Custom 1st Gen Colt Single Action Army .44 Special Revolver, 1891 Antique

Make: Colt

Model: Custom Single Action Army, 1st Generation

Serial Number: 142303

Year of Manufacture: 1891 (https://www.colt.com/serial-lookup), shipped August 15.

Caliber: .44 Special

Action Type: Single Action Revolver with Side Loading Gate Cylinder

Barrel Length: 4 3/4”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade fixed to the front of the barrel. The front sight has been filed down some and appears to be a replacement. The rear sight has been filed out into a square notch integral to the topstrap.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grip is one-piece smooth walnut. There are some scattered minor nicks and tiny scratches. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grip is in about Fine condition as not original to the gun.

Type of Finish: Blue & Case Color

Finish Originality: Refinished. The barrel and cylinder are not original to the gun, the hammer spur has been modified

Bore Condition: The barrel was originally a .32-20 and has been re-bored to .44 caliber. The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 10 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 80% of its current metal finish. Some of the frame’s case color has muted. The finish is thinning at most edges. The grip areas show handling wear. There is some scattered minor erosion under the finish and faint surface oxidation. There are some light nicks, scuffs and scratches. There are more notable marks at the front of the ejector housing. The action shows operational wear including turn-wear on the cylinder. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with usable slots. The markings range from clear to worn, but legible. Overall, this revolver is in about Very Good-Fine condition as customized Antique.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. Lockup produces very little play on all six chambers. The trigger is crisp. The cylinder has a removable bushing. 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 lists this revolver as being shipped August 15, 1891 to the J.C. Petmecky in Austin, Texas as one of 10 guns of the same type in the shipment. It was originally a .44-40 with 4 3/4″ barrel and blue finish.

Our Assessment: Colt’s Single Action Army is, perhaps more than any other, an iconic American pistol. It was the U.S. issue sidearm for the last two decades of the 19th century, used by pioneers, outlaws and lawmen across the expanding nation, and captivated audiences on the silver screen and television (and still does, today). Produced for nearly a century and a half, they are still being made, today! 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 1881. It has since seen some rather radical customization. The barrel was replaced with a .32-20 barrel bored out to .44 caliber and re-marked. The cylinder has been replaced with a 2nd Generation .44 Special cylinder. The hammer spur has been reprofiled. It has likely had some other work done as well. The result is an interesting custom SAA that will make a neat addition to your collection and may prove to be a good shooter. Please see our photos and good luck!

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