Colt SAA musings (Update #1 in post 37)

[2152hq]

I bought a Colt Bisley 5 1/2" in 44WCF in the late 80's for $200. No finish left, just brown w/ a little bit of brown in protected areas.
The cylinder was from I don't know what but it wasn't a real Colt.
I fitted a 44-40 cylinder to it back then but never got around to finishing it. Action still a bit loose but fun to shoot.
My other is a SAA 5 1/2 in 32-20. It was orig a 7 1/2" bbl I'm guessing from the looks of it that was cut down. Nice job, but then someone bulged that one right behind the front sight..
Bore is horrible anyway but the gun is nice and tight, even a hint of C/C on the frame. Orig H/R grips are worn nearly smooth. MAde in 1903 IIRC.
That baby cost me $250 in the early 90's.
I shoot it with 32-20's and 32S&W;s. They both shoot patterns instead of groups. I may reline the bbl,,or re-cyl and re-bbl w/Colt parts to something like 44sp or 45Colt and just save the originals.
Another project for another day.

Colt SAA's are like Lugers,,seems like a person should have at least one for shooting at stuff..

 

[andyo5]

I have two Ubertis and like them. Cost was far below what I'd have paid for a Colt. Accuracy is excellent.
The main difference that I find between Ubertis and Colts is the design of the hand spring. The Colt has the original cantilevered spring, which is prone to breakage (I had to replace it twice on my USFA gun). The Ubertis use a coil hand spring which will not break.

 

[rbrbrb6]

I have had several of the 1st & 2nd generation Colts but the only Colt left in the safe is a New Frontier that has been rebuilt by Jim Stroh with additional work by Alan Harton. I have been just as pleased with a couple of the USFA single action guns as I have been with the Colts.

 

[OIF2]

Took this .44 Special out of the safe; been several years since I shot it. Groups well and to POA at 25 yds with 246 grain WW factory. I guess I'll keep it.
Bob

 

[steamloco76]

Took this .44 Special out of the safe; been several years since I shot it. Groups well and to POA at 25 yds with 246 grain WW factory. I guess I'll keep it.
Bob

Man, if the Nickel one I had owned shot like yours it would still be in my collection! Beautiful Colt and a great shooter! Mine printed a least 10 inches to the right!

 

[Wyatt Burp]

I bought a Colt Bisley 5 1/2" in 44WCF in the late 80's for $200. No finish left, just brown w/ a little bit of brown in protected areas.
The cylinder was from I don't know what but it wasn't a real Colt.
I fitted a 44-40 cylinder to it back then but never got around to finishing it. Action still a bit loose but fun to shoot.
My other is a SAA 5 1/2 in 32-20. It was orig a 7 1/2" bbl I'm guessing from the looks of it that was cut down. Nice job, but then someone bulged that one right behind the front sight..
Bore is horrible anyway but the gun is nice and tight, even a hint of C/C on the frame. Orig H/R grips are worn nearly smooth. MAde in 1903 IIRC.
That baby cost me $250 in the early 90's.
I shoot it with 32-20's and 32S&W;s. They both shoot patterns instead of groups. I may reline the bbl,,or re-cyl and re-bbl w/Colt parts to something like 44sp or 45Colt and just save the originals.
Another project for another day.

Colt SAA's are like Lugers,,seems like a person should have at least one for shooting at stuff..

Bulged barrels were very common in the .32-20s. I got this Bisley .32 for $500 around 2010 in a local consignment gun shop because the barrel has a bulge right behind the front sight. But I have two pre war Colt cylinders in .44 Special and matching Colt barrels with correct threads in my parts box. I see this gun as a long barreled .44 some day if I have the guts to have it changed over. Skeeter Skelton once mentioned opening beer bottles with a Bisley. It works. Oh. That bottom gun is a Great Western .44 Special. It was my dad's.

 

[les.b]

Wow, I remember that mention of using the Bisley as a bottle opener in a story by Skeeter. Used to read his little stories in one of the gun magazines every month. He was a pretty good writer, and seemed like a pretty good guy, too.

Best Regards, Les

 

[BUFF]

I was lucky and bought my first Colt SAA's when they were relatively cheaper than now and were on sale. A 7-1/2" blue/CCH .44 Special and a nickel .45 Colt also 7-1/2", for $315.95 each in 1981. Added a new 4-3/4" blue/CCH .45 in 1996 during a good trade.

My favorite is a New Frontier I got in 2002. Blue/CCH, 4-3/4", .44-40, to which I had Colt fit a .44 Special cylinder. I swallowed hard at the $1,000 price tag for it even though it was a great price.

