need help on Old Colt SAA

[pwl44m]

Saw a Friend in town today and in talking He mentioned "GUNS" I bought a couple Guns from Him in December, Taurus 9 mm and a 410/22 OU. Oh yea the help question.
He has an old Colt SAA in 45 LC that has Me a little perplexed. What little I know about Old Colts could get me in trouble. If it were blue I would have less problem with it but its not. But I don't think it is Nickel, not shiney enough.
Let Me just tell U what I observed just by handling it. Lets just say the finish is silver,don't know if a US marked Gun would be other than Blue.The left side of the Barrel is worn at the muzzle(looks like typical holster wear) which is darker than the rest of the Gun.It has been polished to the point where the matching ser #s are almost obliterated on the grip frame. They are still good on the frame.The Gun is super tight for one that old. I place it around 1890.
Half cock notch wont hold, the hammer and hand have been replaced. The old parts are in a bag and the hand spring is broke, maybe the reason for the swap out.
The only stamings I can find due to poor lighting are the 2 patent lines and a US to the right of those.Seems like there was something under the ser # on the grip frame. There is no Cal stamp that I can find. The Grips are nice and seem to fit really good with no marks or gouges.
Any help from U Colt afficionados would be helpful as this Gun may come up for sale and I would really need a price to offer. Of course I know U can't price a gun just by My description but maybe U spotted something that was wrong with the Gun.
I guess a barrel length would be in order , 5 1/2 inch and Ser # is 134xxx If U think of something I should look for just let Me know. Sorry if this is too lengthy but I wanted to give U as much info as I could.
Thx for reading and hope U can help. I think He would probably let Me take pics.

[Lefty Dude]

It is a Military Colt 45, first generation Colt. The US is in the right place from you discription.

From the S/N it can be determined which unit the piece may have been issued, and what Year.

This would have been originally a 7 1/2", later in the 1890's cut to 5 1/2" by Colt.

Are there any initials stamped in the metal, like RAC ?

[Hungarian]

If I owned that colt I would send it along with the old parts to peacemaker specialists and have them go over it and fix it. You don't know who worked on it previously and how good the work was done on it. Then I would send the serial number to colt and get the history of it, when it was made and who it was shipped to and on what date. That colt may have quite a history.

[M. M. Wright]

Give us the serial no. with XX for the last two digits and I will give you the year of manufacture. You can get a Colt letter on it that will tell you when the government bought it and probably when they cut the bbl. (if Colt did it). The price has been greatly reduced by the refinishing but it is still valuable, especially with that US on it. Several parts should be marked with the inspectors initials. RAC, (Renaldo A. Carr), JTC (John T. Cleveland) etc. Tell him to hang on to that original hammer, (it can be repaired) and the correct checkering pattern for that era is hard to come by. What grips does it have? Should be one piece walnut with inspector's cartouche near the bottom of left side. My guess is it would be worth at least $2500 to $3000 and possibly much more. The US marked guns are highly sought after.

[Booger Bill]

Fixing the mechanical is no big deal. Refinishing is. From what you have said it does sound like it`s been refinished long ago. Even so, a US model still is valuable. You need to have a knowledgable person look at it if he wants higher than $1,200 or so. (Up to that I dont think you would be hurt). Then the big decission would be whether to restore it or not.

[the telegraphist]

According to Wilson, that old Colt with serial 134000 range was made in 1890. She will have been 7-1/2 originally. It would have been blued with CCH frame.
Age and wear could turn the metal to a silvery patina but not like nickel. Original grips would carry a cartouche with inspector initials on the left grip with a year stamp e..g 1890. Sounds as if it has been played around with. She also will have a screw securing the cyclinder pin, the transverse latch securing device did not appear till serial number 144000 approx. You might like to pose the question on the Colt forum, heaps of Colt knowledgeable guys there on the early SAA.

Interesting gun pictures might tell more.

[pwl44m]

Thx for all the comments,they are very helpful. I am going to ask Him to let Me take some pics today. When I first saw it I told Him it was way out of My league but as I examined it and from what has been posted here plus the # He threw out it is very doable. The only thing is getting Him to sell it.
I will keep U'all posted on the progress. If nothing else I can get the first four if not all #s on the Gun.
I do remember that the Grips are smooth and brown but I don't rember if They had a Cartuoche.

[pwl44m]

Oh and It does have a screw to hold the Pin for the Cylinder. I remembered that from reading previous posts on Colts.