Make: Colt

Model: Single Action Army, Pre-War/Post-War

Serial Number: 357622

Year of Manufacture: 1948

Caliber: Approximately .38 Special

Action Type: Single Action, Side Loading-Gate Revolver

Barrel Length: 5 1/2"

Sights/Optics: The front sight is a blade fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a square-notch integral to the topstrap.

Stock Configuration and Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered hard rubber with rampant colt in oval at their tops. The interior of each panel has "357622" 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. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Excellent condition.

Type of Finish: Blue and Case Color

Finish Originality: Original, numbers match.

Bore Condition: The bore is bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 10/10.

Overall Condition: The revolver retains about 95% of its metal finish. There are some scattered minor scuffs around the outside of the cylinder with minor wear on the front face. There are a couple of thin scratches on the bottom of the barrel in front of the cylinder pin with a couple of light marks on the ejector tab. There is minor operational wear, mostly in the lead-in grooves on the cylinder. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Fine-plus condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork, and Accessories: Included is the factory hinge-lid cardboard box with serial number hand-written on the bottom, serial-matching test target, and a Colt Archives letter. The letter indicates that this revolver was assembled February 25, 1948 in its current configuration and shipped October 3, 1972 to Dick Sherburne in Amherst, MA as one of 9 guns of the same type in the shipment.

Our Assessment: Colt's Single Action Army is, perhaps more than any other, an iconic American pistol. It was the U.S. issue sidearm for the last two decades of the 19th century, used by pioneers, outlaws and lawmen across the expanding nation, captivated audiences on the silver screen and television and still does, today! 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, and this one had a part to play in the reintroduction.

This example is a particularly special specimen, one of 338 revolvers assembled post-war using parts made pre-war. As noted in the included Colt Archives letter, "assembly being accomplished in the post-war period by Master Gunsmiths Harry St. John and Al DeJohn. The majority of these revolvers were utilized by the Colt Company for advertising and public relations purposes.". Produced some eight years before the formal reintroduction of the model and remaining in Colt inventory until 1972, this revolver certainly fits the description of one used by Colt for such purposes, and may have enticed potential buyers and sellers enough to convince Colt that they needed to get back to producing the SAA. The trigger guard bears the F inspection mark of Harry St. John himself. In addition to the inherent rarity of a pre-war/post-war, only 163 were produced in this particular configuration and this one comes with its original box and highly desirable test-target. This will make a wonderful addition to even the most advanced collections of SAA revolvers. Please see our photos and good luck!