Colt Single Action Army
In April 1869, Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company began work on a new revolver after being bound by the Rollin White patent. The company could not use bored-through cylinders for metallic cartridges without paying royalties to Smith & Wesson until that date passed. Two engineers named William Mason and Charles Brinckerhoff Richards led the design effort. They had previously developed black powder conversions for the firm. Their goal was to create a weapon for the United States government service revolver trials of 1872. Production officially started in 1873 with the Single Action Army model 1873. This firearm was also called the New Model Army Metallic Cartridge Revolving Pistol. The first production unit carried serial number one. It remained lost for many years before appearing in a barn in Nashua, New Hampshire during the early 1900s. That original gun used .44 S&W ammunition containing up to 35 grains of fine-grained black powder.
The U.S. Cavalry received revolvers with an 7.5 inch barrel as standard issue from 1873 through 1891. Orville Wood Ainsworth inspected the earliest guns between October 1873 and November 1874. His cartouche appears on the left side of wood grips for these units. Serial numbers ranging from 4500 to 7527 likely equipped Col. G. A. Custer's 7th Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. By 1880, David F. Clark took over inspections until 1887. Henry Nettleton served as Principal Sub-inspector at Springfield Armory starting in 1878. These three inspectors represent the most valuable groups for collectors today. In 1893, the Army retired the .45 caliber Single Action Army from cavalry service. They replaced it with the .38 caliber Colt Model 1892 Double Action Army revolver. Infantry and Artillery branches continued using the older design. During the Spanish-American War, Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders charged up San Juan Hill wielding the .45 caliber Artillery Model.
Colt manufactured 357,859 revolvers between 1873 and 1940 during the first generation run. Production ceased at the start of World War II when the company shifted focus to war orders. No plans existed to revive the model after the conflict ended because engineers viewed it as obsolete. Television shows and Western films created new demand by the mid-1950s. Colt resumed manufacture in 1956 with a second-generation line carrying serial numbers from 0001SA to 73,205SA. The third generation began in 1976 with changes to barrel thread pitch and cylinder bushing construction. This series ran until 1993 with serial numbers SA80,000 through SA99,999. A fourth iteration started in 1994 following increased popularity of Cowboy Action Shooting matches. These models feature original style removable cylinder bushings again. Serial numbers for this current run begin at S02001A and continue using the S prefix and A suffix as of 2022. Colt currently offers the Single Action Army in eight different chamberings including .45 Colt and .45 ACP.
Colt introduced the Frontier Six-Shooter in 1877 to allow cross-compatibility with Winchester Model 1873 rifles. Users appreciated carrying a single caliber of ammunition between their rifle and revolver. Production numbers reached 71,392 units in .44-40 Winchester Center Fire caliber. The name Frontier Six-Shooter appeared acid-etched on the left side of barrels before becoming roll-stamped after 1889. The designation .44-40 was added in 1919. This combination became one of the most common pairings seen across the Far West. Two mounted Cowboys carried such weapons during the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Winchester never offered its repeating rifle in .45 Colt caliber which made the .44-40 pairing unique. Later versions included .38-40 and .32-20 calibers allowing similar convenience for urban dwellers. The Bisley Target Model served as the final Colt to wear the Frontier Six-Shooter designation until production ended in 1912.
Original U.S. Army instructions specified loading all six chambers and carrying the hammer cocked in the safety notch. The 1874 Ordnance Manual stated bring the hammer to the safety notch and keep it there until firing. Advertisements from 1898 through 1945 reinforced this practice with phrases like May be carried cocked with the hammer in the safety notch. The mechanism uses a central axis cylinder operated by a hand with double fingers. Four notches on the hammer face engage the sear portion of the trigger. These positions allow four basic states including full lowering or half-cocking. Drawn slightly rearward, the hammer engages the safety notch holding the firing pin away from chambered cartridges. After World War II some writers advocated leaving one empty chamber under the hammer due to changed tolerances in second-generation models. A sharp blow could damage the redesigned half-cock mechanism otherwise. Cartridge ejection occurs via a spring-loaded rod housed inside a tube on the right side of the barrel.
George S. Patton carried a custom-made Single Action Army with ivory grips engraved with his initials throughout his career. He used it during the Mexican Punitive Expedition of 1916 against Pancho Villa's lieutenants. The gun remained with him until his death in 1945 shortly after World War II ended. It now displays at the General George Patton Museum of Leadership at Fort Knox, Kentucky. In 2010 Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association President Noble C. Hathaway surveyed residents about official state firearms. The Colt Patent Firearms Single Action Army won by a 38% margin. Governor Jan Brewer signed Senate Bill 1610 into law making it Arizona's official firearm. First- and second-generation SAAs are highly regarded as collector items today often considered too valuable to shoot. Engraved pieces represent only about one percent of first-generation production making them extremely rare. Artisans like Gustave Young and Cuno A. Helfricht added gold silver and precious stones to these works. Many featured stocks made from ivory or pearl instead of standard wood.
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Common questions
When did Colt begin work on the Single Action Army revolver?
Colt began work on the Single Action Army revolver in April 1869. The company started production officially in 1873 with model number one.
Who designed the Colt Single Action Army revolver?
Engineers William Mason and Charles Brinckerhoff Richards led the design effort for the Colt Single Action Army revolver. They previously developed black powder conversions for the firm before creating this weapon.
What caliber ammunition does the Colt Single Action Army use today?
Colt currently offers the Single Action Army in eight different chamberings including .45 Colt and .45 ACP. The original U.S. service version used a .45 caliber cartridge.
How many Colt Single Action Army revolvers were produced between 1873 and 1940?
Colt manufactured 357,859 revolvers between 1873 and 1940 during the first generation run. Production ceased at the start of World War II when the company shifted focus to war orders.
Which gunfight featured two Cowboys carrying the Frontier Six-Shooter?
Two mounted Cowboys carried such weapons during the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The Frontier Six-Shooter was introduced by Colt in 1877 to allow cross-compatibility with Winchester Model 1873 rifles.