Colt Frontier Six Shooter SAA .44-40 Winchester Single Action Revolver 1882

Sold for $3721.00

LSB#: 220505VH003

Make: Colt

Model: Frontier Six Shooter

Serial Number: 83812

Year of Manufacture: 1882 (https://colt.com/serial-lookup), Shipped November 16, 1882

Caliber: .44-40 Winchester

Action Type: Single Action Revolver with Side Loading Gate Cylinder

Markings: The left side of the barrel is etched “COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER”, this marking is shallow and incomplete. The top of the barrel is marked “COLT’S PT. F. A. MFG. Co. HARTFORD CT. U.S.A.”, the bottom of the barrel is marked “44” in front of the cylinder pin head. The left side of the frame is marked “PAT. SEPT. 19, 1871 / ” JULY 2,-72. / ” JAN. 19,-75.”, the left-front trigger guard bow is marked “44.C.F.”. The underside of the frame at the grip frame and the bottom of the trigger guard at the front are marked “83812”. The butt is marked “83 / 812”. The hammer slot is marked “7”. The rear face of the loading gate has assembly number “2228”. The backstrap inlet of the grip has “3812” hand-written.

Barrel Length: 7 1/2”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a quarter round blade fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a “V”-notch in the top strap.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grip is one-piece smooth walnut. The grip has scattered wear and areas of thinning finish. There are some nicks, scuffs and scratches. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grip is in Very Good condition as Antique.

Type of Finish: Nickel

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is gray with well defined rifling. There is light erosion and some pitting scattered through the bore.

Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 40% of its metal finish. There is finish loss scattered throughout, most notable on the barrel and cylinder. The cylinder retains no finish and appears to have seen some touch-up with cold blue in the distant past, having some scattered light surface erosion. Some other worn areas show minor erosion and all show discoloration from oxidation. There are some light nicks, scuffs and scratches. There are grooves between each chamber on the rear face of the cylinder which align with the firing pin. The action shows operational wear. The markings are generally clear with some wear in the etched panel and some markings partially obscured by oxidation. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with usable slots. Overall, this revolver is in about Very Good condition as Antique.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The timing is correct and the cylinder locks up with almost no movement on all six chambers. The cylinder has a removable bushing. The trigger is crisp. We did not fire this handgun. 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 confirming the original configuration. This revolver was shipped November 16, 1882 to Simmons Hardware Company in St. Louis, Missouri in a shipment of 25 guns of the same type.

Our Assessment: Colt’s Single Action Army revolver is the iconic sidearm of the cowboy, lawman, and outlaw. Originally introduced in Colt’s .45 caliber, the demand for a revolver compatible with Winchester’s cartridges for their 1873 led to the introduction of the Frontier Six Shooter, essentially just a SAA chambered for the Winchester cartridge. This example is a 1st generation Frontier Six Shooter produced in 1882. It has the classic 7 1/2″ barrel, black-powder style frame with the cylinder pin retained by a screw, and etched-panel barrel. With a Colt factory letter, in Very Good condition with really great mechanics for a 135 year old revolver, this will make a fine addition to any Colt revolver collection. The included letter is nice as it shows that this revolver originally shipped to Simmons Hardware in St. Louis, MO. In addition to being a large hardware seller, Simmons would go on to merge with Winchester and is perhaps best known for the ribs they produced for shotgun barrels. When this revolver was shipped, Simmons was still a fairly young company but it should come as no surprise that they sold Colt firearms based on their product description “If you can’t eat it, and it don’t pour or fold, it’s hardware”. Please see our photos and good luck!