Original U.S. Colt Nickel Plated .45cal Single Action Army 4 3/4" Barrel Revolver Made in 1897 with Stag Grips - Serial 169130

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 great nickel-plated Colt SAA (Single Action Army) Revolver has an original "gunfighter friendly" 4 3/4" barrel and and lovely worn and yellowed stag antler grips. The markings are a bit faint, so it looks like this was refinished in nickel plate after manufacture, but it was very well done, and we do not see any evidence of major oxidation prior to being freshened up. We do not know whether it was originally blued or nickel plated from the factory.

The revolver's serial number is 169130, which dates production to 1897. It has the serial number on the frame, trigger guard, and grip frame, making this an "ALL MATCHING" example. 1883 was the last year that serial numbers would be stamped on the cylinder until 1912, so the lack of the serial number there is correct. There is also assembly number 506 marked on the loading gate. As this revolver was made after 1895, it has the correct "push button" release for the cylinder base pin, instead of the earlier screw. It is in full working order and condition, and with the lovely finish and aged grips is sure to delight any "Old West" Americana collector.

The original double line Colt address marking on the top of the barrel is still fully legible, correct for the shorter length barrel:

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

The left side of the frame has the Colt patent dates all clearly legible:

PAT. SEPT. 19. 1871.
JULY. 2.72. JAN. 19.75

These are the correct later pattern markings, and to the right is the correct Colt "Prancing Pony" logo on the frame, introduced in 1891. The left side of the barrel is clearly marked 45 COLT., and we have also checked the cylinder and barrel with real cartridges to confirm the chambering. 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, with the nickel plating very well preserved, showing just a few areas on the barrel where it has flaked off. There is also some finish wear on the front and rear of the cylinder due to powder residue. The front sight is in great shape, and has not been filed down as we sometimes see on "cowboy" type guns. The stag antler grips have matured beautifully, showing a lovely aged yellow look, but no cracks, chunks missing, or other major damage.

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 very good condition, showing a partly bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There is some overall wear and past oxidation and fouling, now cleaned away, but overall it is very nice considering it is from the age of black powder. The ejector rod is present and works great, with no sticking or other issues.

Pistols such as this are extremely difficult to find today at any reasonable price. This lovely nickel plated example is just ideal for any Wild West Collection, especially with the stag antler grips and super tight action. A great collector's revolver, ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1897
Caliber: .45 "Long" Colt
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 4 3/4 inches
Overall Length: 10 1/4 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.