1917 Erfurt

[Heinz]

Thanks John for the Greetings


I have a bunck of old guns. It is a collection to me. I have an old beat up Colt 32 baby dragoon that belonged to a deputy sherrif in Harlan county Kentucky. It is all there and sort of works but looks like it was used to smack a lot of people in the head and drive a few poster tacks with the grip. I like that pistol. I have an 1878 double action Colt that has had the grip carefully modified to a single action style grip, the cylinder and barrel updated to smokeless. They restamped the cylinder and when they restamped the barrel they spelleled Hartford "Hartfort". I like that one too and do not believe I will change it back. Even though neither of these is an outstanding example of the type as it left the factory, they are real examples of pistols with long histories of use. I am in the process of purchasing a Luger and opted for one that has been carrefully refinished although I could have gotten a decent 90% gun. More about that one when I finish paying for it. When I got the baby dragoon a "prime example" was running about 1000, now they are maybe 2000 while mine is less than half, but I could afford mine, and it has probably quadrupled in value. "Real" guns have collector value. Guns that spent their life in a drawer or glass case may be "prime examples" and indeed have great value,but they do not have much soul. Do you know there are some car collectors that would never consider a car that had been repainted? Pretty much like a luger that had been reblued. But they would NOT drive their prize either. Great for them, but it misses the point for me. I think I must agree with Art


Happy holidays, Heinz