{"product_id":"original-u-s-colt-45cal-single-action-army-revolver-made-in-1892-with-7-1-2-barrel-ivory-grips-and-factory-letter-serial-147797","title":"Original U.S. Colt .45cal Single Action Army Revolver Made in 1892 with 7 1\/2\" Barrel, Ivory Grips, and Factory Letter - Serial 147797","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 long 7 1\/2\" barrel and lovely worn and yellowed ivory grips. Original blued from the factory, it now shows a worn oxidized patina overall from exposure and repeated cleanings, with some evidence of light pitting on the left side of the frame forward of the grip. This definitely looks to be an example that was carried for a long time on the frontier, giving it an impossible to duplicate look! The markings are all still relatively clear, so we do not see any evidence of any major restoration, just the usual wear from cleaning. The revolver's serial number is \u003cstrong\u003e147797\u003c\/strong\u003e, which dates production to \u003cstrong\u003e1892\u003c\/strong\u003e. It has the serial number on the frame, trigger guard, and grip frame, making this an \u003cstrong\u003e\"ALL MATCHING\"\u003c\/strong\u003e example. 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\u003e217\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 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.45\/c\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\u003e7 ½\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, while the stocks are \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNot Listed\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, so these grips were definitely added to the revolver. The gun was shipped on \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSeptember 13, 1892\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e as part of a shipment containing of \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e5\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e guns of this type to the \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSimmons Hardware Co.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e in \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSt. Louis, Missouri\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e. The dealer was a well-known retailer and hardware manufacturer founded in 1874, which at its peak had 6 locations. They often would buy up their suppliers to ensure the best quality merchandise, and purchased the \u003cem\u003eWalden Knife\u003c\/em\u003e company based in Walden New York. The company actually merged with \u003cem\u003eWinchester Repeating Arms Co.\u003c\/em\u003e in the early 20th century for a time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe top of the barrel has a Colt single line address marking, correct for the full length barrel:-\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 present, though the last few numbers on the right side are missing.\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 a Colt \u003cstrong\u003e\"Prancing Pony\"\u003c\/strong\u003e logo on the frame, introduced in 1891. The left side of the barrel has a clear \u003cstrong\u003e45 COLT.\u003c\/strong\u003e marking, and wee 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe revolver has the great worn look that only use in service can give. The ivory grips have matured beautifully, with the grain visible, and there is age checking an cracking at the bottom, just like we love to see. There are some small chunks missing on the rear toe of the grip, but no major damage. We can see clear \"Schreger's Lines\" on the bottom and sides of the grips, which have some fantastic grain and checking. The grips look to have been worn down a bit and possibly resurfaced over the years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMechanically, this revolver functions very well, with accurate indexing, a solid cylinder lock up, and a crisp dry fire. There is some slop in the mechanics, and it is a bit clunky when cycling. The action has all four clicks with a functional loading position, 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 very good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There is some wear and past fouling and oxidation, now cleaned away, but overall it is definitely an impressive bore considering the condition of the exterior. The ejector door swings open easily, and the ejector itself works well, though it can stick a bit due to a bit of deformation in the channel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePistols such as this are extremely difficult to find today at any reasonable price. This honest \"frontier used\" example is just ideal for any Wild West Collection, especially with the aged ivory grips and factory letter! 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: 1892\u003cbr\u003eCaliber: .45 \"Long\" Colt\u003cbr\u003eAmmunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge\u003cbr\u003eBarrel Length: 7 1\/2 inches\u003cbr\u003eOverall Length: 13 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":44964958830661,"sku":"ONSV26GTGS029","price":5695.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONSV26GTGS029.jpg?v=1777928780","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-colt-45cal-single-action-army-revolver-made-in-1892-with-7-1-2-barrel-ivory-grips-and-factory-letter-serial-147797","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}