The first Colt Single Action Army revolvers were manufactured in. The revolvers remained essentially unchanged from that point until cessation of manufacture at the beginning of World War II. In 1920, larger, highly visible sights replaced the original thin blade and notch.
In 1896, at serial number 164,100, a springloaded base pin latch replaced the cylinder pin retaining screw and by 1900, at serial number 192,000, the Colt Single Action was certified for use with smokeless powder.
The front sight consisted of a base with a interchangeable blade.
Colt manufactured 914 of these revolvers with a frame which was flat on the top and fitted with an adjustable leaf rear sight. Ī "Flattop Target Model" was listed in Colt's catalogs from 1890 to 1898. 44 rimfire Henry caliber in a separate number range from no. There was also a variant with a sub 4" barrel, without an ejector rod unofficially referred to as the "Sheriff's Model", "Banker's Special", or "Storekeeper"įrom 1875 until 1880 Colt marketed a Single Action revolver in the. The shorter barreled revolvers are sometimes called the "Civilian" or "Gunfighter" model (4¾") and the Artillery Model (5½"). The Single Action Army became available in standard barrel lengths of 4¾", 5½" as well as the Cavalry standard, original 7½". 45 Colt cartridge had entered service and the remaining revolvers were sold in the civil market. 16,000 was reached 12,500 Colt Single Action Army revolvers chambered for the. 38 Long Colt caliber Colt Model 1892, a double action revolver with swing-out cylinder. The Colt Single Action Army revolver replaced the Colt 1860 Army Percussion revolver and remained the primary US military sidearm until 1892 when it was replaced by the.
Relative to period cartridges and most later handgun rounds, it was quite powerful in its full loading. 45 Colt cartridge was of center fire design containing charges of up to of fine grained black powder and a blunt round nosed bullet. The very first production Single Action Army, serial number 1, thought lost for many years after its production, was found in a barn in Nashua, New Hampshire in the early 1900s. Its original moniker was the "New Model Army Metallic Cartridge Revolving Pistol". The Colt Single Action Army was designed for the US government service revolver trials of 1873 by Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company and adopted as the standard military service revolver. Armyīound by the Rollin White patent (#12,648, April 3, 1855) and not wanting to pay a royalty fee to Smith & Wesson, Colt could not begin development of bored-through revolver cylinders for metallic cartridge use until April 4, 1869.
7 The Colt Single Action Army in the U.S.5 First-, second-, third-generation Colt Single Action and major calibers.