Colt 2nd Gen Single Action Army SAA 4 3/4″ .45 LC Revolver/Letter, 1958 C&R
SOLD FOR: $3500
LSB#: 210923SS73
Make: Colt
Model: Single Action Army, 2nd Generation
Serial Number: 18521SA
Year of Manufacture: 1958 (https://www.colt.com/serial-lookup)
Caliber: .45 Colt
Action Type: Single Action Revolver with Side Loading Gate Cylinder
Markings: The top of the barrel is marked “COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD CT. U.S.A.”, the left is marked “COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY .45”. The left of the frame is marked “PAT. SEPT 19. 1871 / JULY 2, 72 JAN. 19, 75” and with a rampant colt logo. The left of the trigger guard is marked “VP” in triangle at the front and “J” at the rear, the right of the trigger guard is marked “5”. The bottom of the frame and the left of each portion of the trigger guard are each marked “18521SA”. The rear face of the cylinder is marked with a rampant colt logo. The front face of the cylinder,he rear face of the frame (under the right grip panel) and the rear face of the loading gate are each marked with assembly number “19”. The inside of the right grip panel is hand-scribed “18521”.
Barrel Length: 4 3/4”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a quarter-round blade fixed to the front of the barrel. The front sight has some wear and looks like the left side has been touched up with cold blue. 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 colts in ovals at their tops. The grips have minor handling wear. There are some light nicks, scuffs and scratches, almost all on the bottom faces or edges of the grips. The checkering is well defined and there is good detail in the rampant colts. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Fine condition.
Type of Finish: Blue & Case Color
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore, but there is some stubborn fouling in and just in front of the forcing cone.
Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 87% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. The balance is mostly in handling wear in the grip areas. The barrel has some scattered minor thinning in otherwise strong finish, and some light scratching on the bottom just behind the ejector tab. The ejector housing has some areas which have a plum hue to their finish. The frame’s case color has muted slightly but there is generally strong figuring and good color. The cylinder has light turn-wear, mostly within the lead-in grooves, and there is some other scattered minor wear on the cylinder. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Very Good-plus condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. Lockup produces very little play side-to-side and barely perceptible end-shake 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: This revolver comes with a Colt Historian letter which confirms that it shipped March 17, 1958 to Robert S. Frielich in New York, New York as the only gun of its type in the shipment.
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 from fairly early in the 2nd generation, 1958, and is chambered for the classic .45 Colt cartridge. Originally developed as a black powder cartridge, smokeless powder breathed new life into the cartridge, giving it comparable power to modern self-defense revolver cartridges as well as being suitable as a hunting sidearm. This one shows wear consistent with responsible use over the last 64 years, with a nice bore and good mechanics. The revolver retains the great majority of its original finish, with the wear mostly from handling. We were not able to find any information about the original purchaser from Colt, but based on it being shipped alone to an individual’s name rather than a company, it appears this revolver was purchased and shipped directly to a private individual in New York City, back when you could do that sort of thing! This would make a great addition to a Colt collection as one of the earlier second generations, but it will also make for a fun shooter. Please see our photos and good luck!