Make: Colt
Model: Single Action Army
Serial Number: 9225
Year of Manufacture: 1874, Shipped June 8.
Caliber: .450 Eley
Action Type: Single Action Side Loading Gate Revolver
Barrel Length: 5 1/2"
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a tapered blade fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a "V" notch integral to the topstrap.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grip is one-piece smooth walnut. The backstrap inlet has "9225" hand-written. The wood is generally shy to the metal, most notable at the bottom-front corners. There are some scattered nicks and scratches. There are no cracks. Overall, the grip is in Very Good-plus condition as refinished Antique.
Type of Finish: No finish remains.
Finish Originality: The metal surfaces have been polished to white. Serial numbers match on the barrel, cylinder, trigger guard, backstrap and frame.
Bore Condition: The bore is gray, the rifling is generally well defined. There is scattered light erosion and pitting in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 5/10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 0% of its metal finish. The metal surfaces have been polished to white. There is scattered surface erosion and some light pitting. There is more notable erosion around the firing pin hole in the recoil shield and on the firing pin. The rear face of the cylinder has firing pin strikes between the chambers. There are scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches. There are notable tool marks around the front trigger guard mounting screw. The screw heads range from tool marked with strong slots to disfigured with usable slots. The markings range from clear to worn and incomplete. Notably, the barrel address is nearly completely gone and the British proofs are very hard to make out. Overall, this pistol is in Fair-Good condition as Antique (see Mechanics).
Mechanics: The hammer does not catch properly at half-cock. The hammer will fall from the safety notch when the trigger is pressed. The cylinder tends to over-rotate. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a Colt Archives letter and a leather belt-pouch with a metal cartridge tray for 24 rounds. Twenty-four cartridges are included, 20x with Eley headstamps and 4 with iron rims without headstamp. The letter indicates that this revolver shipped chambered for .45 Eley with "Short Barrel" (5.5") June 8, 1874 to Colt's London Agency in a shipment of 106 guns of the same type.
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, and captivated audiences on the silver screen and television. This is a particularly interesting example an early Single Action Army, made in 1874 with all matching serialized parts. It comes from a period of production when the majority of revolvers were being produced for the US Army and, more specifically, it was shipped to Colt's London Agency, among the first 700 or so sent across the pond.
The revolver is chambered for the .450 Eley cartridge and was shipped with a "Short Barrel". The original barrel length was 7 1/2" with the short designation referring to the earliest 5 1/2" barrels. When this revolver was produced, the short barrel was still less common for London Agency shipped revolvers, but this would soon change with the shorter barrels becoming more common just the next year. The revolver shows its age and has some mechanical issues, but will certainly still be of interest to collectors given its four-digit serial number, early commercial production, and foreign shipment. With the included letter and cartridge pouch, this will be a fine addition to any collection. Please see our photos and good luck!
