{"product_id":"original-u-s-colt-38-40-w-cf-single-action-army-saa-revolver-made-in-1893-with-4-3-4-barrel-and-factory-letter-serial-153533","title":"Original U.S. Colt .38-40 W.CF. Single Action Army SAA Revolver Made in 1893 with 4 3\/4\" Barrel and Factory Letter - Serial 153533","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is every School boy's dream! A real Cowboy six gun! The Colt Single Action Army Revolver, often referred to as the SAA or M1873, was the first Colt cartridge revolver to see wide acceptance and use, having been developed to meet the needs of the U.S. Government. Dubbed the \"Peacemaker\", the design is a famous piece of Americana and the American Wild West era, due to its popularity with ranchers, lawmen, and outlaws alike. While Colt has fielded many other designs since its introduction, none have been able to capture the same type of romance, resulting in the design being reissued several times since originally being discontinued.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis great frontier-used Single Action Army Revolver in .38-40 Winchester has an original \"gunfighter friendly\" 4 3\/4\" barrel and and lovely worn Colt hard rubber grips, bearing the iconic Colt \"Prancing Pony\" on top and a Federal Eagle on the bottom. Blued from the factory, it has seen decades of use and cleaning, and now displays a lovely gray patina on the frame, with scattered past oxidation peppering on the barrel and other components. The revolver's serial number is \u003cstrong\u003e153533\u003c\/strong\u003e, which dates production to \u003cstrong\u003e1893\u003c\/strong\u003e. It has the serial number on the frame, trigger guard, and grip frame, making this a very nice \u003cstrong\u003e\"ALL MATCHING\"\u003c\/strong\u003e example, without any parts swapped out over the years. As this revolver was made after 1883, the cylinder and barrel on this example were never marked with a serial number. There is also assembly number \u003cstrong\u003e412\u003c\/strong\u003e marked on the loading gate. It is in full working order and condition, with a lightly patinated look, sure to delight any \"Old West\" Americana collector.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe revolver came to us with an original Colt Factory letter from the office of the Colt Historian \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBeverly Jean Haynes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, 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 \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMarch 13, 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, indicating it is a \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, with the caliber listed as \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e.38\/40\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e and finish listed as \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlue\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e. The barrel is listed as \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4 ¾\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, while the stocks are \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNot Listed\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e. The standard grip material for this time period was hard rubber, so this revolver is still completely in the original configuration as shipped from Colt. The gun was shipped on \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNovember 23, 1893\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e as part of a shipment of 10 similar guns to \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE.C. Meacham Arms Company\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e in St. Louis, Missouri. This company operated from 1871-circa 1915, and initially sold inexpensive imported firearms and later transitioned to higher quality American firearms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe original double line Colt address marking on the top of the barrel is still fully legible, correct for the shorter length barrel:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOLT'S PT. F. A. MFG. CO.\u003cbr\u003eHARTFORD. CT. U. S. A.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/center\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe left side of the frame has the Colt patent dates still fully legible as well:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePAT. SEPT. 19. 1871.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJULY. 2.72. JAN. 19.75\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese are the correct later pattern markings, and to the right is the correct Colt \u003cstrong\u003e\"Prancing Pony in a Circle\"\u003c\/strong\u003e logo on the frame, introduced in 1891. 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. The left side of the barrel is marked \u003cstrong\u003e38 W.C.F.\u003c\/strong\u003e, indicating that it is chambered for Winchester .38-40, a very popular rifle and handgun cartridge of the time, only surpassed by .44-40. While some may question why Colt would make a revolver chambered for a competitor's cartridge, having a rifle and revolver that took the same ammunition was a big selling point.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe revolver has the great worn look that only use in service can give. There are no signs of overly aggressive cleaning or past restoration, and it has a great honest used look. The original Colt hard rubber \"gutta percha\" grips have a fantastic lightly \"broken-in\" look, with the original checkering and logos still clearly visible, but worn in areas, and there is a bit of the brown color that the grips acquire over long periods of time. There are a few scratches and the usual wear around the bottom of the grips, but no cracks or chunks missing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMechanically, the action has all four clicks, and cycles correctly, with accurate indexing and a strong cylinder lockup. It has a functional loading position at the second click, and we did not notice any of the finicky behavior we often see with these revolvers. Really a nice functioning action with just a bit of slop, though as with all revolvers of this age we recommend being very gentle with cycling it, so we do not recommend \"fanning\" or \"fan firing\". The bore is in very good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There is definitely wear to the lands, and evidence of past oxidation and fouling, now cleaned away, so it does look to have seen a good amount of use while in service. The ejector door swings open easily, and the ejector itself works great.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePistols such as this are extremely difficult to find today at any reasonable price. This honest used example is just ideal for any Wild West Collection! A great collector's revolver, complete with a Colt factory letter and ready to display!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYear of Manufacture: 1893\u003cbr\u003eCaliber: .38-40 W.C.F.\u003cbr\u003eAmmunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge\u003cbr\u003eBarrel Length: 4 3\/4 inches\u003cbr\u003eOverall Length: 10 1\/4 inches\u003cbr\u003eAction: Single Action\u003cbr\u003eFeed System: 6 Shot Revolver\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistory of the Colt Single Single Action Army\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBound by the Rollin White patent (#12,648, April 3, 1855) and not wanting to pay a royalty fee to Smith \u0026amp; 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\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Colt Single Action Army revolver, along with the 1870 and 1875 Smith \u0026amp; Wesson Model 3 \"Schofield\" revolver, replaced the Colt 1860 Army Percussion revolver. The Colt quickly gained favor over the S\u0026amp;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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45176766070853,"sku":"ONSV26GTGS036","price":4295.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/93F18349-C1D2-404E-9F26-EE0E2F9B3146.jpg?v=1781724614","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-colt-38-40-w-cf-single-action-army-saa-revolver-made-in-1893-with-4-3-4-barrel-and-factory-letter-serial-153533","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}