Original Item: Only One Available. This is every School boy's dream! A real Cowboy six gun! This great frontier-worn Colt SAA (Single Action Army) Revolver still has the full length original 7 1/2" barrel and lovely worn Colt hard rubber grips, bearing the iconic Colt "Pony" on the top near the frame. Issued with a blued finish, that has now faded to a plum patina overall, with some wear through in areas.

This interesting example was originally produced in .45 "Long Colt", however it has been converted to .22 rimfire, most likely .22LR, a cartridge introduced in 1884. Judging from the quality of the conversion, this was almost certainly done back at the Colt factory. The .45 barrel had a .22 cal sleeve installed, and the chambers of the cylinder sleeved with .22RF sleeves as well. The back of the cylinder also looks to have had some material removed to make a channel so the cartridge rims can be struck correctly. The hammer has been modified to correctly strike the rim, and the frame was also filled in around this.

Due to the sleeves, the revolver is now quite a bit heavier than it originally was, which with the .22 chambering makes it perfect for target shooting. It was definitely less expensive to shoot .22, and with the weight recoil would be minimized. A great way to get further use out of a "worn out" revolver.

The revolver's serial number is 44734, which dates production to 1878. It has the serial number on the frame, trigger guard, and grip frame, with 4734 stamped on the barrel under the ejector. There is no serial number on the cylinder, and it may have been removed during conversion. There is also assembly number 996 marked on the loading gate. It is in full working order and condition, showing a gorgeous worn patina of age, sure to delight any "Old West" Americana collector.

The original single line address marking on the top of the barrel is still partly clear:

The left side of the frame has the Colt patent dates mostly legible, with some fading due to wear:

PAT. SEPT.19.1871.
 "  JULY.  2. --72.
 "  JAN. 19. --75.

These are the early pattern markings, and this was made before the "Prancing Pony" logo began appearing on the frame. The markings are all relatively clear, so this revolver does not look to have been refurbished at any time, which would have worn down the markings during refinishing. There is no caliber marking on the frame, as there were no additional calibers offered until 1877, and those would be marked with .44 for the .44-40 WCF cartridge.

The revolver has the great worn look that only use in service can give. The original hard rubber grips still have almost all of their checkering present, and may have been replaced at the factory when the revolver was converted. They now have faded to a light brown in some areas, which happens to the exposed surface of the old style rubber. There are some small chunks missing from the bottom of the left grip scale.

Mechanically, the revolver functions, though there is definitely wear to the tumbler and internals, as it looks to have been used extensively after the .22 conversion. It cycles relatively well with all four clicks, but it definitely is a bit finicky, and the cylinder lock is not secure at full cock. The bore is clear with a partly bright finish, but it shows only traces of the original rifling, with dark areas near the muzzle. The ejector door swings open easily, and the ejector itself works great, having been either adjusted or replaced to work with the smaller chambers.

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!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1878
Caliber: .22 Rimfire
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 7 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 13 inches
Action: Single Action
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

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.