USFA U.S. Firearms USA Single Action Army SAA Blue 7 1/2″ Revolver & Box
SOLD FOR: $1970
LSB#: 211227BW01
Make: U.S. Firearms (USFA)
Model: Reproduction Single Action Army
Serial Number: 22680
Year of Manufacture: Ca. 2003
Caliber: .38 Colt & .38 Special
Action Type: Single Action Revolver with Side Loading Gate Cylinder
Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “COLT AND / S&W SPECIAL”, “38”, the top is marked “+U.S.F. A. MFG. Co. HARTFORD CT. U.S.A.+”. The left of the frame is marked “PAT. SEPT. 19. 1871 / ” JULY.2-72. / “ JAN.19-75.”, the bottom of the frame in front of the trigger guard and the bottom of the trigger guard are marked with the serial number “22680”, the butt is marked “22 / 680”. The rear of the frame, the rear face of the loading gate and the left of each portion of the grip frame have assembly number “242”. The assembly number is also hand-scribed on the inside of each grip panel. The rear face of the cylinder is marked “680”. The barrel, under the ejector housing, is marked “680”.
Barrel Length: 7 1/2”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a square notch in the top strap.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered black hard rubber grips with “US” in oval at their tops. The grips show no notable wear or damage, only light handling marks. The checkering is sharp. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the original grips are in Excellent condition.
Type of Finish: Blue & Case Color
Finish Originality: Original (it is possible, though unlikely that the ejector rod has been replaced. See Mechanics)
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion.
Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 99% of its metal finish. The cylinder lead-in grooves have very minor wear. Otherwise, there are only light handling marks. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver appears in Excellent condition, though there is an issue with the ejector (see Mechanics).
Mechanics: The ejector rod is slightly longer than it should be. With the ejector rod in its forward position, it protrudes through the frame, not far enough to impede the cylinder from rotating, but enough that the ejector housing must be removed in order to remove the cylinder. Otherwise, the action functions correctly. Cylinder lockup produces no play on each chamber. The trigger is crisp. The cylinder has a removable bushing. The firing pin is conical and there is no window in the loading gate at the hinge, indicative of US-made parts. 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: This revolver comes in a hinge-lid cardboard USFA box with black exterior, green interior, serial-matching label, and a blue cloth USFA pouch. The box has minor storage wear.
Our Assessment: Colt’s Model 1873, the Single Action Army, is the “gun that won the west”, perhaps the most iconic handgun of all time. For nearly 150 years, the gun has been produced in a variety of configurations, finishes and calibers. This revolver is the absolute closest to a Colt you can get without a pony on the side. USFA set up their factory “under the Blue Dome” in the old Colt Armory facility in Hartford, Connecticut and produced arguably the finest SAA revolvers made, certainly the best which were not made by Colt. This USFA has a blue and case color finish with a 7 1/2? barrel, chambered for the .38 Colt or Special cartridges. It appears in Excellent condition, with little to no evidence of actual use. Interestingly, the installed ejector rod is just a little too long to remove the cylinder without first removing the entire ejector assembly. It’s hard to imagine that this would get past USFA’s inspectors, but the lack of evidence of use means that perhaps no one had tried to remove the cylinder since it left the factory. In any case this gorgeous revolver will make a great addition to any collection, and the ejector issue should be quite easy to rectify. Please see our photos and good luck!