2nd Gen Colt Single Action Army SAA 5 1/2″ .357 Magnum Revolver, 1969 C&R

SOLD FOR: $2,151.00

LSB#: WY240911JM027

Make: Colt 

Model: Single Action Army, 2nd Generation 

Serial Number: 49375SA 

Year of Manufacture: 1969 (https://www.colt.com/serial-lookup) 

Caliber: .357 Magnum 

Action Type: Single Action Revolver with Side Loading Gate Cylinder 

Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY .357 MAGNUM”. 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 “49375SA”. The left side of each portion of the grip frame is marked “49375SA” under the grip. The left front of the trigger guard is marked with a “VP” in a triangle and the left rear with “V”, the right of the trigger guard is marked “P”. The front face of the cylinder is marked “M375” and the rear with a rampant colt. The rear of the loading gate and right-rear of the frame are each marked with assembly number “104”. The inside of each factory grip panel is hand-scribed “375”.

Barrel Length: 5 1/2”  

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a quarter-round blade fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a square notch at the rear of a groove in the top strap.  

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered black hard rubber with rampant colt in oval at their top. The grips have only a few scattered minor marks. The checkering is well defined with good detail in the colts. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Fine condition. 

Type of Finish: Blue & Case Color 

Finish Originality: Original 

Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is infrequent minor erosion and a little stubborn fouling in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates 8 or 9 out of 10. 

Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 96% of its metal finish. The finish is lightly thinning at some edges. There are some scattered small nicks and scratches, most notable on the bottom of the barrel next to the ejector housing. The action shows minor operational wear with turn-wear on the cylinder mostly in the lead-in grooves. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Good-plus condition (see Mechanics). 

Mechanics: The timing is off, the cylinder has a tendency to over-rotate. Otherwise, the action functions correctly. The mainspring has been ground down, resulting in a light, smooth hammer pull. Lockup produces very little play on all six chambers. The trigger is crisp. The cylinder’s bushing is separate from the cylinder. We did not fire this revolver. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards. 

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None. 

Our Assessment: The Colt Single Action Army is perhaps the quintessential old west handgun, produced for more than a century, serving the U.S. Army as its sidearm from 1873 into the first world war and captivating audiences on the silver screen. The SAA was discontinued by Colt as it tooled up to provide for the WWII war effort, and it was thought by Colt that the design was obsolete, swing-out cylinder revolvers had been around for half a century and autoloaders were gaining in popularity. 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.

This example is a .357 Magnum chambered 5 1/2″ barrel model made in 1969. The gun is in Good-plus condition, showing signs of light use, but needing some work on its timing. The revolver retains the great majority of its original metal finish with a strong bore with serial-matching parts including its grips. This would make a neat addition to a Colt collection as one of the .357 Magnum second generation revolvers and with a little work on the timing, should still be a fun shooter as previous owners have found. Please see our photos and good luck!

Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud