Help identifying Colt 38 sa

[jimson]

Hi all, I inherited this with a bunch of others when I my dad passed away.


On the barrel:

COLT'S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD CT. U.S.A.

PATENTED AUG. 5 1884, NOV. 6, 88, MAR.5, 95

Under the cylinder is the numbers 8994 appearing twice, is this the serial number? There is nothing marked at the butt.


I think it's a 6 inch barrel. The gun seems in good working order.


(ignore my badly maintain toenails!)


Thanks

 

[hittman77]

Welcome to the forum.

I don't know the answer to your questions but good to have you.

 

[Absalom]

Check your post on the Colt forum. I just explained it all over there

 

[jimson]

Check your post on the Colt forum. I just explained it all over there

lol I hedged my bets and thought this might happen. Thanks.

strangely enough, the name jimson was already taken there.

 

[gregintenn]

Check your post on the Colt forum. I just explained it all over there

If you have the time, could you copy and paste it here for those of us who don't frequent that forum?

 

[Absalom]

If you have the time, could you copy and paste it here for those of us who don't frequent that forum?

Here it is. Not a lot

SeanW said:
"......
Under the cylinder is the numbers 8994 appearing twice, is this the serial number? There is nothing marked at the butt."

This is a problem, since the only full serials on both commercial and military versions of this model were on the butt. The numbers you describe are assembly numbers, and are, on the military versions, the last four digits of the serial. Since your gun has a '95 marked barrel, its serial was more than four digits.

From the stocks and lanyard swivel, it is military, a US Army model; also I seem to see remnants of a RAC stamping on the left frame. It was a Model 1896 or later, converted to 1901 specs or an original Model 1901 or 1903.

 

[Alpo]

I'm confused. The title says Colt 38 sa. SA. That means single action to me. And I'm pretty sure there was not a military issue 38 single action. I'm also pretty sure Colt didn't put a lanyard ring on their military single actions. And while the original post reads like there's a picture in it, there ain't.


So what the heck gun is this?

 

[hittman77]

Sadly the pics are gone ......

 

[gregintenn]

I'm confused. The title says Colt 38 sa. SA. That means single action to me. And I'm pretty sure there was not a military issue 38 single action. I'm also pretty sure Colt didn't put a lanyard ring on their military single actions. And while the original post reads like there's a picture in it, there ain't.


So what the heck gun is this?

The pics looked to me like a 38 DA my father has.

 

[jimson]

Sadly the pics are gone ......

Yes sorry, I got some concerns about what I learned and need to do some research.

 

[Absalom]

I'm confused. The title says Colt 38 sa. SA. That means single action to me....
.....
So what the heck gun is this?

As far as I could tell, the "sa" in the title is just a typo.

The OP had the identical thread title on the other forum and it correctly said DA.

 

[BC38]

Did it look like this one?

 

[Alpo]

As far as I could tell, the "sa" in the title is just a typo.

The OP had the identical thread title on the other forum and it correctly said DA.

Thank you. I do wish people would proofread and correct their typos. It would make it so much easier when you did not have to guess what they were talking about.

 

[Greyman50]

Here it is, from Colt's 100th anniversary book.