Original Item: Only One Available. This is every School boy's dream! A real Cowboy six gun! This incredible Colt .45cal SAA (Single Action Army) Revolver has a shortened 4 3/4" barrel, perfect for gunfighting! The revolver's serial number is 31272, built in 1876 with Assembly Number 4557 on loading gate. The markings on the revolver definitely show that it has had an interesting history.

Above the serial number there is a "C" stamped, which means that the revolver was damaged and "condemned". It was then returned to service by replacing both parts of the grip frame with those from a revolver made in the same year, with serial number 29608. The cylinder was also replaced, and bears shortened serial number 9680, which possibly was the mis-marked original cylinder that went with the grip.

At some point after that, the revolver was probably sold into private service, and fully nickel plated, which was very popular in the "Old West", as compared to the standard blued finish this revolver most likely started life with. This revolver really looks the business, and is just a splendid example. The well worn patina and nice wood grips are sure to delight any Western Americana Collector. It is in full working Order and Condition, showing a gorgeous patina of age.

The markings on the top of the barrel are still clearly legible:

The left side of the frame has the standard Colt patent markings:

The revolver is chambered for the U.S. Army standard .45 COLT cartridge, also known as .45 "LONG" Colt, one of the most legendary handgun cartridges of the old west. When you hear people talk of a "Colt 45", this model gun is the reason why.

Mechanically, the action is smooth, with a good cylinder lock up, and crisp dry fire. The action has all four clicks, though as with any revolver of this age, it can be finicky. The ejector door swings open easily, and the ejector itself works flawlessly. The bore shows clear lands and grooves, with an overall gray patinated look, without any pits or major oxidation.

Pistols such as this are extremely difficult to find today at any reasonable price. This example is just ideal for any Wild West Collection. A great collector's revolver, ready to display!

History of the Colt Single Single Action Army

Bound by the Rollin White patent (#12,648, April 3, 1855) and not wanting to pay a royalty fee to Smith & Wesson, Colt could not begin development of bored-through revolver cylinders for metallic cartridge use until April 4, 1869. For the design, Colt turned to two of its best engineers: William Mason and Charles Brinckerhoff Richards who had developed a number of revolvers and black powder conversions for the company. Their effort was designed for the United States government service revolver trials of 1872 by Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company and adopted as the standard military service revolver. Production began in 1873 with the Single Action Army model 1873, also referred to as the "New Model Army Metallic Cartridge Revolving Pistol".

The very first production Single Action Army, serial number 1, thought lost for many years after its production, was found in a barn in Nashua, New Hampshire in the early 1900s. It was chambered in .45 Colt, a centerfire design containing charges of up to 40 grains (2.6 g) of fine-grained black powder and a 255-grain (16.5 g) blunt roundnosed bullet. Relative to period cartridges and most later handgun rounds, it was quite powerful in its full loading.

The Colt Single Action Army revolver, along with the 1870 and 1875 Smith & Wesson Model 3 "Schofield" revolver, replaced the Colt 1860 Army Percussion revolver. The Colt quickly gained favor over the S&W and remained the primary US military sidearm until 1892 when it was replaced by the .38 Long Colt caliber Colt Model 1892, a double-action revolver with swing-out cylinder. By the end of 1874, serial no. 16,000 was reached; 12,500 Colt Single Action Army revolvers chambered for the .45 Colt cartridge had entered service and the remaining revolvers were sold in the civilian market.

The Colt .45 is a famous piece of American history, known as "The Gun That Won the West". The Single Action army is a very popular firearm, even today, and it continues to be produced in various configurations.

Specifications: 

Year of Manufacture: 1876
Caliber: .45 "Long" Colt
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 4 3/4 inches
Overall Length: 11 inches
Action: Single Action
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver