Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original U.S. Colt Single Action Army revolver in .45 Colt, serial number 66594, produced in 1882 and accompanied by a Colt Factory letter confirming shipment on April 20, 1882 to Hartley & Graham of New York City. It retains its 5 1/2" barrel, matching serialized major components, worn walnut grip, and the deeply aged gray patina expected of a revolver that saw extensive use and later cleaning.

This is an antique black powder firearm manufactured before 1899. Under federal law, it may generally be owned within the United States without a special license or permit and does not require transfer through a Federal Firearms Licensee. However, state and local laws may vary. This firearm is sold solely as a historical collector’s item and has not been test fired or inspected for firing safety by a professional gunsmith. Any mechanical or bore observations provided below describe only its present condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the firearm is safe to load or fire. The purchaser is solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Few firearms are as closely associated with the American West as the Colt Single Action Army. Its distinctive profile, short barrel, exposed hammer, and one-piece grip became the familiar sidearm of ranchers, lawmen, soldiers, and armed travelers during the closing decades of the frontier era. That image later became inseparable from Western films and television, but surviving period revolvers such as this example show the practical, hard-used character behind the legend.

Introduced in 1873 and commonly known as the SAA or “Peacemaker,” the Colt Single Action Army was developed for the U.S. military and quickly found a much wider civilian market. Its durable design, powerful chamberings, and simple operation made it one of the defining American handguns of the late 19th century, and Colt would return the model to production more than once after its original discontinuation.

This example bears serial number:

66594

which places production in 1882. The full serial number is present on the frame, trigger guard, and grip frame. The abbreviated number 6594 is also faintly present on the cylinder and on the underside of the barrel beneath the ejector housing. These matching serialized components strongly support the revolver remaining together as a substantially matching example.

The loading gate is additionally marked with assembly number:

755

The revolver is accompanied by a Colt Factory letter from the Office of the Colt Historian Beverly Jean Haynes, which has her signature and correct raised seal applied in the lower left corner. The paper used is the correct Colt Letterhead and is dated February 17, 2026, and indicates it is a COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER, in .45/c. The gun was made with a Blue finish, with the barrel length 5 ½" and the stocks Not Listed, which for this time should be the standard walnut. The gun was shipped on April 20, 1882 with 25 other guns of the same type to Hartley & Graham in New York City, a very prestigious outfitter founded in 1854. This means that it is still substantially in the original configuration as shipped.

The top barrel address has been completely lost through oxidation and subsequent cleaning. Because the barrel carries the matching shortened serial number 6594 beneath the ejector housing, it is nevertheless consistent with the original serialized barrel assembly rather than an obvious later replacement.

The left side of the frame retains the early Colt patent date markings:

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

These markings are worn from past oxidation and cleaning but remain identifiable.

The left side of the trigger guard is marked:

45 CAL

We have also checked the cylinder and barrel with real cartridges to confirm the chambering. This revolver is definitely chambered for .45 Colt, 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.

The exterior metalwork has a dark gray to gray brown service patina with evidence of extensive past oxidation and subsequent cleaning. There is widespread fine peppering, though no major areas of deep pitting are described. The overall appearance is that of a heavily used late 19th century revolver rather than a high finish survivor.

The walnut grip has an attractive aged surface with substantial wear from long handling and cleaning. It is worn well below the level of the grip frame in areas but does not show major missing chunks or large structural cracks.

The right side of the grip has the initials:

BO

applied with small brass tack or wire inlays. A number of these inlays are now missing.

When operated by hand, the revolver indexes relatively well when cocked slowly, the cylinder locks with little movement, and the firing mechanism releases. However, the action clearly shows wear. Only two or possibly three hammer clicks can presently be distinguished rather than the traditional four associated with an unworn Colt SAA action.

When the hammer is drawn back rapidly, the cylinder consistently overshoots proper alignment. This is an important mechanical condition issue and indicates wear within the timing and indexing system. The revolver should therefore be handled gently as a collector’s arm rather than cycled aggressively. The cylinder bass pin is currently stuck in place, and the retaining screw for the pin is missing.

The ejector loading gate opens freely, and the ejector rod moves through its normal range without noticeable sticking.

The bore is in very good visual service condition, appearing partly bright with clearly visible lands and grooves. There is evidence of old oxidation and fouling that has been cleaned away, leaving the expected wear from use.

With its 1882 production date, matching serial number 66594 on the principal serialized components, 5 1/2" barrel, .45 Colt chambering, factory letter documenting shipment to Hartley & Graham on April 20, 1882, worn personalized walnut grip, and deeply aged frontier era appearance, this is a particularly appealing early Colt Single Action Army. The lost barrel address, overall cleaned oxidation and peppering, worn grip, missing brass grip inlays, incomplete hammer click sequence, and overshooting when rapidly cocked are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a Colt SAA, American West, late 19th century revolver, factory documented Colt, or advanced antique handgun collection.

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1882
Manufacturer: Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company
Model: Single Action Army
Serial Number: 66594 - All Matching
Caliber: .45 "Long" Colt
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 5 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 11 inches
Action: Single Action
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

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.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to most US States and most U.S. territories.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to most addresses within the United States.