Original 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.

This very nice Colt SAA (Single Action Army) Revolver is one that has definitely had an interesting life! Normally, mismatched serial numbers on a Colt pistol are a reason to look away, however the faint U.S. stamped on the left side of the frame indicates that this is in fact an "Artillery Model", officially known as an "Altered Model" by the U.S. War department. In 1895–1896, the U.S. federal government returned 2000 SAA revolvers to Colt to be refurbished; 800 were issued to the New York Militia with the 7 1⁄2-inch barrel and 1,200 were altered to a barrel length of 5 1⁄2 inches. In 1898, 14,900 of the SAA revolvers were altered the same way by Springfield Armory, with 5 1⁄2 inch barrels.

This was all done because it was felt that the standard issue .38 caliber Colt M 1892 double-action revolver lacked in stopping power. The "Altered" Artillery Model Colt SAA in .45LC was the answer, and had PLENTY of power. The first units to receive these were the Light Artillery, which is probably how the model got its name. They were also received by Infantry, Volunteer Cavalry, and other troops, and would be used in the upcoming conflicts. The .45 Artillery SAA Revolvers were used successfully by front troops in the Spanish–American War and the Philippine–American War. Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders charged up San Juan Hill wielding the .45 caliber Artillery Model.

The history of this revolver however does not stop there, as one might notice that it is now nickel plated, and features beautiful aged stag horn grips, just like one would see in the old west. Per the information received with this revolver, after its military service, it was then owned by Harden Andrew Douglass Sr., the first Sheriff of Bailey County, Texas, a position he held from 1919 to 1931. His obituary and more can be found here: Find a Grave. We presume he had it "dressed up" to look the part of a sheriff's revolver, and after a good amount of service, it has a lovely aged look.

The revolver is marked with serial number 131448 on the frame, which dates production to 1890, several years before the start of the "Artillery Conversions", so it was definitely in arsenal at the time. The trigger guard and grip frame are marked with 115994, meaning they were manufactured in 1885, and later mated to the other parts. There are no markings on the cylinder or bottom of the barrel, expected for a later production example, as Colt had stopped marking cylinders in 1883. Also with the post service refinishing, most markings are definitely quite faint. The loading gate bears a clear 322 assembly number.

The revolver came to us with an original 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 October 20, 2021, indicating it is a COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER, with the caliber listed as .45/c and finish listed as Blue. The barrel length and type of stocks are Not Listed, however as noted towards the bottom of the letter, the standard configuration for the time would have been a 7 ½" barrel with walnut stocks, so this revolver is now in a very different configuration from what it was ordered in. The gun was sold to the United States Government, shipped on March 18, 1890 with 250 other guns in the same configuration, with the recipient listed as the U.S. Government Inspector located at the Colt plant. This is exactly what we would expect to see for an "Artillery Model". While most we have seen were made earlier, any revolvers in stock were available for modification.

The revolver is in nice working Order and Condition, showing much of the nickel plated still present, except where it has been worn away on and near the cylinder by propellant gasses. The original single line Colt address marking on the top of the barrel is still fully present and legible:

COLT'S PT. F. A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD. CT. U.S.A.

The left side of the frame has the Colt patent dates still partly legible, and originally they would have read:

These are the second pattern markings, and this revolver was made before the "Prancing Pony" logo began appearing on the frame in 1891. Next to them is a large U.S. surcharge, indicating U.S. Army acceptance, however this is quite faint, so only the top 1/3 or so of the letters can be seen. The front bottom of the frame is marked with an R.A.C. proof above the serial number, for Rinaldo A. Carr, a civilian employee of the War Department who was the sub-inspector on the Double Action Army revolvers and other Colt arms during the 1890s. There is no caliber marking on the trigger guard, however we have checked the cylinder and barrel with real cartridges to confirm. 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 revolver really looks great, and has that great "Old West" we look, even though we know it achieved this in the early 20th Century while in police service. The stag horn grips are lovely and well aged, and really add to the revolver.

Mechanically, the action is smooth, with a good cylinder lock up, though the main spring is definitely a bit weak, and possibly other components. It is very easy to cock, and while the action has all four clicks, they are not quite where they should be, so the safety click is in the loading position. It also does not hold at all if the trigger is pulled at all while in this position, so the hammer tumbler is definitely a bit worn. As with all revolvers of this age we recommend being gentle with cycling it, so we do not recommend "fanning" or "fan firing". The bore is in very good condition, showing a partly bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There is some past oxidation and fouling, now cleaned away, but for a revolver with as much history as this one, it's really in great shape! The ejector rod on the right side of the barrel is still present, and works great!

Pistols such as this are extremely difficult to find today at any reasonable price. A classic Artillery model Colt single action army, made in 1890 for the U.S. Military, and then recalled to arsenal, reworked, and reissued for further service. Then it saw long use with a Sheriff during the early 20th Century. It's in lovely condition, and with the included Colt factory letter, it is sure to be a fantastic addition to any collection. Ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1890 - Arsenal reworked late 1890s
Caliber: .45 "Long" Colt
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 5 ½ inches
Overall Length: 11 inches
Action: Single Action
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

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.