There are few handguns that are as enjoyable to just handle as the SAA. You can get that happy/gunny feeling without having any ammunition. And they were usually beautifully made and finished.

 

[les.b]

Well, I might have let those two Colt SAAs get away, but here's an original from right around the turn of the twentieth century (1901, if Proofhouse is correct) that I'm hanging onto (not to hijack the thread):



Still has a lot of that old time colt finish left also, and believe it or not the bore is clean, and the rifling sharp, and everything works just like it came from the factory:



I'm still looking for a nice Colt 4 3/4" Blued Color Case frame .45 though!

Best Regards, Les

 

[31FordA]

I too would like to add a genuine Colt SAA to my menagerie, but the prices are steep. Just finding one for sale around here is also a challenge. I haven't seen a new SAA for sale in years, and none of the local shops can get one. My preference is for a blued/color case 4.75 barrel in .45 Colt or .357 in decent shape. I'm sure I'll run one down eventually, and I'm sure it won't be cheap.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

Whenever Colt SAAs come up here I have to post my "Patton pair". And it's a good excuse to sneak a S&W in, too.

 

[29aholic]

Look around for commemoratives that have been used. You used to find the NRA ones every now and again pretty cheap because 1. They had been shot and 2. They were 357.

 

[JohnRippert]

Look around for commemoratives that have been used. You used to find the NRA ones every now and again pretty cheap because 1. They had been shot and 2. They were 357.

That's a thought but the only commemorative I really have any interest in is the Texas Ranger Model 19. I'll keep looking and find something, eventually.

 

[chud333]

Here's my New Frontier in .45 Colt
It's also one of 60 made with all blued frame according to Wilkerson.
Previous owner rubbed some gold crayon in the lettering
and I have just left it so far. I'm contemplating taking this
out to the Deer woods with me next month when gun
season opens. It's unfired as of yet.





Chuck

 

[steamloco76]

I do own ONE Colt single action, the little brother of the New Frontier, the New Frontier Scout .22LR/22 Mag. A 1975 piece which shoots very well and looks good too.

 

[chud333]

Here's my other SAA the companion piece to my
.45 Colt
It has the .22 mag and .22 LR cylinders



Chuck

 

[JohnRippert]

Well, the 3rd gen I was watching I thought would easily outpace the finish worn 2nd gen that started me talking went out tonight, and I actually won it. I find it interesting that a like new 3rd gen did not equal or surpass the price of the worn 2nd gen. Either the difference between the two generations when it comes to being collectible is bigger than I thought or the market has gotten soft. Maybe both, who knows. For those that would like a look at the finished auction here is the GB Item # 593029893. I will be getting a Postal MO tomorrow and hopefully in a week or so I can post in hand pics. Now I will have to find a gunbelt for it that does not break the bank but still looks good enough to do the six-gun justice.

 

[mic214]

That is a great looking Colt you got there!

I just recently picked up my "Grail gun", a 5-1/2" New Frontier in .44 special from a gun shop in Arizona. With shipping it ran $1240.00. Needless to say I am one happy camper……

 

[les.b]

Well, the 3rd gen I was watching I thought would easily outpace the finish worn 2nd gen that started me talking went out tonight, and I actually won it. I find it interesting that a like new 3rd gen did not equal or surpass the price of the worn 2nd gen. Either the difference between the two generations when it comes to being collectible is bigger than I thought or the market has gotten soft. Maybe both, who knows. For those that would like a look at the finished auction here is the GB Item # 593029893. I will be getting a Postal MO tomorrow and hopefully in a week or so I can post in hand pics. Now I will have to find a gunbelt for it that does not break the bank but still looks good enough to do the six-gun justice.

John:

Congratulations on winning that auction. That is a seriously beautiful Colt. If it had been .45 and 4 3/4", I would have probably been bidding against you!!! I am happy that you were able to find exactly what you were looking for in the first post!!

By the way, I hope you don't mind, but my understanding of the forum rules is that it is OK to post links to completed auctions. This one is to yours:

Colt SAA Single Action Army 357mag LIKE NEW Gen 3 : Revolvers at GunBroker.com

I think that there is no way you could have improved on this gun and at a very competitive price. I know it says that it is unfired, but I hope that that soon changes!

Waiting for a range report!!

Best Regards, Les

 

[JohnRippert]

From the pics of the throat with the cylinder out it has been fired, but that is okay. It is going to be fired by me as well.

It is funny how things work out. I really did not expect to have a chance at this one. I put in a $1300 bid and walked away. Nice surprise when I came back in and saw the result. I had a fallback though. I have a bookmark on a Springfield Armory 9mm LW Range Officer Champion that would have been mine if things had not gone my way. Would have been a nice consolation prize.