It sure would be nice if Colt made a limited edition 1878 DA Frontier revolver.

[Sixgun Symphony #62632]

Is anyone at Colt Mfg here?

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

As much as I love my old 78's, just don't see a market for them.   Since they are DA pistols, they don't even have a place in a side match in our game.  Would I buy one?  Sure, but I think you and I are part of a very small market.   Plus, there is the reality that the trigger on these things is...   Well, rock hard describes it well.  A smooth easy pull, it ain't.  And the grip shape is awkward enough that trying to cock it to use it in SA mode, which has a surprisingly good trigger pull, is not that easy.

I think there would be more of market for an updated 1877 that can handle smokeless.   It's just a much more pleasant gun to shoot and operate.

But, if we can dream, let's dream big!

[Cholla]

There isn't enough interest for Colt to tool up for a run. That would be a considerable expenditure, and what line would they take down to retool for an 1878? Production lines cost millions to install and to train operators. Plus, to produce a new M1878, it will most likely need to be updated safety-wise, resulting in a Colt Cowboy version of the M1878, which was very unpopular. If you would like a copy, you can find a USFA Omnipotent. It was a single-action version.

 

Colt couldn't even make up its mind on a 150th Anniversary edition of their SAA, finally offering some high-end versions that were well outside the affordability of ordinary folks.

Edited December 30, 2025 by Cholla

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

About like asking Ford to make a run of Model T's.

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

1 hour ago, Cholla said:

 

Colt couldn't even make up its mind on a 150th Anniversary edition of their SAA, finally offering some high-end versions that were well outside the affordability of ordinary folks.

I didn't even know they made one!

I kept waiting for a 100th birthday tribute to Ronald Reagan in 2011.   That never happened either.

[Cholla]

2 hours ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

I didn't even know they made one!

I kept waiting for a 100th birthday tribute to Ronald Reagan in 2011.   That never happened either.

https://www.coltforum.com/threads/saa-150th-anniversary-tier-iii.410896/?post_id=3646825#post-3646825

https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/detail.cfm?gun_id=102837092

https://www.coltforum.com/threads/colt-saa-150th-anniversary-model.410663/?post_id=3643584#post-3643584

[Rye Miles #13621]

Wasn’t the 1878 Colt full of problems ? The mechanism was subject to break easily and there was supposedly lots of problems with them. I believe that’s why Colt discontinued them. Why would they introduce a gun with problems when they have the “Snake guns” that are great? They’ve been making great DA revolvers for years. Just MHO 

[Cholla]

The 1877 was the model that had issues. The 1878 was supposed to correct most of those issues, and they did win a US military contract. However, in the long run, the 1877 production lasted longer than the 1878 because it was given out for five years as a premium for tobacco use from 1900 to 1905..

[watab kid]

why do you want a DA when we are a SA game ? other than just wanting one to say you got one im not sure why the motivation , had colt seen the need tthey would have developed one back then but i think hindsight is our advantage and foresight was their disadvantage back then , times chanded and they changed with them but not everyone could see into the future 

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

4 hours ago, watab kid said:

why do you want a DA when we are a SA game ?

 

There were several interesting DA pistols made by various gun makers back in the Old West era that are very interesting guns.    Even though they have no place in our game, they are all pre-1900 designs, and are therefore of peripheral interest to many of us.   A lot of them can be described as double action versions of the company's single action guns, and some of them are just darn pleasant to shoot.  And some of them have a DA trigger pull as good as, or even better, than some guns on the market today.  They make for an interesting addition to the collection.   Personally, I think there should be a least a side match for "Frontier DA Revolvers," but I have never seen one.   Some clubs might even allow you to use these guns in a regular match as long as you use them in SA mode.   (There is something to be said for that, but let it go.)  So, I guess, that's the why.

Here's some examples...

 

A Colt 1877 Lighting in .32 Long Colt.   Essentially a DA version of the SAA, at least visually.   The innards are very different.

 

Another Lighting.  Sheriff's model version.

 

A pair of Colt 1878.   Again, internally different, but much more of a DA Peacemaker.   The top, a .44-40 is a standard one.   The bottom is a Model 1902 "Alaskan" model, US GI surplus for use in the Philippine Insurrection.  It's a .45.

 

A pair of Russian Nagants.   These guns came as either single or double action.   The only internal part that can be removed to make the DA version identical to the SA version.   Yes, these are SASS legal, and is the only (that I know of) DA pistol that can legally be converted to SA for our game.   While the DA pull is horrid, the SA pull ain't that bad.

 

S&W Model 3 DA.   Essentially a DA version of the New Model 3.   This is a .44-40.   I have, with prior permission, used this at a match on a couple of occasions.

There are others.  Certain Merwin & Hulbert guns, for example, that I do not own example of.  

All are fun to shoot and own.

 

 

[Cholla]

3 hours ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

 

There were several interesting DA pistols made by various gun makers back in the Old West era that are very interesting guns.    Even though they have no place in our game, they are all pre-1900 designs, and are therefore of peripheral interest to many of us.   A lot of them can be described as double action versions of the company's single action guns, and some of them are just darn pleasant to shoot.  And some of them have a DA trigger pull as good as, or even better, than some guns on the market today.  They make for an interesting addition to the collection.   Personally, I think there should be a least a side match for "Frontier DA Revolvers," but I have never seen one.   Some clubs might even allow you to use these guns in a regular match as long as you use them in SA mode.   (There is something to be said for that, but let it go.)  So, I guess, that's the why.

Here's some examples...

 

A Colt 1877 Lighting in .32 Long Colt.   Essentially a DA version of the SAA, at least visually.   The innards are very different.

 

Another Lighting.  Sheriff's model version.

