Colt 3rd Gen Single Action Army SAA 7 1/2″ .38 Special Revolver & Box, 2009
SOLD FOR: $2125
LSB#: 220131HE002
Make: Colt
Model: Single Action Army, 3rd Generation
Serial Number: S59546A
Year of Manufacture: 2009 (https://colt.com/serial-lookup)
Caliber: .38 Special
Action Type: Single Action Revolver with Side Loading Gate Cylinder
Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY .38 Special”. 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 “S59546A”. The left side of each portion of the grip frame is marked “S59546A” under the grip. The left front of the trigger guard is marked with a “VP” in a triangle. The front face of the cylinder is marked “546” and the rear “38”. The rear of the loading gate is marked “546”. The inside of each grip panel has “546” hand-scribed.
Barrel Length: 7 1/2”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a quarter round blade fixed to the barrel. 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 colts in ovals at their tops and American Eagles at their bottoms. The right panel has some smoothed checkering at the front edge under the rampant colt which appears to be from factory fitting. Otherwise, there are only light handling marks. The checkering is generally sharp. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Excellent condition.
Type of Finish: Blue, Case Color & Gold Cylinder
Finish Originality: The blue and case color finish are Original. The cylinder’s markings are crisp, but we were not able to find any other contemporary examples of this model with gold cylinders and we believe that the cylinder has been refinished.
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore.
Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 97% of its current metal finish. There is a cluster of light nicks and scratches on the bottom of the barrel forward of the ejector housing and some light nicks on and around the front sight. There are a few other scattered minor marks. The cylinder has a very faint turn-line, not through the finish. The case color is vibrant. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Fine-plus condition as partially refinished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly and smoothly. This revolver’s cylinder has a removable bushing. The lockup produces very little play on all six chambers. The trigger is crisp. 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:
-White cardboard sleeve with non-matching label
-Two-piece blue cardboard Colt box. There is a tear at one corner of the tray portion which has been repaired with tape on the interior.
-Manual
Our Assessment: In 1974, Colt quietly discontinued production the single Action Army; this would be the second time they discontinued production of this glorious revolver. Luckily, the loyal fans of the SAA would not need to wait long as colt would bring back the SAA in 1976 as the “3rd Generation”. Changes were made but the basic SAA was the same, i.e. three standard barrel lengths of 4 ¾”, 5 ½” and 7 ½”, finishes of full nickel or blue, with color case hardened frame, and grips of hard rubber.
Some changes were incorporated in an effort by Colt to keep prices down. One new change was a pressed-in cylinder pin bushing instead of the removable ones used in 1st and 2nd Generation cylinders. Also, the ratchet at the rear of the cylinders was re-shaped, which also necessitated a different shape on the rotating hand. And for some unknown reason, the pitch of the barrel’s threads was changed from the 20 threads per inch (TPI) as used on 1st and 2nd Generation SAAs to 24 TPI for these new ones. Toward the end of 2nd Generation production Colt had begun using some investment cast parts, but the frames continued to be forged. The introductory caliber for 3rd Generation SAAs was .45 Colt, but other chamberings would be added to the catalog in the following years.
Everyone should have a Colt Single Action Army, and this would be a beauty to add to any collection. Manufactured in 2009, this revolver has had the cylinder finished in gold, which gives it a very distinctive appearance. The cylinder has a removable bushing, a feature which was reintroduced in some later 3rd Gen SAA models. Chambered for .38 Special, ammunition for this revolver should be easy to come by and it should be a very comfortable shooter. The revolver is in Fine-plus condition, appearing to have seen little use, though there are some light nicks on the barrel toward the muzzle-end. This revolver is more than suitable for addition to a collection, but it would also make an attractive “BBQ Gun” or could be used in Cowboy Action Shooting competitions. Please see our photos and good luck!