S: The Colt Single Action Army
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41 r e with only five cartridges, keeping an empty cham- ber under the downed hammer. This was a smart safety measure, and is still recommended today for the SAA and its close clones. In the years through 1940, the SAA revolver was offered in 36 documented calibers. In addition to the .45 Colt, other popular calibers were the .44/40, the .38/40, .32/20 and .22 Rimfire. You could get a Colt SAA in virtually any handgun cal- iber from .22 Rimfire to the monstrous 476 Eley. Early in the 20th Century, you could get a SAA in .44 Special or .38 Special. After 1935, the .357 Magnum was available. Few modifications were made to the revolver over the years. In 1894, a transverse spring-loaded bolt replaced the screw-in cylinder base pin lock. Some will tell you that about this time, the revolver was considered safe with the newer smokeless powders, and that observing the base pin lock method is a good way to tell the difference. It isn’t. In actuality, it wasn’t until 1900 that Colt certified the SAA for smokeless powder. If the gun is in good shape and has a serial number above 192000, it’s officially considered “smokeless safe.” A flattop target model came out in 1888, and in 1894 the “Bisley” model was introduced, named after the famed English shooting range. It featured a more vertical grip design and a lowered hammer for easier thumb-cocking. Short-barreled “Storekeeper” or “Sheriff” models had barrels with no ejector rods. Dime novel writer “Ned Buntline” had allegedly and disputably ordered some long-barreled guns for five famous western lawmen including Wyatt Earp. Long-barreled SAAs have thus become known as “Buntline Specials.” Lawman Bat Masterson favored a shorter barrel, equal in length to the end of the ejector rod hous- ing (4 ? inches). In 1878, he ordered a nickel-plat- ed SAA with ivory grips direct from Colt made just that way. Grips were usually one-piece wood, but after the turn of the 20th Century, two-piece grips of black hard rubber became standard. The stan- dard finish was a case-hardened-and-colored cylinder frame, with barrel, cylinder and grip frame finished in blue. Plating, engraving and a variety of other grip materials could be had on special order. Standard barrel lengths were 4-3/4, 5-1/2 and 7-1/2 inches, but virtually any length from 2-1/2” up to 16” was available. Lieutenant George S. Patton, Jr. killed two of Pancho Villa’s lieutenants with a 4-3/4”-barreled silver plated and engraved SAA during the puni- tive expedition to Mexico in 1916. It had ivory grips scrimshawed with his intertwined initials and was chambered in .45 Colt. He carried that same gun throughout WWII as a general officer until his death in 1945. Colt ceased production of the SAA in 1940. Accordingly, those made from 1873 to 1940 are called “first generation” guns. Demand forced Colt to resume production in 1956, and again pro- duction ceased in 1978. These “second gen- eration” guns had “SA” as a suffix to the serial number. Colt simplified production in several ways, and “third generation” guns were in production from 1978 until 1984. Now they are only made in limited numbers by the Colt Cus- tom Shop. Third generation guns’ serials have SA suffixes, then SA prefixes, then serials with S as the prefix and A as the suffix in 1993 and later. The SAA illus- trated is a third-generation gun made in 1980, in the comparatively uncommon .44 Special caliber. It is still unfired in its original box complete with instruction manual. The Single Action Army has a proud history of service over the years. My maternal grandfa- ther carried one when he rode shotgun on the Wells Fargo stage between Tombstone and Bis- bee, Arizona, at the turn of the century. He packed that same gun during the labor strife in the mines in Bisbee in 1917. The Peacemaker served him well. SAAs still render faithful serv- ice in private hands today. Strong, reliable, graceful and functional, the Colt Single Action Army is a timeless classic handgun. D P e Colt Single Action Army er. ster. x-Shooter. Feb 09 Blue Press Section 2 12/12/08 12:03 PM Page 41
Transcript of S: The Colt Single Action Army
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r
e
with only five cartridges, keeping an empty cham-ber under the downed hammer. This was a smartsafety measure, and is still recommended today forthe SAA and its close clones.
In the years through 1940, the SAA revolver wasoffered in 36 documented calibers. In addition tothe .45 Colt, other popular calibers were the.44/40, the .38/40, .32/20 and .22 Rimfire. Youcould get a Colt SAA in virtually any handgun cal-iber from .22 Rimfire to the monstrous 476 Eley.Early in the 20th Century, you could get a SAA in.44 Special or .38 Special. After 1935, the .357Magnum was available.
Few modifications were made to the revolverover the years. In 1894, a transverse spring-loadedbolt replaced the screw-in cylinder base pin lock.
Some will tell you that about this time,the revolver was considered safe withthe newer smokeless powders, and thatobserving the base pin lock method is agood way to tell the difference. It isn’t. In actuality,it wasn’t until 1900 that Colt certified the SAA forsmokeless powder. If the gun is in good shape andhas a serial number above 192000, it’s officiallyconsidered “smokeless safe.”
A flattop target model came out in 1888, andin 1894 the “Bisley” model was introduced,named after the famed English shooting range. Itfeatured a more vertical grip design and a loweredhammer for easier thumb-cocking. Short-barreled“Storekeeper” or “Sheriff” models had barrelswith no ejector rods. Dime novel writer “Ned
Buntline” had allegedly and disputably orderedsome long-barreled guns for five famous westernlawmen including Wyatt Earp. Long-barreled SAAshave thus become known as “Buntline Specials.”Lawman Bat Masterson favored a shorter barrel,equal in length to the end of the ejector rod hous-ing (4 ? inches). In 1878, he ordered a nickel-plat-ed SAA with ivory grips direct from Colt made justthat way. Grips were usually one-piece wood, butafter the turn of the 20th Century, two-piece gripsof black hard rubber became standard. The stan-dard finish was a case-hardened-and-coloredcylinder frame, with barrel, cylinder and gripframe finished in blue. Plating, engraving and avariety of other grip materials could be had onspecial order. Standard barrel lengths were 4-3/4,5-1/2 and 7-1/2 inches, but virtually any lengthfrom 2-1/2” up to 16” was available.
Lieutenant George S. Patton, Jr. killed two ofPancho Villa’s lieutenants with a 4-3/4”-barreledsilver plated and engraved SAA during the puni-tive expedition to Mexico in 1916. It had ivorygrips scrimshawed with his intertwined initialsand was chambered in .45 Colt. He carried thatsame gun throughout WWII as a general officeruntil his death in 1945.
Colt ceased production of the SAA in 1940.Accordingly, those made from 1873 to 1940 arecalled “first generation” guns. Demand forced Colt
to resume production in 1956, and again pro-duction ceased in 1978. These “second gen-
eration” guns had “SA” as a suffix to theserial number. Colt simplified production
in several ways, and “third generation”guns were in production from 1978until 1984. Now they are only madein limited numbers by the Colt Cus-tom Shop. Third generation guns’serials have SA suffixes, then SAprefixes, then serials with S as theprefix and A as the suffix in
1993 and later. The SAA illus-trated is a third-generationgun made in 1980, in thecomparatively uncommon.44 Special caliber. It is still
unfired in its original boxcomplete with instruction manual.
The Single Action Army has a proud historyof service over the years. My maternal grandfa-ther carried one when he rode shotgun on theWells Fargo stage between Tombstone and Bis-bee, Arizona, at the turn of the century. Hepacked that same gun during the labor strife inthe mines in Bisbee in 1917. The Peacemakerserved him well. SAAs still render faithful serv-ice in private hands today. Strong, reliable,graceful and functional, the Colt Single ActionArmy is a timeless classic handgun. DP
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Feb 09 Blue Press Section 2 12/12/08 12:03 PM Page 41
