Original U.S. Surcharged Colt .45cal Single Action Army SAA Revolver Made in 1890 with 5" Barrel, Carved Bone Grips, and Tooled Leather Holster - Matching Serial 132684

Original Item: Only One Available. This is every School boy's dream! A real Cowboy six gun, complete with a fantastic aged tooled leather holster! 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 frontier used Colt SAA (Single Action Army) Revolver has a "gunfighter friendly" 5" barrel, most likely shortened, and lovely worn and yellowed carved bone grips. Original blued from the factory, it now shows a worn oxidized patina overall from exposure and repeated cleanings. There are also areas of past pitting on all of the components, probably from a combination of weathering and contact with the holster. This definitely looks to be an example that was carried for a long time in the "Old West", giving it an impossible to duplicate look! The revolver's serial number is 132684, which dates production to 1890. It has the serial number on the frame, trigger guard, grip frame (VERY faint), and even shortened number 2684 on the cylinder (faint) and on the underside of the barrel. That makes this a rare treat as a confirmed "ALL MATCHING" revolver, as during this time period the barrel and cylinder were often not marked. There is also assembly number 847 marked on the loading gate. It is in full working order and condition, showing a gorgeous worn patina of age, sure to delight any "Old West" Americana collector.

The original single line address marking on the top of the barrel is present and a bit worn, but still fully legible:-

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

The left side of the frame has the Colt patent dates still present, but they are definitely worn:-

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

These are the early 2nd pattern markings, and this was made before the "Prancing Pony" logo began appearing on the frame in 1891. 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, as well as on the bottom of the barrel next to a P proof. 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.

As with the rest of the exterior of the revolver, the markings on the frame are definitely a bit worn from oxidation and subsequent cleaning. We checked the trigger guard, and we were not able to locate any caliber marking. However, 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 presents beautifully, and really has the look of a sidearm that was "really there" in the old west, with the blued finish worn to a lovely dark gray patina from use, servicing, and cleaning during its long life. There is definitely some pitting present in areas, so parts of the revolver have been subjected to somewhat heavy cleaning. The bone grip has had the sides carved to make it look like it is stag, but looking at the bottom shows that it is definitely bone or possibly horn, as it does not have the correct structure for stag. The grips have a lovely aged look, with some chipping and cracking, but no major damage.

Mechanically, the action is smooth, with a relatively good cylinder lock up, and strong main spring. The action only has three "clicks", with the "safety" position missing, but it still indexes correctly with a solid cylinder lockup. 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 very good condition, still showing clear lands and grooves with a partly bright finish. There is definitely overall oxidation and past fouling, now mostly cleaned away, so it definitely looks to have been a good amount of use, and was probably not cleaned properly over the years. The ejector door swings open easily, and the ejector itself works great. Overall this is a great pistol with loads of patina and history.

The included open top leather holster is lovely, still mostly supple and showing a lovely dark chestnut brown color. The stitching is still intact, and there are brass tacks inserted inside many of the designs, which an still be seen in the light. 

Pistols such as this are extremely difficult to find today at any reasonable price. This honest used example is just ideal for any Wild West Collection, especially with the great grips and period holster! A great collector's revolver, ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1890
Caliber: .45 "Long" Colt
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 5 inches
Overall Length: 10 1/2 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.