{"product_id":"original-u-s-colt-45cal-converted-single-action-army-revolver-made-in-1897-with-excellent-4-3-4-barrel-and-factory-letter-serial-170275","title":"Original U.S. Colt .45cal Converted Single Action Army Revolver Made in 1897 with Excellent 4 3\/4\" Barrel and Factory Letter - Serial 170275","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 Colt SAA (Single Action Army) Revolver has an original factory replacement \"gunfighter friendly\" 4 3\/4\" barrel and and lovely worn Colt hard rubber grips, bearing the iconic Colt \"Prancing Pony\" on top. Blued from the factory, it has seen a good amount of use and cleaning, which has worn the finish to a light gray patina overall, with some traces of the original bluing still present on the barrel, which was aged to match the rest of the revolver. The frame would have been case colored, which is not nearly as resilient of a finish, and is completely worn away. The markings are still crisp, and we do not see any evidence of major cleaning or restoration. The revolver's serial number is \u003cstrong\u003e170275\u003c\/strong\u003e, which dates production to \u003cstrong\u003e1897\u003c\/strong\u003e. This is stamped on the frame, trigger guard, and grip frame, while the cylinder and barrel are unmarked. 1883 was the last year that serial numbers would be stamped on the cylinder until 1912, so the lack of the serial number there is correct. There is also assembly number \u003cstrong\u003e372\u003c\/strong\u003e marked on the loading gate. It is in full working order and condition, with a great patinated look, sure to delight any \"Old West\" Americana collector.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Colt Single action army's \"First Generation\" of production spanned over 65 years, from 1873 to 1941. The model was then discontinued in 1941, so they could focus on WWII production and more modern weapons. However, classic Western Themed movies and shows on the new television medium resulted in a huge resurgence of popularity in the design. In 1956 Colt re-launched the \"Single Action Army\" revolver, in what is referred to as the \"Second generation\". As part of this, many owners of older Single Action Army revolvers began sending their older revolvers with worn bores to be rebarreled and restored at the factory. This was more economical than purchasing a new one, and also meant you could have a great shiny revolver that was also \"really there\" during the \"Old West\" period. There were also factory parts readily available to gunsmiths and armorers. Of note: the 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe revolver comes with a 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\u003eJanuary 27, 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, and indicates it is a \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, in \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e.44-40\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, also known as a \u003cem\u003eFrontier Six Shooter\u003c\/em\u003e. The gun was made with a \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlue\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e finish, with the barrel length \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e5 ½\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e and the stocks listed as \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eRubber\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. The gun was shipped on \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eApril 29, 1897\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e with 3 other guns of the same type to \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHartley \u0026amp; Graham\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e in New York City, a very prestigious outfitter founded in 1854. This confirms that the revolver was converted from it's original chambering of .44-40 to .45 \"Long\" Colt at some time during the early 20th Century. It has a lovely aged patina overall, and the front sight on the barrel is the correct 1st Generation style.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe original single line Colt address marking on the top of the barrel is still fully legible, which was seen on the shorter barrels during the late 1890s and into the early 20th century:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOLT'S PT. F. A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD. 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 all clearly legible:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\n\u003cp\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\u003c\/center\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese are the correct later pattern markings, and to the right is the correct Colt \u003cstrong\u003e\"Prancing Pony\"\u003c\/strong\u003e logo on the frame, introduced in 1891. As the revolver was made after 1896, it features the \"push button\" release for the cylinder base pin, which replaced the easier screw retaining system. We checked the trigger guard and barrel, and we were not able to see any caliber designation on this revolver, however we checked cylinder with real cartridges and measured the barrel thoroughly. 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe revolver has the great worn look that only use in service can give. The original Colt hard rubber \"gutta percha\" grips have a fantastic \"broken-in\" look, with the original checkering and logos still clearly visible, but worn overall, and there is also a bit of the brown color that the grips acquire over long periods of time. There is the usual wear around the bottom of the grips, however there are no chunks missing, chips, or cracks, definitely a rarity!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMechanically, this revolver really is \"tight as a drum\"! The action is smooth, with a solid cylinder lock up, crisp dry fire, and almost no slop in the mechanics. The action has all four clicks, and cycles correctly, without any of the finicky behavior we often see on revolvers of this age. As with all revolvers of this age we recommend being relatively gentle with cycling it, so we do not recommend \"fanning\" or \"fan firing\". The bore is in truly excellent near mint condition, mirror bright with crisp lands and grooves. There is very little if any evidence that the barrel was ever fired through. The ejector rod is present and works great, with no sticking or other issues.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePistols such as this are extremely difficult to find today at any reasonable price. This honest used example converted to .45cal is just ideal for any Wild West Collection, especially with the fantastic bore! 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: 1897\u003cbr\u003eCaliber: .45 \"Long\" Colt\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":44426102997061,"sku":"ONSV25CWN006","price":3995.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONSV25CWN006__1B.jpg?v=1770779112","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-colt-45cal-converted-single-action-army-revolver-made-in-1897-with-excellent-4-3-4-barrel-and-factory-letter-serial-170275","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}