• Colt Saa Serial Numbers 3rd Generation Model
• Colt Saa Serial Numbers 3rd Generation
• Colt Saa Serial Numbers 3rd Generation List
• Colt Saa Serial Numbers 3rd Generation -
• Colt Saa Serial Numbers 3rd Generation Series

• After serial number 164,100 the base pin latch was spring loaded. Enough of us sunk the spurs into Colt to cause it to rethink that decision and in 1976 the third-generation SAA was brought.
• Colt Single Action Army & Bisley Revolvers, Pre-WWII Production: Year: Serial Number Range: Year: Serial Number Range: 1873: 1-199: 1907: 299.
• Colt single action army 45 colt-sold description: colt single action army 45 long colt single action revolver. 5.5 inch blued barrel, color case hardened frame, black composite eagle grips, fixed sights, capacity 6. New in colt blue hard case. Subject to prior store sale. Ship to ffl only.
• Feb 04, 2019 When SAA production ended, the machinery was stored in a corner of the Colt plant. Colt began making the SAA again in 1956, with serial numbers ending in SA. These guns are known as 2nd Generation, and I believe they are the best of the Single Action Army revolvers, an. Colt 2nd Generation Serial Numbers. Sims 3 space buns.

Colt Sheriff's.44 Special /.44-40 caliber revolver. Outstanding custom engraved 3rd generation dual cylinder model. Has full coverage scroll engraving with gold band inlays on the cylinder and barrel., gold plated screws, and genuine custom stag grips.

We were on one of our rare vacations, albeit a working one, travelingdown to the Freedom Arms factory. We, being my wife and I, had spent thenight in Jackson Wyoming before going through Yellowstone Park and thenup through Montana to visit fast draw expert Bob Munden and his lovelywife Becky.

Standing in line for breakfast my wife suggested 'Why don't yougo over to the gunstore and look around while I keep our place. I'll getthe table and I know what you will order anyway.' Across the streetto the Bitter Root Trading Company I went to spend my waiting time lookingthrough the racks of old Winchesters, Marlins, and Sharps rifles and carbines.Then over to the pistol case to look at the Colt Single Action Armies andBisleys.

By the time I got to the end of the showcase, a sixgun on the bottomshelf caught my eye. It also caught my checkbook. When I returned to mywife at the breakfast table, I had a small package under my arm. It containeda beautiful 7 1/2' Colt New Frontier .44 Special.

It was the beginning of a new era. A breath of fresh air. We had a newpresident. A young president to replace the grandfatherly Ike. Little didwe realize what lay ahead in the 1960's. To honor the new president andnew optimism, one firearms company decided to bring out a new sixgun. Inlate 1961 (only two were made in this year), Colt brought forth the NewFrontier in honor of John F. Kennedy's New Frontier. Within two years,rifle shots would ring out in Dallas, Camelot would be gone, and the speciallyengraved New Frontier would never be presented.

Our country's innocence was gone never to return again, but the ColtNew Frontier would remain in production for the next twenty plus years.As did Ruger seven years earlier, Colt flat-topped the frame of an existingmodel, added an adjustable rear sight mated with a radically sloping ramp-stylefront sight, and brought forth one of the most beautiful sixguns ever.Just as with the Colt Single Action Army that gave birth to the New Frontier,the new sixgun carried a deep blue finish on its barrel, cylinder, andgrip frame topped off with beautifully mottled colors on its case hardenedmain frame.

In the production of the First Generation Colt Single Action Army sixgunsfrom 1873 to 1941, a few target models, both Single Action Army and Bisley,were produced consisting of a slightly flat-topped frame, a windage adjustablerear sight by drifting and locking in place, and a front sight that couldbe adjusted up and down. During the 1920's, Elmer Keith tried to interestColt in modernizing the Colt by flat-topping the frame and adding fullyadjustable sights. He even offered the loan of his custom sixguns includinghis famous #5SA but Colt would not listen. Had they been open-minded, Rugermay never have materialized. Keith's Keith's #5SA was built in the mid-1920's.It was a 5 1/2' Single Action chambered in the cartridge of time,at least for reloaders, the .44 Special. The grip was created by matinga Bisley backstrap with a Single Action trigger guard. Its influence todaycan be seen in the Freedom Arms and Ruger Bisley revolvers. The frame wasflat-topped and carried a fully adjustable rear sight mated with a postfront sight with a bead. The gun magazine of the day, THE AMERICAN RIFLEMANcarried Keith's article on the #5SA entitled The Last Word. The#5SA was definitely the last word in single actions in the 1920's.

