Colt 2nd Gen, Single Action Army SAA, 5 1/2″, 1956 Blue & Case Color Revolver, C&R, .45 Colt

SOLD FOR: $1,929.00
LSB#: 190402LH21

Make: Colt

Model: Single Action Army 2nd Generation

Serial Number: 6404SA

Year of Manufacture: 1956 (https://colt.com/serial-lookup)

Caliber: .45 Colt

Action Type: 6-Shot Single Action Revolver with Side Loading Gate Cylinder

Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY .45”. The top of the barrel is marked “COLT’S PT. F. A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD CT. U.S.A.”. The left side of the frame is marked “PAT. SEPT. 19, 1871 / JULY 2,72 JAN. 19,75” and with the rampant colt logo. The underside of the frame at the grip frame is marked “6404SA”, the left side of the upper and lower grip frame straps (under the left grip) are marked “6404” and the inside of each grip panel is hand-scribed “6404”. The inside rear face of the loading gate is marked with the assembly number “285”, found again on the right rear of the frame and the front face of the cylinder. The left front of the trigger guard is marked with a “VP” in a triangle and at the rear with “P”, the right is marked “X”. The rear face of the cylinder is marked with a Rampant Colt logo.

Barrel Length: 5 1/2”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a quarter-circle blade. The rear sight is a square groove in the top strap.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered black hard-rubber with rampant colt in oval at the top of each panel. The grips have no notable wear or damage, only light handling marks. The checkering is sharp and the rampant colts are well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Excellent condition.

Type of Finish: Blue & Case Colored

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore.

Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 87% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at most edges. The barrel has very light finish wear on the left at the muzzle, otherwise showing only light handling marks. The frame’s case-coloring still has clearly visible figuring but the coloring has begun to mute and there is some light frosting on the right toward the bottom-rear. The grip straps show moderate handling wear and there is wear to the right of and in front of the trigger as from a right-handed shooter’s trigger finger. The cylinder has a thin turn-line with more notable wear in the lead-in grooves and some turn wear scattered at the rear of and behind the flutes. The unfinished sides of the hammer have scattered light surface oxidation. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver rates in about Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The cylinder lockup is very tight with only barely perceptible play. The trigger pull is crisp. We did not fire this revolver. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None

Our Assessment: Production of Single Action Army revolvers was halted at the outset of World War II to free up machines and manpower for filling wartime orders. After the war, Colt decided not to bring the iconic revolver back into production as it was seen as obsolete. The advent of swing-out cylinder revovlers and reliable semi-automatic pistols, they thought, meant that there was no place in the market for the antiquated single action revolver. Then, with the advent of television and western programs such as Hopalong Cassidy, The Lone Ranger, The Cisco Kid, and The Gene Autry Show, American interest in the guns that won the west was reborn. In 1956, Colt reintroduced the Single Action Army, this new production run now referred to as the 2nd Generation SAA’s, and this example comes from that first year of production. It is in Very Good condition with a great bore, strong mechanics and wear consistent with handling and light use over the past 60+ years. This would make a great addition to a Colt collection as one of the earliest of the second generation. Please see our photos and good luck!

CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable: This C&R eligible single action revolver CAN be transferred as a dealer sale in California but CANNOT be sold as a Private Party Transfer (PPT) at our Simi Valley shop. All cartridge firing handguns (even C&R’s) sold to a California resident must be DROS’d. This does not apply to out of state residents.