Gun Reviews · Profile & review in progress

Colt Single Action Army

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The 1873 six-shooter adopted by the U.S. Army and the revolver of the frontier.

Colt Single Action Army "Peacemaker" revolver at the Metropolitan Museum of Art — Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (maker: Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company) / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

The Colt Single Action Army is the revolver most people picture when they think of the American West. Colt introduced it in 1873, and the U.S. Army adopted it the same year as its service revolver, originally in .45 Colt. Civilian versions were later offered in many chamberings, including .44-40 and .38-40, which let a shooter use the same ammunition as a Winchester lever-action rifle.

Design

The SAA is a six-shot, single-action revolver: the hammer must be cocked manually for each shot, and the cylinder is loaded and unloaded one chamber at a time through a loading gate. Its grip shape, often called the "plow handle," is one of the most recognized in firearms history. Traditional practice with original-style SAAs is to carry the hammer down on an empty chamber, because older designs can fire if the hammer is struck while resting on a loaded chamber.

History in brief

Colt halted production around the start of World War II and brought the revolver back in the 1950s, helped by the popularity of Westerns. It has been produced in several "generations" since, and many companies make reproductions. Antique examples are serious collector's items.

This profile is a starting point. The club will add ratings only after the hosts have spent time with one at the range.

Ratings

HistoryComing soonDesignComing soonShootabilityComing soonCollectibilityComing soonOverallComing soon

Ratings are editorial opinions and will be added once the hosts have spent time with this firearm. No scores have been assigned yet.

The verdict

Coming soon.

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