In 1962, a Colt Single Action Army cost, gulp, $125. The New Frontier,was even higher at an unreachable $140. This at the same time that .357and .44 Magnum Ruger Blackhawks were going for less than $100 and the superblycrafted and blued Super Blackhawk in .44 Magnum was selling for $116. Ourlocal store had a New Frontier .44 Special that I drooled over quite oftenbut with college tuition, three hungry kids, and a wife who stayed homewith them, there was no way. Had I been able to look into the future, Iwould somehow have borrowed the money and bought the Colt. Today it wouldbe worth no less than ten times the original price. I keep reminding myself:ALWAYS REMEMBER, COLT SINGLE ACTIONS DO NOT GO DOWN IN VALUE!

The Colt New Frontier began with serial number 3000NF, which stayedin the Colt plant. The last of the Second Generation New Frontiers wasin the 72XXNF serial number range, which gives us a total of slightly over4,000 New Frontiers from 1961 to 1974. Four calibers were made in thisfirst run of Colt Flat-Top Target sixguns. These were in chamberings of.45 Colt,.38 Special, .357 Magnum, and .44 Special.

According to Colt expert Don Wilkerson, the .38 Special is the rarestfollowed by the .44 Special. Wilkerson gives the following production figuresfor the Second Generation New Frontiers. Less than 100 .45 New FrontierBuntlines were also produced.

CALIBER PRODUCTION BY BARREL LENGTH

In 1978, The New Frontier went back into production with the Third GenerationColt Single Action Army. Serial Numbers began at 01001NF, using five digitsinstead of four. In the last, and according to Colt, final run of New Frontiers,calibers were .45 Colt, .357 Magnum, .44 Special, and .44-40. All of theSecond Generation New Frontiers were standardized with a finish of brightblue except for the case hardened frame. Third Generation New Frontierscan be found in full blue and nickel finishes also including nickel platedBuntline New Frontiers in .45 Colt, .44 Special, and .44-40. The .44-40was available in the short barrel length of 4 3/4' but I do not believeany .44 Specials were offered in this length.

Take a very close look at any Third Generation New Frontier before buying.Some of the later ones were hastily thrown together and will require someexpert gunsmithing to bring them up to standard.

My 'Breakfast Special', the New Frontier .44 Special purchasedbefore bacon, toast, and hashbrowns in Jackson was dropped off at MundenEnterprises before ever being fired. Bob Munden performed his action magicreplacing springs and smoothing the action, then it was off to his gripmaker,Mike Wallace. I asked to be surprised as to choice of wood, and I certainlywas breathtakingly so. When the .44 Special arrived back here in Idahoit wore heart-stopping one piece grips of burl maple that fit my hand perfectly.Wallace joins the select group of Charles Able, Tedd Adamovich, Roy Fishpaw,and Bob Lescovec as men who understand what single action grip-making isall about.

The Colt New Frontiers maintain the beautiful looks, feel, and balanceof the Colt Single Action Army with the added advantage of adjustable sights.It is a rare fixed sighted sixgun that shoots to point of aim and whenit does it is normally for only one load. The New Frontier's sights allowsany reasonable load to be dialed in.

Until the advent of the Colt Anaconda in both .44 Magnum and .45 Colt,the New Frontier remained the finest hunting sixgun ever offered by Hartford.Especially in the 7 1/2' barrel length and in calibers .44 Specialand .45 Colt, the New Frontier will get the job done up close on deer andblack bear sized game. They are not Magnums, but the .45 Colt will easilyhandle loads using 260 grain Keith style bullets at 1000- 1150 feet persecond, while the .44 Special uses the same style bullets of 250 grainsof 1200-1250 feet per second.

Jacketed bullets are normally an expensive and unnecessary option withthe .45 Colt and .44 Special at these muzzle velocities, however Speerstill catalogs their original 'jacketed' .44 bullets which consist of acopper cup with a lead core. These are offered in both 225 grain hollowpoints and 240 grain flat points with the former getting the nod for .44Special use at 1100 feet per second. I would like to see the same designoffered in .45 caliber.

The short barreled New Frontiers in both .44 and .45 caliber make excellentpackin' pistols that are easy to carry and relatively lightweight whencompared to .454 Casulls and Ruger .44 Magnums. With heavy .44 Specialand .45 Colt loads, one can handle anything up close except the big bears.

