Colt Single Action Army 2nd Gen SAA 5 1/2″ .38 Special Revolver, 1957 C&R

SOLD FOR: $2,270.00

WOA#: WY240415EH032

Make: Colt

Model: Single Action Army, 2nd Generation

Serial Number: 14166SA

Year of Manufacture: 1957 (https://www.colt.com/serial-lookup)

Caliber: .38 Special

Action Type: Single Action Revolver with Side Loading Gate Cylinder

Markings: The left of the barrel is marked “COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY .38 SPECIAL”, the top is marked “COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. Co. HARTFORD CT. U.S.A.”. The bottom of the frame and the left of each portion of the grip frame is marked “14166SA”, the inside of each grip panel has “14166” hand-scribed. The front of the cylinder, rear of the loading gate and right-rear of the frame (under the grip), are each marked with assembly number “940”. The rear of the cylinder has a rampant colt. The left of the frame is marked “PAT. SEPT. 19. 1871 / JULY 2, 72 JAN. 19. 75” and with a rampant colt. The left of the trigger guard has a verified proof and “J”, the right has “0”.

Barrel Length: 5 1/2”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a quarter-round blade fixed to the front of the barrel. 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 panels with rampant colt in oval at the top of each panel. The grips have minor handling wear on the exterior with only a few small marks. The bolster around the screw escutcheon has broken off the interior of the right panel, but is included. The checkering is well defined. There are no exterior chips or cracks. Overall, the grips appear in Fine-Excellent condition and rate Very Good due to the bolster.

Type of Finish: Blue & Case Color

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: 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.

Note: The forcing cone has an aggressive shoulder meeting the rifling.

Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 96% of its metal finish. There is some light wear at the rear of the butt. The action has light operational wear including some turn-wear on the cylinder. There are a couple of spots of minor surface oxidation on the left of the trigger guard. There is some faint scuffing on the ejector housing. There are tool marks around some of the grip frame screws. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in about Fine condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The cylinder bushing is removable. Timing is correct and the cylinder locks up with minor play on each chamber. 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: None.

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 is a 1957 made revolver chambered for .38 Special with a 5 1/2? barrel. The revolver is in Fine condition with minor wear in the metal, some light damage on the interior of one grip, a strong bore and great mechanics. This would make a neat addition to a Colt collection as one of the earliest of the second generation SAA revolvers, and is a great six-shooter chambered in a relatively inexpensive and easy to find cartridge. Please see our photos and good luck!

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