When was the Single Action Army named that?

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

 Here's a dumb question (though I used to tell clients there are no dumb questions.....).

 

When was the Single Action Army so named? Cursory research didn't answer it. Model P, other names, when it came out. But then articles just refer to it as the SAA.

 

But would you call a revolver a 'single action' before double actions were in use, or familiar? If there was initially only one mode of action for revolvers, like the Model P and the S&W Americans, you wouldn't name it after the action in that way. So did the 'Single Action' moniker come later? Or am I just missing something obvious?

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

Double action revolvers had been around in fairly large numbers before the SAA such as the Starr revolvers, Cooper, Beaumont-Adams and Allen & Thurber Pepperbox.  

[Reverend P. Babcock Chase]

Howdy Red,

 

I can't answer your question, but going back to flintlocks, they were the first single action guns (I know matchlock and snap hanse were earlier). Then when revolvers came around we got what we now call single actions. Double action guns (many/most of which could also be cocked single action style) came along maybe around the same time. Jumping over all the autos that followed, we find development of the "double action only" revolvers. A pet peeve of mine. A dumb name for what should be called trigger cocking.

 

I've finished my rant.

Rev. Chase 

[JackSlade]

My guess would be when the army adopted it for their cavalry and artillery units. Kind of like how it was called the "Armalite Rifle 15" before the army adopted it and it became the M16.

[Jackalope]

10 hours ago, Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 said:

 ...

When was the Single Action Army so named?

...

 

According to Graham, Kopec and Moore (A Study of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver), "Colt SA #202 is the lowest numbered, fully Ordnance inspected revolver known.  It has all of O.W. Ainsworths Ordnance inspection stampings and factory markings and proofs, making it the lowest numbered, martially marked revolver.  It is  in conjunction with the Government Contract of July 23, 1873 that the Colt/s factory designation of Model P Revolver also became known as Colts' Single Action Army Revolver."

 

Regards,

Jackalope

[Marauder SASS #13056]

Not sure the date, but early on Colt sold the Army model and the civilian model.

 

BTY, they named it Colt Single Action Army on a Thursday, as I recall.  Hope that helps.  

[Texas Jack Black]

 First ones went to the Army 7 1/2 " and became known as the SAA  then were made available to civilians. .

So the 71/2 picked up the name Single Action Army. I know this as fact seeing I was there.

[Savvy Jack]

The very first name for the SAA revolver by the factory was the "New Model Army Metallic Cartridge Revolving Pistol". 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Marauder SASS #13056]

10 hours ago, Texas Jack Black said:

 First ones went to the Army 7 1/2 " and became known as the SAA  then were made available to civilians. .

So the 71/2 picked up the name Single Action Army. I know this as fact seeing I was there.

I knew I remembered you from somewhere!!!

 

[Savvy Jack]

45 Colt Single Action "Army"

44 WCF Single Action "Frontier Six-Shooter"

 

If your single action is not chambered for the 45 Colt, it is not a single action army ;-)

 

But of course, eventually Colt called them all SAA's....popularity rules, money talks!

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

Lots of interesting replies. But I still wonder why they eventually named it "Single Action". Abilene Slim points out there were some double actions around at the time.

 

Why would you extol a single mode of action in the name of your product? Again, in the name, not the description.

 

Are there other firearms that include the action in their 'official name'? For example, it's the Winchester 1873 Rifle, or just Winchester Rifle, not Winchester Lever Action.

 

Just my idle musings.....

 

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Page from 1890 Colt catalog.

 

[watab kid]

glad you asked this - never crossed my mind to dwell on it before , i appreciate all the great reply's , there were a lot of DA/SA revolvers around in that 1873 period tho , , 

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Got me curious so I dragged out my copy of The Book of Colt Firearms by R.L. Wilson.  The book says the Single Action Army legend first appeared in 1930 which is also the year the .38 Special was first chambered in the SAA.

[Griff]

Keith Cochran in his "Colt Peacemaker Yearly Variations" has the barrel first marked "Colt Single Action Army"  in 1929.

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

More and more interesting....

[Savvy Jack]

9 hours ago, Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 said:

Page from 1890 Colt catalog.

 

Does that one advertise the 30gr BP and 250gr bullet?

[Trailrider #896]

Can't say exactly, but when first models were produced for Army testing, they were referred to a the "strap pistol" due to the addition of that part of the frame, as opposed to the M1860 Army Revolver which had the open-top frame.