I can only think of two improvements to the New Frontier. First, aswith almost all sixguns, they cry for custom grips. The only other changeI would make is the use of a flat black post front sight instead of theglare gathering sloping ramp front sight. Colt has provided a high frontsight that goes well with one of my favorite sixgun shooting pastimes,namely long range shooting at small rocks on yonder hill. The secret tothis style of long range shooting is not holding over as one does witha scope sighted rifle or pistol, but simply holding up enough front sightwith the intended target perched on top. This is only for shooting atinanimate objects not for hunting. Misses don't count on the former,they can be really messy on the latter.

Loading for the Colt New Frontier for this sixgunner is pretty traditional.I see no advantage, actually a disadvantage in using jacketed bullets inthe non-Magnum big bore New Frontiers except for the above mentioned .44225 grain hollow point by Speer. I say this as pressures with jacketedbullets are higher than I care for to obtain the desired velocities. The.44 Special and .45 Colt literally beg for cast bullets and are at theirbest with hard cast, Keith-style or semi- wadcutter bullets.

Colt Saa Serial Numbers 3rd Generation Model

Today, Third Generation Single Action Armies are once again availablefrom the Colt in .45 Colt, .44-40, and .38-40. However, New Frontiers aregone forever. Also gone is the .44 Special in the Single Action. Don'tcount either out. The Colt is a survivor and let's hope both the New Frontiersand the .44 Special comes back.

For now, New Frontiers seem to be readily available at gun shows andthe really good news is that they are not regarded as highly by collectorsas the Single Action Army so prices are usually quite a bit lower. Severalhundred dollars lower in my area. I just looked in the want ads of thelocal paper and there is one for sale, unfired,. 45 Colt with a 7 1/2'barrel. The price is well under what a Single Action Army would be goingfor.

There is no reason why Colt could not 'modernize' the New Frontier withcoil springs and bring it back out for all of us single action sixgunners.The frame and cylinder size is too small for a .44 Magnum, however it wouldmake a dandy .41 Magnum.

Colt Single Action Army Revolvers You Should Give a Second… or Maybe Third Look

See what I did there? That’s right, we’re going to be talking about Second and Third Generation Colt Single Action Army Revolvers. Before I lose too many of you by not even mentioning the ever-desirable first generation, hear me out. Even though I myself am not a serious collector of SAA’s, my position at RIAC gives me excellent access to all three generations of these classic revolvers, and recently I’ve experienced some beauties in preparing for our December Premiere Auction. They weren’t the first generation classics.

For most “serious” collectors of Colt Single Action Army Revolvers, their interest stops in 1941 with the end of the first generation. Why is this? Some might say it is more an interest in collecting antique firearms which would certainly include part of the first generation. However, if that is the only reason, then why are the prices of even non-antique first generations on the rise? Could it be that the quality of the first generation is just better than their younger counterparts? There are certainly rumors along these lines, but as far as fit and finish go, after having hundreds of SAA’s in my hands, I can’t say that I notice much of a difference, if any.

This gap in market value between the generations grows even wider when we start looking at embellished revolvers, say a Cuno Helfricht engraved first generation versus a third generation with class “D” engraving. And yes, of course I understand that Helfricht is one of Colt’s legendary engravers, often in consideration right up there with Nimschke whose style became that of the American West, but what would you say if I told you, that I have had second and third generation Colt Single Action Army’s in my hands over the past couple of weeks by contemporary engravers, or even unsigned, that are just as beautiful or even more so than a Helfricht? Yes, there will always be those collectors that are only interested in engraving if it was done at the factory. But I am here to tell you that I have held some truly amazing pieces of art in my hands over the past few weeks, and not all of them were created at the Colt factory.

Obviously, there are almost endless levels of embellishment that can be done to these revolvers, whether it’s just a set of nice hardwood grips all the way up to 100% coverage master engraving and a set of mammoth ivory grips. This all really comes down to personal taste, and here is where I have to say, that as a guy that usually doesn’t get excited about embellishments of any kind, some of these works of art were hard to ignore. These guns truly are the sorts of thing that you either buy, or have done personally, to pass on for generations. So without further ado, let’s have a look at some of these beautiful Colt Single Action Army revolvers.

Colt Saa Serial Numbers 3rd Generation

Beautiful Right From the Factory:

See, I’m not against factory engraving – these are amazing! Just think about how nice this pair would look in your office in a nice custom hardwood display case laying on some nice dark blue velvet. Just look at that nitre blue!

It’d be very hard to believe that these two weren’t intended to be a pair, though the serial numbers aren’t consecutive, they were both manufactured in 1989. They both show fantastic Nimschke style floral scroll engraving that evokes the Old West feel, which is really what the Colt Single Action Army is all about. Also, is there anyone who can’t love that nickel and nitre blue contrast? It’s such a simple touch that really adds so much style to these two revolvers. Oh and I almost forgot, bird’s head ivory grips! Need I say more?

