Fabled Colt Royal Blue? Only Colt knows for sure

When I first started doing gunbroker.com auctions for the gun shop where I work, I made the grevious error on a Colt auction of calling a deep-blue finish "Colt Royal Blue" which is what BlueBook called it for that particular model.

I think it was a Colt King Cobra revolver, but since I don't have a clear memory of what I ate for breakfast I could be wrong on that little detail.

Whatever.

You woulda thought I suggested to a bunch of die-hard Catholics that the Pope might be a secret Baptist.

Howls of anguish and charges of "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!" came flooding in by email from every Colt "expert" on gunbroker. "Do you have a genuine Colt factory letter proving this Colt is Royal Blue!!!???" the "experts" all chorused/shouted by email?

As the Mexican bandits said to Bogart, we didn't have no stinkin' Colt letter so after the first jillion or so emails, I changed Colt Royal Blue to a mere blue.

And I have gone forth from there and sinned no more by never again claiming that any blue Colt we've offered on gunbroker is Royal Colt Blue cause we still ain't got no stinkin' Colt factory letters.

But at the risk of causing another eruption of hissy fits from the Colt "experts," today I listed a Colt Classic Government Model .45 ACP in extremely dark blue and I dared utter the forbidden words in the auction listing "Royal Colt Blue."

I phrased it thusly: We wouldn't dare claim this Colt Classic Government Model is the fabled Colt Royal Blue because we don't have a factory letter to back up that claim and we don't want to cause an eruption of hissy fits by Colt "experts." But it sure is a very dark blue with a beautiful set of ivory-appearing grips.

I will add this, hopefully far enough away from the wrath of Colt experts on gunbroker to escape their notice.

If this Colt Classic Government Model ain't Colt Royal Blue, I can't imagine what the real McCoy could look like. That blue finish is so deep and dark you could dive in there and swim around in it.

But I still ain't saying it's Colt Royal Blue. It just looks like it, that's all I'm saying. In case you feel compelled to respond with indignation, send all emails to heresaquartercallsomeonewhocares@idont.com