Colt Boa

[Stephanie B]

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/891669941

The price is into new car range.

I’ve never heard of a Colt Boa, and I see why that was so.

[Borderland]

Never heard of it but I guess it's a snake of some kind.

A good article on Colt Snake guns.

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2015/8/18/colt-s-snake-guns

[Trooper224]

I remember that one. They don't bother to mention, it was a limited run because it bombed like the 8th Airforce over Dresden. If I remember correctly, it was a MkIII action with a Python style barrel. Think lipstick on a pig. They should have called it the potbelly instead.

[Pol]

That’s an outfit that I wouldn’t trust even if the pope endorsed them. NIB my ass.

[Totem Polar]

I’ve never heard of a Colt Boa, and I see why that was so.

This is a new one by me, too. Interesting stuff, thanks for posting the link.

[mtnbkr]

The nice thing about that ribbed barrel...it completely removes any desire on my part to own it. Colt's ribbed barrels are fugly.

Chris

[Borderland]

The nice thing about that ribbed barrel...it completely removes any desire on my part to own it. Colt's ribbed barrels are fugly.

Chris

Yeah, that's a shotgun thing. :confused:

[Dave T]

Even if it was a re-bagged 4", 1980 Python, I don't understand it being bid to over $23,000. Did I miss a decimal some where in there?

Dave

[Pol]

Even if it was a re-bagged 4", 1980 Python, I don't understand it being bid to over $23,000. Did I miss a decimal some where in there?

Dave

Take a close look at the two “bidders”. One was created 12/8/2020, the other 1/22/2021.

This auction is as real as the tooth fairy. It’s a scheme to artificially bump up the value of the items they want to sell. I’ve seen this crowd do it before a couple of times.

[HeavyDuty]

Pretty, but my personal Colt holy grails are still a 4” stainless Python and a 4” Diamondback.

[Scal]

Take a close look at the two “bidders”. One was created 12/8/2020, the other 1/22/2021.

This auction is as real as the tooth fairy. It’s a scheme to artificially bump up the value of the items they want to sell. I’ve seen this crowd do it before a couple of times.

Pol, given those probable shenanigans, do you have any more info about it? I will definitely steer clear from their auctions in the future.

[45dotACP]

Yeah, that's a shotgun thing. :confused:Heathens, both of you :D

That's not to say I'd buy or own a Colt snake gun, but that's not because of how they look

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

[Rex G]

I remember the Colt Boa. True; did not last long. I recall few details, as I was first using S&W revolvers, and added Rugers, so just dabbled in a few DA Colts, over time; a Detective Special or two, a Stainless Python, and a Lawman Mark III. The only Colts that have held my interest have been single actions.

[tango-papa]

Pol, given those probable shenanigans, do you have any more info about it? I will definitely steer clear from their auctions in the future.

We all know "shill bidding" is a thing on GB.
However, if you look at the current high bidder/second high bidder, both have multiple positive feedbacks from multiple sellers.
If they are "shills", that would require quite the coordinated effort amongst several GB sellers.

I have no interest in Keystone Arms other than being a satisfied customer.
If you take a minute and actually look, it seems obvious neither are "shill bidders".

[farscott]

A more reputable auction and result. Still more than I would be willing to pay. https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/73/1512/rare-colt-boa-double-action-revolver-with-box

[Dave T]

Even if I could afford that kind of money for a gun, the only Colt I would spend close to that on would be a 1st Generation Single Action Army. And it would have to be a really good one!

Dave

[TCinVA]

Even if it was a re-bagged 4", 1980 Python, I don't understand it being bid to over $23,000. Did I miss a decimal some where in there?

Dave

Colt collectors are their own little universe.

Don't expect reason in that universe.

It's a "limited run" Colt, which means they will forcibly remove kidneys to get it.

[Pol]

Pol, given those probable shenanigans, do you have any more info about it? I will definitely steer clear from their auctions in the future.

