The consignor will be donating 100% of their proceeds to the Park County Animal Shelter in Wyoming.
Make: Colt
Model: Single Action Army
Serial Number: S20204A
Year of Manufacture: 1997
Caliber: .38-40 WCF
Action Type: Single Action Side Loading Gate 6-Shot Revolver
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 notch integral to the topstrap.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered black hard rubber with rampant colt in oval at the tops and American Eagle at the bottoms. The interior of the grips have "0204" hand-scribed. The grips have no notable wear or damage, only light handling marks. The checkering is well defined with good detail in the colts and eagles. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Excellent condition.
Type of Finish: Nickel
Finish Originality: Original, numbers match.
Bore Condition: The bore is bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore, but there is a little stubborn copper fouling. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 9+/10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 97% of its metal finish. There are a few scattered minor nicks and light scuffs. Otherwise, there are only light handling marks. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Fine-Excellent condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This revolver comes in a blue plastic Colt case with serial-matching label.
Our Assessment: In 1974, Colt quietly discontinued production of the single Action Army, the second time they discontinued production of this glorious revolver. Luckily, the loyal fans of the SAA would not need to wait long as colt would bring back the SAA in 1976 as the "3rd Generation". Changes were made but the basic SAA was the same, i.e. three standard barrel lengths of 4 3/4", 5 1/2" and 7 1/2", finishes of full nickel or blue with color case hardened frame, and grips of hard rubber.
Some changes were incorporated in an effort by Colt to keep prices down. One new change was a pressed-in cylinder pin bushing instead of the removable ones used in 1st and 2nd Generation cylinders. Also, the ratchet at the rear of the cylinders was re-shaped, which also necessitated a different shape on the rotating hand. For some unknown reason, the pitch of the barrels' threads was changed from the 20 threads per inch (TPI) as used on 1st and 2nd Generation SAAs to 24 TPI for the third generation. The introductory caliber for 3rd Generation SAAs was .45 Colt, but other chamberings would soon follow, including .38-40 WCF.
Everyone should have a Colt Single Action Army, and this would be a beauty to add to any collection. Manufactured in 1997, this revolver is in Fine-Excellent condition, appearing to have seen more time in the included factory case than out. With a 4 3/4" barrel, nickel finish, and chambered for .38-40, this is a classic Single Action Army chambered for one of the original SAA (and Winchester) cartridges. The pistol's high condition, desirable finish and the comparative scarcity of 38-40 chambering in the 3rd generation guns make it suitable for addition to a collection, but is also something that would make an interesting "BBQ Gun" or could even used in Cowboy Action Shooting competitions. Please see our photos and good luck!
