melted down"

Exactly my first thought

Trying to post a stinkin pic, but Photobucket is screwed up...won't let me upload. Sorry.

You not only got really lucky, you saved an American treasure. Good on ya!

Nothing personal and I'm sure you know this but your relatives are morons.

Where's the pics? Email them to me and I'll post them if you want.

Lets see they wanted to melt down a vintage Colt SAA "Big Iron" because its an evil pistol. I have news for them somebody at the police department would have snagged that one in an NYC second. My guess you have several thousands of dollars worth of gun there. In Russia they have Icons, ever home has one. Religious in Nature, In America its different, our Icons are the things we make and use, It could be a rifle, or a pot we cook in like a Dutch Oven, One of Mr Sam's SAA is the American Icon of Icons. Good for you!!!

I'd bet that gun would have never made it into the incinerator. Back in the mid-nineties I worked in a chemical waste incinerator and a couple times a year we did "gun burns" for some local police departments. The guns were sealed up in fiber barrels going in so we couldn't see what went in. But on the other end all that came out was usually melted blobs like the cheap ravens. Sometimes you could identify the remains of an SKS. But any high quality gun made of decent steel could still be usually identified. I once found what is most likely a Walther PPK, ( I still have it as a conversation piece). It seems that 98% of the good stuff that turns up from estates almost never made it as far as the incinerator. That stuff had to be personally watched by the police on the way in to insure none of us got any of it. From talking with some of the officers it seems there was never anything "collectable" or of any great value that we incinerated. My guess is that most of that stuff gets "saved" before it gets to the police dept. or someone in the dept. "saves" it for himself. I don't blame the police for anything. If it's collectible why not acquire it instead of destroying it.

Emailed the pic to Big Redhead....hopefully he can post. Thanks in advance Big!

You're welcome. Here's the pic:

Thanks.....will be looking for a set of original grips for it pretty soon. From what I have seen, they can be pricey, as I suspected.

I work for a medium sized department in the Midwest and can say that in our department, that gun would have been sent to the state to be cut up, unless they "NEED" it for ballistics testing down the road. Our department is strict on that kinda stuff though, probably due to past abuse. I know that my job and name would not be worth sneaking even a great old colt out for. Had to watch an HK94 get sent to the state under the same circumstances, and it was painful. The department wouldn't even let us trade it to a FFL holder for ARs or new service pistols. No explanation, just "NO!"

I can't speak for all departments, but mine anyway. Good luck with the old colt.

Coltfan

So,

you judges "need" for ballistics, then?

Great find - and I am sure some smooth operating was neccessary to keep that Killer of tha treets.

Thanks.....anybody got an idea where I can find some grips?

I got a pair.

Send me the handgun and I will fit them...........

Ohhhh....coming to ya. Scouts honor you will send it back?

After considerable fitting.........................

To my hand.........

Godogs57:

GOOD FOR YOU!!!!

Found a pair of original grips....life is good!

Good catch.

I have a buddy that works for an Oregon sherrifs dept. and he took a similar weapon off of a druggy one day. He turned it in and it was destroyed the next week. The serieal numbers were not on the computer. He talked to everyone at the office that would listen and "policy is policy" was the answer. No way around it. He tried but a sweet piece of history was destroyed.

Mark