Lots, but take a look at some of their other auctions and see for yourself. These guys seem to have a real affinity for shafting people with Colts. And they are not the only ones. There are a number of these lowlifes on gunbroker.

They've stepped up their game as of late. I've seen in the past sellers used the same dummy accounts to bid on a number of their guns - you'd get a NR bidder bidding on a Freedom Arms, a Glock, a Win 94 and a lot of disparate guns but only ones from a single seller. Over time they have built up tens if not hundreds of dummy accounts so you cannot really spot them anymore.

They'll either try and artificially inflate the value of a gun like these guns are doing over here, or bid you up incrementally if you have put in a proxy bid, and continue till they exceed your maximum. When they do, they simply retract the last bid, effectively eliminating the possibility of you getting a nice gun for a good price. Beware whenever you see a "buyer" bidding up the price incrementally. Some legitimate buyers do do that, but often it's the sellers using dummy accounts.

[Pol]

If they are "shills", that would require quite the coordinated effort amongst several GB sellers.



These accounts all belong to keystone. It's doesn't take much for a high volume seller to build up a couple of very legit looking dummy accounts, and they have been at it for years.

[Caballoflaco]

Colt collectors are their own little universe.

Don't expect reason in that universe.

It's a "limited run" Colt, which means they will forcibly remove kidneys to get it.

There’s also quite the history of fraud in the world of Colt collectors.


https://youtu.be/2nhUpPbqD44

[jtcarm]

The nice thing about that ribbed barrel...it completely removes any desire on my part to own it. Colt's ribbed barrels are fugly.

Chris

With the exception of Korth revolvers, vent ribs belong only on shotguns.

[Stephanie B]

The gun in question went for nearly $32K (if that was a legit auction).

[Lester Polfus]

Wow.

Those guns are essentially the 1959 Gibson Les Paul Sunbursts of the gun world. The joke about '59 Sunbursts is that 2000 were made, and we only know where 3000 of them are. A certain well-known musical instrument chain store even bought a fake, or so they say.

I think making a fake gun out of metal would be orders of magnitude harder, and an order of magnitude less profitable, than making a fake Les Paul out of wood, but I bet there are people doing the math.

[Pol]

The gun in question went for nearly $32K (if that was a legit auction).

The buyer account was created on 12/8/2020. Perhaps a serious gun collector who discovered gunbroker only recently, or somebody who only recently became a serious gun collector? Or some lucky Joe who happened to have won the lottery a few weeks ago? ;)

I remain a skeptic. I think something is afoot.

[TDA]

Wow.

Those guns are essentially the 1959 Gibson Les Paul Sunbursts of the gun world. The joke about '59 Sunbursts is that 2000 were made, and we only know where 3000 of them are. A certain well-known musical instrument chain store even bought a fake, or so they say.

I think making a fake gun out of metal would be orders of magnitude harder, and an order of magnitude less profitable, than making a fake Les Paul out of wood, but I bet there are people doing the math.

Allegedly it used to be a bit of a cottage industry to assemble 3 inch Pythons from aftermarket parts and sell them as factory snubs. And, famously, Elmer Keith told the story of the A company #90 Colt Walker which he owned as a battered wreck and later saw for sale in much better condition. Life is short, but scamming is long...

ETA: Not that I'm immune to the allure of the limited run, or Lew Horton stuff. Wish I had more awesome stuff I never shoot in the safe, honestly.

[Lester Polfus]

Allegedly it used to be a bit of a cottage industry to assemble 3 inch Pythons from aftermarket parts and sell them as factory snubs.

That's much more do-able than whittling a new Python or Boa out of a block of steel. I guess that's where the factory letter comes in? I assume Colt would know by serial number how the gun was configured as it left the factory.

I misspoke on the number of Les Paul sunbursts. 1700 is the total number assumed from 1958 to 1960. The best guess on 1959, the most desirable year, is around 600. It's all guess work because the factory shipping ledgers are gone. Nobody knows if they were thrown away, misplaced or if they are sitting in someone's attic somewhere. Gibson is willing to pay a pretty penny for them.