Colt 1st Gen Intermediate Black Powder SAA 4 3/4″ Single Action Army Revolver, 1886 Antique .45 Colt

SOLD FOR: $2,600.00
LSB#: 180918JR03

Make: Colt

Model: 1st Generation Intermediate Black Powder Single Action Army (3 Line 3 Date Patents)

Serial Number: 117644

Year of Manufacture: 1886

Caliber: .45 Colt

Action Type: Single Action Revolver with Side Loading Gate Cylinder

Markings: The top of the barrel is marked “C?LT’S PT. F.A. MFG. C^O / HARTFORD, CT. U.S.A.”. The left side of the frame is marked “PAT. SEPT. 19. 1871. / “ ?UL? 2.–72. / “ JAN. 19.–75.”. The underside of the frame at the grip frame and the grip frame just behind it are marked “117644”. The underside of the backstrap is marked “117 / 644”. The inside rear face of the loading gate is marked with the assembly number “6”. The rear of the frame under the hammer is marked “G” and the left front of the trigger guard is marked “45CAL”. The rear face of the cylinder is marked with a rampant colt and front face is marked “314”.

Barrel Length: 4 ¾”

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

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grip is bone with dark lines in the bottoms of the grip and dark parallel lines in its sides. The grip is shy of the metal along the front strap and there is a slight gap between the frame and the right front edge of the grip. There are a few light handling marks in the grip. The grip is in about Fine condition.

Type of Finish: The finish has been polished to remove all finish. The cylinder pin, trigger and screw heads have been given a highly polished deep blue finish.

Finish Originality: The revolver has been polished, but not refinished except for the small parts.

Bore Condition: The bore is gray with light wear in the rifling. There is light erosion scattered throughout the bore with spots of moderate erosion near the muzzle. There is also a thin protrusion into the bore at the location of the ejector rod mounting screw.

Overall Condition: There is light pitting, light scratches from sanding and swirl marks in the finish scattered over the surfaces. There are also light file marks in the underside of the barrel and tool marks in the underside of the barrel at the frame. The cylinder does not have a drag line. The hammer checkering shows light wear. The screw heads are sharp but the cylinder pin screw is missing. The markings are shallow and unreadable in spots. Overall, this revolver rates in about Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions properly. The cylinder lock-up is very tight with a barely perceptible amount of play. The trigger pull is crisp and the hammer is easily cocked. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None

Our Assessment: The Colt Single Action Army handgun is a single action revolver with a revolving cylinder holding six rounds. It was designed for the US government service revolver trials of 1873 by Colt’s Manufacturing Company and adopted as the standard military service revolver until 1892. Although the SAA has been offered in over 30 different calibers and various barrel lengths, its overall appearance has remained consistent since 1873. Colt has discontinued its production twice, but brought it back due to excessive demand. This revolver is a 1st Generation Intermediate Black Powder SAA model with a 4 ¾” barrel chambered in .45 Colt. The revolver has been polished to remove its finish and a bright deep blue finish has been applied to the screw heads and other small parts. The grips are bone that really set-off the “In The White” finish. This revolver is in about Good condition. The bore is gray with light wear in the rifling, light erosion scattered through the bore and spots of moderate erosion near the muzzle. The cylinder lockup is very tight, with a barely perceptible amount of play. All Colt SAA revolvers are collectible, with only the price decided by the finish. In its polished condition, this revolver is also perfect for Cowboy Action Shooting, especially with so little effort required to cock the hammer, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see the shooters outbid the collectors on this one.

CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable: This Antique single action revolver CAN be transferred/sold in California. All cartridge firing handguns (even C&R’s and antiques) sold to a California resident must be DROS’d. This does not apply to out of state residents.