Nickel Colt 2nd Gen Single Action Army SAA .45 Revolver & Letter, 1957 C&R

Make: Colt

Model: Single Action Army, 2nd Generation

Serial Number: 13853SA

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

Caliber: .45 Colt

Action Type: Single Action Revolver with Side Loading Gate Cylinder

Barrel Length: 7 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 with rampant colts in ovals at their tops. The grips have only a few scattered minor marks. The checkering is well defined. There is a chip on the interior of the right panel at the screw escutcheon. There are no exterior chips and no cracks. Overall, the grips appear in Excellent condition and rate Fine due to the interior chip.

Type of Finish: Nickel

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.

Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 98% of its metal finish. There are infrequent minor scuffs and light handling marks. The cylinder has a thin, faint turn line. The marks are not through the finish. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in about Excellent condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. Lockup produces barely perceptible play on all six chambers. The trigger is crisp. The cylinder’s bushing is separate from the cylinder. 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. The letter confirms that this revolver shipped in its current configuration on August 30, 1957 to The Serven Gun Room in Santa Ana, California as the only gun of the same type in the shipment.

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, and this example comes from the second year of production.

In addition to being very early for the 2nd Generation, the revolver is also rather scarce as it has a factory nickel finish, made in the first year this finish was offered as a standard feature. It is also rather interesting as the most common grips to be fitted to nickel SAAs in this period were two-piece smooth walnut panels, where the checkered hard rubber grips that were standard for blued guns was less common on the nickel guns. The revolver is in Excellent condition with a great bore, strong mechanics and nearly all of its original finish remaining. The gun is chambered for the classic .45 Colt cartridge and its 7 1/2″ barrel makes for a potent and accurate revolver. The gun comes with a Colt letter confirming its original configuration. As one of the earliest of the nickel Second Generation guns, it will certainly be of interest to collectors. Please see our photos and good luck!

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