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The Colt Single Action Army is 150 Years Old!


H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619

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Recently, I made a post about what makes for a "complete" collection of Colt SAA's.  There were a few different ideas as to what would be the way to define that, and that was pretty good.   Also., someone made a very appropriate observation that the discussion was pretty pointless without pictures.

Someone else posted about how SAA #1 was on the cover of the latest issue of The American Rifleman.   I got my copy of it yesterday, and while there really wasn't anything in the article I'd not read before, it was still a very good one, and there were a couple of other SAA related articles aside from the cover story that were fun to read as well.  One of the highlights of the cover story was at the end where it was announced that Colt would be releasing a special commemorative to mark the Peacemaker's 150th anniversary.  No price info yet, but I am curious....

Anyway, with all of that in mind, and some other things as well, let's celebrate the SAA by sharing ours with each other.  I'll start the ball rolling.

 

I have separated them by caliber and arranged them in the pics in the order aquirred.

 

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The top is actually the first SAA I ever purchased.   The bottom is a California Bicentennial model, and was the first gun I got that allowed me to refer to myself as "a man with a golden gun."  I have used both in side matches.

 

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These are .32-20's.   Top left left the factory as a .38-40, but has been changed to a .32 at a time and by persons unknown.  The nickel finish letters as original, but who knows?  The cylinder and barrel looks fairly modern.   It is 1st Generation antique.  Below it is a 3rd Generation pistol, and was the first SAA that I bought new.  Upper right was my first Bisley, and lower right is a more recent purchase.  The lower right is the only one I have not yet used at a shoot, but eventually will.  Both are of course, First Generations, and are modern ones.

 

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These are my .44 Specials.  The first time I took the Buntline to a shoot, someone joked that I should obtain a Sheriff's model to pair with it.  Soon after that, the left Sheriff was obtained.   Whenever I do pair these two, I always find an excuse to shout, "Sheriff Buntline to the rescue!"  I also sometimes put the Sheriff in a holster for a 7.5" barreled gun.  People are surprised when they see what I am actually shooting.  About a year or so later, I found the blued one, and they became the first, closest thing I have to a "matched pair."  Both also came with .44-40 cylinders, and I did obtain a .44-40 one for the Buntline, but forgot to put it in the picture.  All three guns are 3rd Generations.  As of this posting, the New Frontier is my most recently obtained pistol.   I've had it for less that a week, so it's the only one here I've not used at a shoot yet.  It's a 2nd Gen.

 

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These are .44-40's.   The top is a 3rd Generation, and came with regular hard rubber grips.  I found these "Ivory laminate" grips at a big guns store in Pennsylvania, and thought they'd look cool in this gun.   To me, nickel guns just look "better" with ivory.   The grips are mostly wood and have a thin layer of this ivory laminated over the wood.  I have no idea if it's real ivory or not.  Below is a 1st Generation antique that somebody chromed.  It's as ugly as sin, the grips are obviously broken, left the factory in 1881 with a blued finish, but it is mechanically perfect and only cost me $500 bucks just before the pandemic hit.   I figured it was a bargain.   I've toyed with the idea of restoring it.  One local gunsmith who specializes in restorations didn't really wanna try.  One cool feature is that the hammer, trigger and ejector have been gold plated.  Both have been used at shoots.

 

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And finally, here are my .45s.  The upper left 3rd Generation is the most special gun in my collection; it was my father's.  To its right is an NRA Centennial Commemorative.  These were 2nd Generation guns.  I bought this one when I found it at a now gone Big Gun Store in New Hampshire, and the following weekend, I used it at a big shoot that was spread over 2 days along with Dad's gun.  The next time I went on a business trip that took me that way, I took the pistol back to the factory for an action job.  (It was that bad!)  First pistol I ever felt needed such to be done to it.  They did a great job, and it was less than a hundred bucks.  But this was at least 10 years ago, maybe 15.  Lower left is a fairly generic 2nd Generation, which was a gift from my parents.  Lower right is the "Old Fort Des Moines Restoration" commemorative.  It's gold plated, and came from the factory with mother of pearl grips.  I still have those grips, but I could not get the words of General Patton out of my head, so I obtained these genuine (wooly mammoth) ivory grips for it.   And yes, I have used it in competition, like everything else in this caliber.


Well, that's my SAA collection.  Or at least, all my COLT SAAs.   I have not pictured my clones.  Shall I send in the clones?  :)

 

Who else will share?
 

Oh, double checking over my list of what I thought would make up my definition of a "complete" SAA collection, I see that I don't have one!  Unless you wanna count one of the Bisley's or let it do double duty, I don't seem to have a "modern" 1st Gen example.  Oh well.  

 

 

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Howdy H.K.

 

Something does not compute with the first photo of two revolvers.

 

Only two screws and the grip frame appears to be one piece.

 

They do not appear to be Single Action Armies to me?

 

Am I wrong?

 

 

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OK, I'll play.

 

My usual Main Match pistols, a pair of 2nd Gens chambered for 45 Colt. The one at the top shipped in 1973 with a 12" barrel. Within a year it went back to the factory and had the 7 1/2" barrel installed. Long before I owned it. The one at the bottom is my favorite revolver in the whole world, it shipped in 1968, but at some point some clown tried to 'age it' by removing all the blue and the colors of the Case Hardening. Because of this I got it for a song. Would not dream of refinishing it, I like it just as it is.

