Very nice first generation Model P! There's just something about those black powder frames. One of the things about old Colt sixguns I love the most is that engraved or not, they have a ton of character. You don't have to be a gun enthusiast to see there is a certain mystique about them.....

I like what you have done with this one. I think having this particular Colt engraved in the style you've chosen while choosing to leave the existing finish and patina, instead of having it refinished, is brilliant! It seems to me that as this gun continues to age, all that new engraving will darken and patina and she'll grow even more beautiful. They way I see it, what you have done only enhances what was already there and really makes her stand out now.

Glad to hear you intend to use her as a shooter and will not be locking her away in the back of the gun safe. Good choice keeping the Gutta Percha grips too. Are they original to the gun? Which caliber is it?

J