{"product_id":"original-u-s-colt-38-special-converted-nickel-plated-single-action-army-revolver-made-in-1877-with-5-1-2-barrel-serial-33409","title":"Original U.S. Colt .38 Special Converted Nickel Plated Single Action Army Revolver Made in 1877 with 5 1\/2\" Barrel - Serial 33408","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 lovely nickel-plated Colt SAA (Single Action Army) Revolver has a \"gunfighter friendly\" replacement 5 1\/2\" barrel and cylinder in .38 Special, a chambering developed by Smith \u0026amp; Wesson for its service revolvers. This was originally a black powder cartridge, and still remains one of the most popular cartridges in the world. The revolver looks to have been completely restored and refinished in Nickel Plate at some point, probably with the original grips replaced. We can see some past oxidation under the nickel plate in areas, so it looks to have been nickeled during the 20th century after having the barrel replaced. Really a fantastic looking revolver!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOf note: \u003c\/strong\u003ethe chambering of an SAA revolver was easily changed, as the frame and mechanics were identical, with the cylinder and barrel being the parts that required changing. The .38 Special chambering was not offered officially by Colt until the 1956 \"Second Generation\", however this example looks to be from before that, utilizing aftermarket components. This was more economical than purchasing a complete new revolver, and also meant you could have a great shiny revolver that was also \"really there\" during the \"Old West\" period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat is most likely exactly what happened with this revolver, which really is a lovely example. The revolver's serial number as marked on the frame is \u003cstrong\u003e33408\u003c\/strong\u003e, which dates production to \u003cstrong\u003e1877\u003c\/strong\u003e. The trigger guard and grip frame however are marked with\u003cstrong\u003e 62020\u003c\/strong\u003e, which indicates production in \u003cstrong\u003e1881\u003c\/strong\u003e. As the barrel and cylinder are both replaced, they would not have any serial number markings present. There is also assembly number \u003cstrong\u003e847\u003c\/strong\u003e marked on the loading gate. It is in full working order and condition, with a lovely finish, replaced barrel and great grips, sure to delight any \"Old West\" Americana collector.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs an aftermarket replacement barrel, there is no address marking on the top of the barrel, or any signs that there was one. It is however marked on the side with \u003cstrong\u003e38 SPECIAL\u003c\/strong\u003e, indicating the new chambering, while the trigger guard is marked \u003cstrong\u003e45 CAL\u003c\/strong\u003e, the original chambering. The left side of the frame has the Colt patent dates present, which are also a bit worn from cleaning and past oxidation:-\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePAT. SEPT.19.1871.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \"  JULY.   2.  --72.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \"  JAN.   19. --75.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/center\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese are the correct early pattern markings, used up until around 1891 when the \"Prancing Pony\" logo was introduced on the frame. The revolver is in very nice condition, with the nickel plating well retained, except on the front of the cylinder, which has seen plating loss due to wear and powder burn. There is also some powder fouling on the inside if the frame near the forcing cone, so it definitely saw some use after being converted and nickeled. The grip look great, showing no damage or any type of real wear, and they have a lovely color. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMechanically, this revolver functions very well, with accurate indexing, a solid cylinder lock up, and a crisp dry fire. The action has all four clicks with a functional loading position, though if the hammer is pulled back hard when fully cocked it can over advance the cylinder. 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 revolver can still be taken down by removing the cylinder base pin, though it will require a brass drift to get it out, as it is VERY tightly fit. The bore is in excellent condition, showing a bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There is a bit of wear making the edges of the lands a bit soft, however we can also still see some of the cutting marks in the grooves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePistols such as this are extremely difficult to find today at any reasonable price. This lovely restored example in .38 Special is just ideal for any Wild West Collection. A great collector's revolver, ready to display!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYear of Manufacture: 1877 - converted later.\u003cbr\u003eCaliber: .38 Special Black Powder\u003cbr\u003eAmmunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge\u003cbr\u003eBarrel Length: 5 1\/2 inches\u003cbr\u003eOverall Length: 11 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":45088109887557,"sku":"ONJR26MYMF032","price":2995.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/8053EDF5-7E2D-401B-9E89-5392AB416829.jpg?v=1780348428","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-colt-38-special-converted-nickel-plated-single-action-army-revolver-made-in-1877-with-5-1-2-barrel-serial-33409","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}