 

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Another pair of 2nd Gens, also chambered for 45 Colt. The one at the top shipped in 1973, the one at the bottom shipped in 1963. Both of them were very well cared for before I got my hands on them and look like they just left the factory yesterday.

 

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A well worn 38-40 Bisley that shipped in 1909. Almost no blue left on it and the Case Colors are pretty much all gone too. Honest wear, not fake 'aging'. Yes, the ejector rod handle is bent, I am not going to try to straighten it.

 

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Another 38-40 Bisley, this one shipped in 1907. Someone took very good care of this one, most of the blue and a lot of the Case Colors still show. I suspect somebody fire blued the screws at some point. But the rest of the finish is original.

 

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A recent acquisition, a 44-40 Bisley Frontier Six Shooter. I think this one shipped right around 1900, but I would have to look that up to be sure.

 

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Last but not least, a 2nd Gen 45 Colt New Frontier that shipped in 1965.

 

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32 minutes ago, Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 said:

Howdy H.K.

 

Something does not compute with the first photo of two revolvers.

 

Only two screws and the grip frame appears to be one piece.

 

They do not appear to be Single Action Armies to me?

 

Am I wrong

I didn't notice that until you mentioned it, Driftwood.  So I started thinking, I wonder if those could be .22's and I googled images of .22LR SAA's.  Yep, those are .22's.  Learn something every day. :)

 

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57 minutes ago, Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 said:

Howdy H.K.

 

Something does not compute with the first photo of two revolvers.

 

Only two screws and the grip frame appears to be one piece.

 

They do not appear to be Single Action Armies to me?

 

Am I wrong?

 

 

 

They are .22's   The .22 version of the Peacemaker was slightly different.   Among other things that that the firing pin is in the frame, for example.

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When Bill Koch had an exhibit in West Palm Beach around 2011, he had Serial # 1 on exhibit, along with Volcanic pistols and rifles, Henrys, 1866’s, one of 1,000 1873’s and 1876’s!  It was the same year he had bought the Billy the Kid tintype for 3,000,000. I will have to renew my NRA membership and ask for the January 2023 magazine. 

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Here's my three. All third gens in 45. All wearing giraffe bone grips from MD grips out of Springfield TN. The two blue and color cased have engraved cylinders by John Adam's Sr. All are proudly tuned up by Bob James. Need me one more nickel to complete a pair. Maybe some day. 20220329_182045.thumb.jpg.786c55efaef2fb786382dafc3c9b3659.jpg20220418_205827.thumb.jpg.325151f0d52e282f1341d5a8ee5b4b11.jpg

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I have a few.  Top to bottom:

1. 1st Gen (1915) long-flute 32-20, all matching numbers.  The gun was parkerized or some such in the past.  It actually belongs to my brother but he has never shot it (I've put 1000 rounds or so through it).

2. 1st Gen (1901) .45 Colt.  This gun left Colt as a 4 3/4" 38-40 but was rechambered at some point.  The numbers match on the other parts.

3. 2nd Gen NRA Centennial .45 Colt.

4. Pair of 3rd Gen 44 Specials.  Both 1978, one was among the last of the SA serial number suffix, the other among the first of the SA prefixes.

BTW, the first 3 are old pics from before I had a digital camera.  They were made by laying the guns and props on a scanner and covering with a scarf. :)

 

Colt32-20.JPG

ColtSAA1901.JPG

ColtNRA.JPG

Brace 44 Spcl.jpg

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Really like the .44 Specials.   When I first got into this game, I was sure that'd be my go to caliber.  Loaded up a TON of ammo for it.   But as you saw above, it's been more of a novelty chambering for me.   Partly cuz I never found a rifle for it, and I learned the hard way that 92's chambered for .44 Magnum don't really work quite right with the shorter rounds.

Still like the caliber though, and I do have some clones chambered for it.

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On 12/22/2022 at 10:09 PM, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

They are .22's   The .22 version of the Peacemaker was slightly different.   Among other things that that the firing pin is in the frame, for example.

Thanks UK.

 

I should not have doubted you. I should have noticed the pin near the hammer, holding what I assume is a frame mounted firing pin.

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On 12/22/2022 at 8:09 PM, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

 

They are .22's   The .22 version of the Peacemaker was slightly different.   Among other things that that the firing pin is in the frame, for example.

My first Colt Peacemaker 22 and holster I made for it.

 

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My first pistol, a Colt .45 that I purchased back in 1978.  It was brand new back then.

Oak, one piece grips my son and I made. :)

 

I have to say, you others have some mighty fine collections of Colts!

Colt 45 SAA.jpg

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Great set of Colts, fellers!

 

The only Colts I've run across in my area in shops have been three in horrible shape, needing much work by a gunsmith to function safely all at Cabela's gun library, priced stupid high.

 

:blink:

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The Cabela's gun library is a strange place.  Sometimes you can find great deals there, and at others, their prices are can only be described as unreasonable.   And don't get me started how it seems that half the clerks who work in there don't know what they are doing or their at times silly rules about various things. 

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