Make: Colt
Model: Single Action Army 2nd Generation
Serial Number: 9110SA
Year of Manufacture: 1956
Caliber: .45 Colt
Action Type: 6-Shot Single Action Revolver with Side Loading Gate Cylinder
Barrel Length: 5 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 groove in the top strap.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece stag panels. The grips show minor handling wear and a little discoloration. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Fine-Excellent condition as not original to the gun.
Type of Finish: Blue and Case Color
Finish Originality: Refinished at time of engraving. Numbers match. An additional set of assembly numbers has been added to the backstrap, trigger guard, cylinder, barrel and ejector housing, likely indicating a return to the Colt factory. This may be when the engraving was performed.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore, just a little stubborn fouling. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 9+/10.
Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 95% of its current metal finish. There is a little finish wear at the muzzle on the left and at the front of the ejector housing. The backstrap appears to have had a previous inscription removed with the area touched up. There is infrequent minor oxidation, mostly on the frame. The action shows light operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with usable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Very Good-Fine condition as refinished and engraved.
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 Colt Archives letter indicating that this revolver shipped as .45 caliber, 5 1/2", blue finish on December 21, 1956 to Morley Brothers in Saginaw, MI 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 that first year of production, a 5 1/2" model chambered for the original .45 Colt cartridge. While not mentioned on the Colt Archives letter, the revolver has been engraved extensively with relief foliate scroll, punch-dot shading and some fine details such as engraved screw-heads and dogshead motif on each side of the hammer. The application of an additional set of assembly numbers on most major components may indicate a return to the Colt factory and the quality of the engraving is consistent with their work. It will make a wonderful display in a collection as one of the earliest 2nd Generation SAAs but should also still prove to be a classy shooter. Please see our photos and good luck!
