Original Item: Only One Available. This is every School boy's dream! A real Cowboy six gun, complete with a period U.S. leather belt and M1881 Holster! 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 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 revolver is marked with serial number 31311 on the frame, which dates production to 1876, right when early production was in full swing. We checked the bottom of the barrel, and it is marked with shortened number 1311 under the ejector, so it matches the frame. Both are marked with inspector initials J.T.C., for John T Cleveland, who was sub inspector from 23 August 1876 to 13 February 1877. This was a VERY short period of time for an inspector, making JTC marked single action army revolvers VERY desirable. The cylinder is marked on the side with 7226, indicating it is early production (after 1883 cylinders were not marked), while the trigger guard is marked with 17569, the grip frame with 30727, and the grip itself with 3640 (or 8640), so they really dipped into the parts bin for this one! There is also assembly number 4543 marked on the loading gate. It is in full working order and condition, showing a lovely worn patina with well broken-in walnut grips, sure to delight any Americana collector with an interest in the Spanish-American War.

The revolver came to us with an original Colt Factory letter from the office of the Colt Historian Kathleen J. Hoyt, 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 28, 1996, 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 the standard configuration for the time would have been a 7 ½" barrel with walnut stocks, so this revolver is still in the original ordered configuration, aside from replaced parts. The gun was sold to the United States Government, shipped on October 28, 1876 with 100 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".

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 fully legible:

PAT. SEPT.19.1871.
PAT. JULY. 2. 1872.

These are the first pattern markings with only two lines, and this 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. There are also several single letter proofs on various components. 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, showing a lovely honest used patina, with no signs of excessive cleaning or refinishing, just how we like to see them. There is just a bit of past peppering in areas, and no major oxidation, making this a prime example. The grip does show evidence of long use and cleaning, with the front toe chipped away on the left side, and overall showing a rounded appearance from loss of wood.

Mechanically, 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 excellent condition, showing a bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There is just a bit of wear and past fouling from keeping it being "MINT", which is probably why this revolver was chosen to be reworked. The ejector door swings open easily, and the ejector itself works great. Overall this is a great pistol, with a fantastic look!

The included belt and holster are in lovely service used condition, showing the expected deterioration to the finish from age and use. These were issued with a black / dark brown finish, and as we usually see, the finish is flaking off in a lot of areas. The belt measures about 28 1/2 inches long in the current configuration, and has the correct U.S. marked belt buckle. The holster is the Model 1881 type, and is marked on the back faintly with known maker LANZ, OWEN & CO. / CHICAGO. The M1881 was designed to fit both the Smith & Wesson No.3 "Schofield" revolver as well as the Single Action Army, which is why there are two holes in the top flap. This unfortunately makes the flap prone to tearing, as this one looks to have don in the past, and was then glued back together.

Pistols such as this are extremely difficult to find today at any reasonable price. A classic Artillery model Colt single action army, made in 1876 for the U.S. Military, and then recalled to arsenal, reworked, and reissued for further service. It's in lovely honest used condition, and with the included Colt factory letter, belt, and correct holster, it is sure to be a fantastic addition to any collection. Ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1876 - Arsenal Reworked 1890s
Caliber: .45 "Long" Colt
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 7 ½ inches
Overall Length: 13 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.