Original U.S. Colt Silver Plated Frontier Six Shooter .44-40 Revolver Made in 1880 with 4 3/4" Barrel and Ivory Grips - Serial 56152

Original Item: Only One Available. This is it! Every young "Old West" fans dream: A real Colt Cowboy Six-shooter! This very nice Colt Frontier Six Shooter SAA (Single Action Army) Revolver has a “gunfighter friendly” 4 3/4" barrel and lovely aged ivory grips. We do not know what finish it had from the factory, but it now is actually SILVER plated, with a lovely worn and tarnished look overall. We have not heard of this being a finish available from the factory, but the markings are still relatively crisp, so it must have been expertly done, probably by a dealer or gunsmith some years after it was purchased. There is now some peppering in areas, but no major oxidation, and really has an impossible to duplicate look!

The revolver's serial number is 56152, which dates production to 1880. It has the serial number on the frame, trigger guard, and grip frame, while the barrel is marked with shortened number 6152 on the bottom of the barrel, and the cylinder does not show any markings. Starting in 1883, the cylinders no longer had serials marked again until 1912, as they often wore away, as with this example. That makes this a very nice "Mostly Matching" example, and we do not believe any parts have been swapped out over the years. There is also assembly number 438 marked on the loading gate. It is in full working order and condition, showing a gorgeous patina of age, sure to delight any "Old West" Americana collector.

The original double line address marking on the top of the barrel, correct for this length of barrel, is still clear:-

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

The left side of the frame has the Colt patent dates still fully legible as well:-

PAT. SEPT.19.1871.
 "  JULY.   2.  --72.
 "  JAN.   19. --75.

The trigger guard is clearly stamped 44.CF. on the side, indicating the .44-40 WCF caliber. The "Frontier Six Shooter" model was almost identical to the .45 "Long Colt" chambered Single Action Army model, except that it was designed for Winchester .44-40 ammunition, also called .44 W.C.F., which was and is a popular "cowboy" ammunition. While some may question why colt made guns chambered for a competitor's cartridge, having a repeating rifle and revolver that took the same ammunition was a big selling point. We have checked the cylinder with a real cartridge and confirmed the caliber.

As this revolver was manufactured in 1880, it originally would have had an etched panel that read "Colt Frontier Six Shooter", as the serial number range for such marked revolvers was between 45000 and 65000. Unfortunately wear has completely removed this marking. Revolvers like this were marketed to the civilian frontier market, as the U.S. Cavalry issued the identical model finished in blue with U.S. marked rubber grips.

The revolver presents beautifully, and really has the look of a sidearm that was "really there" in the old west, with the silver plated finish showing a lovely tarnished patina, with areas worn down to bare polished steel. We did not notice any major rust or pitting present that we can see. The ivory grip has matured beautifully, with the grain fully visible, and there is age checking and cracking at the bottom, just like we love to see. The grip is also a bit loose in the frame, probably having shrunk a bit during the past 125+ years.

Mechanically, the action is smooth, with a strong main spring, however the cylinder stop slots or the lock are worn, so it can be spun by hand even at full cock. The action has all four clicks, but they are a bit off due to wear on the hammer, and it does not really have a true “loading position” at present. As with all revolvers of this age we recommend being very gentle with cycling it, so we do not recommend "fanning" or "fan firing". The bore is in good condition, showing a partly bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There is past oxidation and fouling, now cleaned away, but it does not look to have been properly cleaned, which allowed deeper oxidation to set in. Overall this is a lovely pistol with loads of patina and history.

Pistols such as this are extremely difficult to find today at any reasonable price. This example is just ideal for any Wild West Collection. A great collector's revolver with fantastic aged ivory grips and a rare silver plated finish, ready to display!

Specifications:-
Year of Manufacture: 1880
Caliber: .44-40 Winchester
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.