Guns International #: 102041767
Seller's Inventory #: 22-10448

Category - Colt Revolvers - Single Action Army - 1st Gen - Antique Revolvers - Cartridge

Category
Colt Revolvers - Single Action Army - 1st Gen
Antique Revolvers - Cartridge

Colt Single Action Army Old Model .45 Colt 4.75” w/Factory Letter, Arizona Copper Mine 1893

Description:
The Colt Single Action Army, also known as the Peacemaker, is one of the most popular firearms of all time and has been so since its introduction in 1873. It was built to replace the many cartridge conversion revolvers that were prevalent in the post-Civil War period. Many people owned a Colt 1851 Navy or 1860 Army cap-and-ball revolver that had been converted to shoot one of the new rimfire cartridges that became immediately available after the civil war such as the .38 rimfire and .44 rimfire. When the SAA was introduced, it changed everything. It featured the addition of a top strap in the frame for increased strength, an 1851 Navy grip, the manual ejector rod found on the previous M1871-72 open top revolvers, and most importantly, the ability to shoot centerfire ammunition. The addition of a top strap allowed the SAA to remain in production after the introduction of smokeless powder in the 1880s. The SAA, available in variety of sub-models, was popular with lawmen, ranchers, bandits, and soldiers. Over the years, the SAA has been chambered for over 30 different cartridges, from the little .22 Long Rifle to the large .476 Eley. The first generation of SAA production took place between 1873 and 1941 when production stopped, due to the need to produce M1911A1 pistols in greater numbers for use by the U.S. military. During that period of time, there were five calibers that were most prominent. In order of popularity, the were the .45 Colt, the .44 WCF (.44-40), .38 WCF (.38-40), .32 WCF (.32-20), and the .41 Long Colt. Production numbers were, roughly, 150,879 for the .45, 64,589 for the .44-40, 38,358 for the .38-40, 29,993 for the .32-20, and 16,517 for the .41 Long Colt. This applies to the standard SAA and does not include the famous Bisley model.
The pistol shown has a factory letter which gives a very interesting destination point. According to the letter, this SAA was shipped on December 4th, 1893 to the Arizona Copper Company in Morenci, in the then Territory of Arizona. The letter also states that there were a total of 13 revolvers in the shipment. The pistol’s current condition is not surprising given its original recipient and use. Although, some may claim the Wild West was over by the 1890s, this is very much not the case and there were many places out west that were just as wild and lawless as they had been in the late 1860s. As such, even something as simple as a company that mines copper would buy firearms to arm their “security force”. This SAA has the popular 4-3/4” barrel, much preferred by most gunfighters of the era due to the ability to draw the gun out of its holster faster than was possible with the 5.5” and 7.5” SAA’s. Wisely, the company had their SAA’s chambered for the popular and widely available .45 Colt. Their revolvers were built on the “Old Model” frame with the “fourth” screw to retain the cylinder pin in place. The frame and barrel have almost none of the original finish left, though the Factory Letter indicates the pistol was originally blued. The barrel exhibits physical holster wear in that the left sides of the crown are smoothed out on the edges resulting in a longer curve than the rest of the muzzle’s surface. The wear indicates the pistol was removed and returned to its holster on a regular basis. The grips are very well worn, especially the right grip which leaves the backstrap exposed for much of the right side. The front of the ejector rod housing has a noticeable slope in the front in it. Utilizing the ejector rod is somewhat difficult as the there is a notable amount of friction between the rod, spring, housing beginning about halfway towards the rear. The frame, cylinder, and barrel possess various levels of pitting but nothing serious. The trigger guard is visibly bent into a more rectangular shape. Mechanically, the cylinder rotates as it should and the bolt engages the cylinder notches correctly. Audibly, however, there are three distinct clicks when the hammer is cocked. As a general rule, an SAA will usually produce four clicks. It is actually five, but the last two occur near simultaneously and it is usually indiscernible to the human ear. The first click indicates the “quarter cock” notch of the hammer. Visibly, the hammer will have barely just moved away from the frame. The second click is the trigger clicking into the “half cock” or “loading notch” of the hammer. Click number 3 is the bolt snapping to the cylinder in the locking slots “lead”, i.e. the cone shaped area of the cylinder. As mentioned, click 4 is actually two clicks that are near simultaneous. Click 4A is the bolt snapping into the locking slot itself. 4B is the trigger clicking into the “full cock” or firing notch of the hammer. In this revolver’s case, there is no quarter cock click and click 3 occurs so close to click 4 (A&B) that they sometimes sound like one click. It is fairly obvious that this SAA saw hard use. The head of the cylinder retention pin has some rough edges, suggesting someone took a pair of pliers or other tool to it at one point. The head of the “fourth” screw is slightly buggered. On the barrel, there are three distinct notches or stamps in the metal. Above and behind this are two more notches, plus two less defined notches. On top of the barrel to the immediate rear of the front sight are a further three notches. The purpose of these is unclear, but they do appear to be intentional. It should be pointed out that the loading gate has the number “397” stamped on the inside. The bore is in good shape for its age, with some of the expected pitting being present, however it surprising how much of the rifling is still intact. The SAA comes with a simple, inexpensive wooden case and a fairly good replica of a U.S. Marshal’s badge. The lock on the case is bent and does not keep the lid closed.

SOLD

Handgun Caliber: .45 Colt
Manufacturer: Colt's PT. F.A. Mfg. Co.
Model: Single Action Army
Serial Number: 154421
Bore: Rifled, 6 grooves
Chambers: 6
Ejectors: Manual, ejector rod
Condition: Antique - Fair to Good
Barrel Type: Round
Action: Single-Action
Triggers: Single Action Army trigger
Stock: Wood
Finish: Patina
Sights: Fixed, sight radius 5.75 inches (146.05 mm)
Manufacture Date: 1893
Extras: See description
Case: Display Case