Make: Colt
Model: Single Action Army 2nd Generation
Serial Number: 6236SA
Year of Manufacture: 1956
Caliber: .45 Colt
Action Type: 6-Shot Single Action Revolver with Side Loading Gate Cylinder
Barrel Length: 7 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 hard rubber with rampant colt in oval at their tops. The inside of each panel has "6236" hand-scribed. The grips have minor handling wear with some scattered small marks. The right panel has a tiny loss at the bottom-front corner. The checkering is well defined with good detail in the rampant colts. There are no cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Fine condition.
Type of Finish: Blue and Case Color
Finish Originality: Original, numbers match.
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 10/10.
Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 87% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at some edges. There is light wear on the left of the barrel toward the muzzle-end. The grip areas show some handling wear. The frame retains generally strong case color with a little muting. There are some scattered minor nicks and small scratches. There are a few spots of minor oxidation. The action shows light operational wear including some scattered light turn-wear on the cylinder. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Very Good-plus 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: Included is a black hinge-lid cardboard Colt box with the serial number hand-written on the bottom. A different serial number was previously written on the box, re-marked. The box has tape-repairs around the edges of the lid.
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 7 1/2" model chambered for the original .45 Colt cartridge. The revolver shows signs of gentle use over the last 70 years, retaining the great majority of its original metal finish, number matching parts, a great bore and strong mechanics. It includes a period Colt box with the serial number written on the bottom, but it appears the box may have been re-marked. 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 great shooter. Please see our photos and good luck!
