Make: Colt
Model: Single Action Army 2nd Generation
Serial Number: 17763SA
Year of Manufacture: 1957, shipped April, 1958.
Caliber: .38 Special
Action Type: 6-Shot Single Action Revolver with Side Loading Gate Cylinder
Barrel Length: 4 3/4"
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a quarter-round blade fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a square groove in the top strap.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered black hard rubber with rampant colt in oval at their tops. The interior of the right grip has "17763" hand-scribed. The left grip is not serial marked and may be a replacement based on fit. The grips have only a few light marks around the edges. The checkering is well defined with good detail in the rampant colts. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Fine condition as partially not original to the gun.
Type of Finish: Blue and Case Color
Finish Originality: Original, numbers match.
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 10/10.
Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 97% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning lightly at some edges. The action shows light operational wear including minor turn-wear on the cylinder. There are a few other minor marks. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Fine condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this revolver. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: Included is a black hinge-lid cardboard Colt box with model matching label and the serial number hand-written on the bottom. In the box is a manual, "Handling the Handgun" pamphlet, and warranty card. Also included is a Colt Archives letter indicating that this revolver shipped in its current configuration to Hollywood Fast Draw Holster in North Hollywood, CA April 14, 1958 as one of six guns of the same type in the shipment.
Our Assessment: Production of Single Action Army revolvers was halted at the outset of World War II to free up machines and manpower for filling wartime orders. After the war, Colt decided not to bring the iconic revolver back into production as it was seen as obsolete. The advent of swing-out cylinder revolvers and reliable semi-automatic pistols, they thought, meant that there was no place in the market for the antiquated single action revolver. 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 SAAs.
This is an example from 1957, early in 2nd generation production. It is a 4 3/4" model chambered for the .38 Special cartridge. The revolver shows signs of gentle use over the last 68 years. Of particular interest to the collector will be where this revolver originally shipped. Hollywood Fast Draw Holster on Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood was the business of famed holster maker, fast draw artist, and film advisor Arvo Ojala. When this revolver shipped, Ojala would have been nearing the heigh of his fame, already appearing in the opening sequence of Gunsmoke, and just having received his patent for a fast-draw holster design. This revolver's condition doesn't suggest that it saw much use in a holster, much less for fast-draw. Still, the gun's condition, original box, and connection to Ojala will make it a fine addition to any collection. Please see our photos and good luck!
