Original U.S. Surcharged Colt .45cal Single Action Army Revolver Made in 1891 with Replaced 7 1/2" Barrel & Modifications - Serial 140041

Original Item: Only One Available. This is every School boy's dream! A real Cowboy six gun! This very interesting U.S. Army issued Colt SAA (Single Action Army) Revolver has a full length factory replacement 7 1/2" barrel and lovely walnut grips. It shows a lovely worn patina, and looks to have seen significant modification after its military service was over. Aside from the barrel being replaced, it looks like there were some modifications to the frame to repair the bolster for the ejector, and it also had a rear sight installed on the top rear of the frame. Additionally, the hammer was modified so that the spur is offset to the left, something we really have not seen before. Really a very interesting revolver with a lot of history!

The Colt Single action army's "First Generation" of production spanned over 65 years, from 1873 to 1941. The model was then discontinued in 1941, so they could focus on WWII production and more modern weapons. However, classic Western Themed movies and shows on the new television medium resulted in a huge resurgence of popularity in the design. In 1956 Colt re-launched the "Single Action Army" revolver, in what is referred to as the "Second generation", which ran 1956–1974. There was then a "Third Generation" from 1976–1982, and a "Late Third - Fourth Generation" starting in 1994.

As part of this, many owners of older Single Action Army revolvers began sending their older revolvers with worn barrels and other components to the factory to have replacement parts fit. This was more economical than purchasing a new one, and also meant you could have a functional revolver for "Wild West" shooting that was also "really there" during the "Old West" period. These later generation barrels have deeper markings and also slightly different address markings and fonts, but otherwise were identical to the originals.

This revolver definitely had the barrel replaced, though we are not able to tell whether it is a later 1st generation or a 2nd Generation barrel. This modified revolver's serial number is 140041, which dates production to 1891, per Colt factory records. It has the serial number on the frame, trigger guard, grip frame, and even shortened number 0041 on the cylinder, which is not typical as revolvers from this period often did not have a marked cylinder. There is also assembly number 1933 marked on the loading gate. It is in full working order and condition, with a fantastic finish and great grips, sure to delight any "Old West" Americana collector.

The Colt address marking on the top of the replacement barrel is still crisp and clear:

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, however the Colt "Prancing Pony" logo on the frame has been work away. Next to them is a U S surcharge, indicating U.S. Army acceptance, and there also are the initials R.A.C. on the bottom of the frame above the serial number. This indicates inspection by Rinaldo A. Carr, a civilian employee of the War Department who was the sub-inspector on the Double Action Army revolvers and other Colt arms during the 1890s.

The stamped marking COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY .45 is clear on the left side of the barrel, and we also have checked the cylinder and barrel with real cartridges to confirm. 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 has a great look, showing a worn oxidized patina overall, showing that it probably saw a good amount of use after it was modified, or at least was exposed to the elements or a holster. The front sight is present but very round, so it may have been altered in shape slightly. The grips are in very good shape with a great color, showing light wear at the bottom, and no cracks or missing chunks. They have been customized on the rear with an X and Z in a box. The front sight is still full size, and was not reduced in height as they often were. The revolver disassembles correctly, with an original cylinder arbor pin retained by a screw, as this was made before the change to the push button.

Mechanically, the action is mostly smooth, with a good cylinder lock up, and strong mainspring. The action have all four "clicks", and was probably completely reworked when the new barrel was installed. It does not exhibit any of the the usual finicky behavior we usually see with revolvers of this age. However, 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 of the replacement barrel is in excellent condition, with a bright finish and clear rifling, showing little to no wear, definitely in contrast to the external condition. The chambers on the cylinder are also in very good shape, with just a bit of dirt and grease present. The ejector door swings open easily, and the ejector itself works great.

Pistols such as this are extremely difficult to find today at any reasonable price. This great looking modified example is just ideal for any Wild West Collection. A very interesting revolver with a great bore and features. Ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1891
Caliber: .45 "Long" Colt
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 7 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 13 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.