Here’s another example of Colt factory engraving I don’t think will need much introduction as it’s signed and engraved by the legendary George Spring. Spring is one of the best known contemporary Colt engravers, and was one of the masters of his craft who helped establish the Colt Custom Shop in the 1970s for this kind of work. This revolver has class “B” engraving like the previous two revolvers and shows other similar features, such as the ivory bird’s head grips and nitre blue accents. Comparing these three Colt Single Action Army revolvers can be an excellent example of what the signature of a master engraver can do for the value of an embellished gun you’re looking to buy or even one you’re looking to sell.

Colt Embellishment: Texas Style

Here we have a couple of single action army revolvers showing off probably one of the most unique styles of engraving out there. I can’t say that it really suits this Northern boy’s tastes but I’m certain they will have some of your out there ready to sell the ranch to pick up one of these beauties.

These two Colt Single Action Army revolvers almost make another pair, displaying that wonderful “cattle brand” style in beautiful gold plating. I mean really, what says “Texas is larger than life” like gold cattle brands? But I digress… If you’re well read on the subject of Colt engraving you might have been yelling “Cole Agee” through your computer screen at me, and that’s where you’d be wrong. Though these look almost identical to those by the pioneer of the cattle brand style of engraving, Cole Agee, they are actually by a student of his named Weldon Bledsoe. Bledsoe visited and learned from Agee shortly before his death in 1955, and as you can see, carried on this engraving tradition flawlessly. Both of these revolvers bear Bledsoe’s well hidden signature and really show off this master artisans talent. You don’t like gold you say? No problem there, if you pick up an affordable non-embellished 2nd or 3rd generation single action, there is a man by the name of David Wade Harris who is carrying on this classic style with the traditional methods, and you guessed it, he learned from Weldon Bledsoe.

A Step Away From the Factory

It’s time for the leap of faith now folks. We’re getting away from the legends and the factory engraving and sailing into uncharted waters. Don’t worry, I’ve picked out three Colt Single Action Army revolvers here for you that are, simply put, works of art.

These two revolvers display a very interesting style that is without a doubt masterfully executed. The artisan behind them is Ron J. Collings, who did his apprenticeship in England, and has been engraving in Canada and the United States for the past 30-40 years. These two really caught my attention as the engraving is very obviously American in their style, but certainly show that finely executed English floral scroll creeping in. I honestly can’t believe we’ve made it this far and these are our first example of gold inlay, yet here we are. These two really do show some brilliantly tasteful gold inlay that doesn’t detract from the skillful engraving, yet really adds an eye-grabbing element to the revolver as a whole. As far as I know, Mr. Collings is still engraving, but he certainly doesn’t seem to be an easy man to track down, so you may want to grab up one of his works of art while you can.

Colt Saa Serial Numbers 3rd Generation List

Last but certainly not least, we have a bit of a culture clash that I just can’t look away from. This one really is the “British Invasion” Colt Single Action Army style.

This beautiful Colt Single Action Army revolver is signed by L. Wright. It is almost entirely covered in finely executed English style floral scroll and gold inlay. Something about that distinctive style of engraving looks so wrong on such an American icon, yet it just looks so right. This is definitely one of the revolvers that really grabbed my attention as just a true work of art. It really is one of those that you need to experience in person to get the full effect. The intricate, tight scrollwork excellently highlights this master craftsman’s skill, and is truly a sight to behold. This revolver is one of those that could easily be passed down for generations and would just never go out of style.

Hopefully a couple of these have caught your attention and maybe convinced you to give a second look at the more modern Colt Single Action Army revolvers, that are sadly often put on the back-burner by Colt collectors. It seems that there could be a huge opportunity here for some collectors, especially those just starting their collections, to get into the market at a price point that is comfortable for them, and still get that legendary Colt quality and reputation that all Colt collectors are really after. This could be your opportunity to get a one of a kind heirloom to pass on to your grandchildren and beyond. At the very least there are many amongst these generations that should not be overlooked.

Colt Saa Serial Numbers 3rd Generation -

And another thing that’s great about these revolvers? They’ll all be available at our December Premier Auction, and most likely for a fraction of the cost of an embellished First Generation.

Colt Saa Serial Numbers 3rd Generation Series

To view our December Premiere Firearms Auction Preview Click Here

You can order a 3 volume catalog set now for the December Auction.