Make: Colt
Model: Single Action Army 2nd Generation
Serial Number: 3616SA
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 checkered black rubber panels with rampant colt in oval at their tops. The inside of each panel has "3616" hand-scribed. The grips show minor handling wear with only a few scattered minor marks. The checkering is well defined and there is good detail in the rampant colts. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Fine-plus condition.
Type of Finish: Blue and Case Color
Finish Originality: Original, numbers match. The cylinder pin head profile indicates alteration or replacement.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the rifling is sharp. There is a little bit of faint erosion in the bore at the muzzle-end. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 9+/10.
Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 92% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at some edges. There is infrequent faint oxidation, mostly on the side faces of the hammer, the butt and the bottom-front corner of the frame on the right. The ejector housing has a plum hue, almost iridescent, with some light scuffs and scratches. There are a few other scattered minor marks. The action shows light operational wear. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Very Good-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: None.
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, and this example comes from that very first year of production.
The revolver is in Very Good-Fine condition with a great bore, strong mechanics and wear consistent with infrequent handling and use over the past 70 years. The revolver retains much of its original finish and all matching numbered parts. This would make a great addition to a Colt collection as one of the earliest of the second generation, but should also still prove to be a fun shooter. Please see our photos and good luck!