 

A pair of Colt 1878.   Again, internally different, but much more of a DA Peacemaker.   The top, a .44-40 is a standard one.   The bottom is a Model 1902 "Alaskan" model, US GI surplus for use in the Philippine Insurrection.  It's a .45.

 

A pair of Russian Nagants.   These guns came as either single or double action.   The only internal part that can be removed to make the DA version identical to the SA version.   Yes, these are SASS legal, and is the only (that I know of) DA pistol that can legally be converted to SA for our game.   While the DA pull is horrid, the SA pull ain't that bad.

 

S&W Model 3 DA.   Essentially a DA version of the New Model 3.   This is a .44-40.   I have, with prior permission, used this at a match on a couple of occasions.

There are others.  Certain Merwin & Hulbert guns, for example, that I do not own example of.  

All are fun to shoot and own.

 

 

I would suggest that you find a local NCOWS club. They allowed the use of DA period correct handguns. I used to shoot with @Raton Rick, SASS #16908 @Raton Rick at the NCOWS Scarlet Mask Society near Martinsville, IN. He can correct me, but I thought they had to be shot SA unless the stage rules dictate otherwise. 

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

This photo shows an interesting bit of history.  Some call this the Alaskan model reasoning the enlarged trigger guard was to accomodate gloves.  Actually the enlarged trigger guard was to accomodate a lengthened trigger.  See arrow.  The purpose?  These were purchased to issue to Philapino troops but many could not pull the trigger because of the horrible action.  So Colt lengthened the trigger to give more leverage so the troops could shoot them and the larger trigger guard was added to accommodate the longer trigger.

 

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

3 hours ago, Cholla said:

I would suggest that you find a local NCOWS club.

 

There are none in New England that I know of.

I have read NCOWS gun rules, and I like them.   But I am not crazy about their, in my opinion, over emphasis on historical accuracy.

[Cholla]

17 minutes ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

 

There are none in New England that I know of.

I have read NCOWS gun rules, and I like them.   But I am not crazy about their, in my opinion, over emphasis on historical accuracy.

For all your suggestions and comments about different match layouts and stages, you would like it. We always had something to change it up, including shooting at rifle targets up to 100 yards away. I never found their rules limiting, except for the ruling that the Miroku Winchester was not allowed. I had two sets of guns, SASS and NCOWS. I started shooting Classic Cowboy because it was closest to what I shot in NCOWS.

[Nimble Fingers SASS# 25439]

13 hours ago, watab kid said:

why do you want a DA when we are a SA game ? other than just wanting one to say you got one im not sure why the motivation , had colt seen the need tthey would have developed one back then but i think hindsight is our advantage and foresight was their disadvantage back then , times chanded and they changed with them but not everyone could see into the future 

If you love Colts and can get a new production versus an original, doesn’t matter if you can use it for SASS. I got a new Python and a new King Cobra when I couldn’t afford the originals. I would consider it and if enough were made and bought, SASS could also come up with another category only for those. 

[watab kid]

20 hours ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

 

There were several interesting DA pistols made by various gun makers back in the Old West era that are very interesting guns.    Even though they have no place in our game, they are all pre-1900 designs, and are therefore of peripheral interest to many of us.   A lot of them can be described as double action versions of the company's single action guns, and some of them are just darn pleasant to shoot.  And some of them have a DA trigger pull as good as, or even better, than some guns on the market today.  They make for an interesting addition to the collection.   Personally, I think there should be a least a side match for "Frontier DA Revolvers," but I have never seen one.   Some clubs might even allow you to use these guns in a regular match as long as you use them in SA mode.   (There is something to be said for that, but let it go.)  So, I guess, that's the why.

Here's some examples...

 

A Colt 1877 Lighting in .32 Long Colt.   Essentially a DA version of the SAA, at least visually.   The innards are very different.

 

Another Lighting.  Sheriff's model version.

 

A pair of Colt 1878.   Again, internally different, but much more of a DA Peacemaker.   The top, a .44-40 is a standard one.   The bottom is a Model 1902 "Alaskan" model, US GI surplus for use in the Philippine Insurrection.  It's a .45.

 

A pair of Russian Nagants.   These guns came as either single or double action.   The only internal part that can be removed to make the DA version identical to the SA version.   Yes, these are SASS legal, and is the only (that I know of) DA pistol that can legally be converted to SA for our game.   While the DA pull is horrid, the SA pull ain't that bad.

 

S&W Model 3 DA.   Essentially a DA version of the New Model 3.   This is a .44-40.   I have, with prior permission, used this at a match on a couple of occasions.

There are others.  Certain Merwin & Hulbert guns, for example, that I do not own example of.  

All are fun to shoot and own.

 

 

yes , ive owned some of those over the years , are you saying you want them for your collections ? or for SASS  ? im thinking collections thats where they fit in my accumulations , 

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

11 hours ago, watab kid said:

yes , ive owned some of those over the years , are you saying you want them for your collections ? or for SASS  ? im thinking collections thats where they fit in my accumulations , 

 

Mostly for the collection, but I do wish there was a least a side match for them.

[watab kid]

10 hours ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

 

Mostly for the collection, but I do wish there was a least a side match for them.

i can relate to that desire , ive owned a lot of things that might fit the era in its expanded form that i would have liked to shoot in at least side matches , i get the exclusions in main matches , i see your point here 

[Sedalia Dave]

On 12/31/2025 at 12:34 PM, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

 

There are none in New England that I know of.

I have read NCOWS gun rules, and I like them.   But I am not crazy about their, in my opinion, over emphasis on historical accuracy.

 

Closest to you is the Northeast Territories Cattle & Freight Company in Basom Ny.  They formed in just the last couple of years. Contact them and then go check them out.  No reason you can't find a few like minded folks and start your own NCOWS club.