This is a very late 2nd generation nickel .45. Do any of you know what these stamps mean? The gun doesn't look at all modified/redone--the front of the cylinder is stamped 222 which is no part of the serial number also, but has the rampant Colt stamp on the rear face. The grips are correct. Came in a correctly marked original woodgrain box with papers.
Could these late 2nd gen guns have been put together with parts at the factory? Serial Number is 663XXSA.
By the looks of it you have a parts gun some one made up. The trigger guard is off a NRA Comm. from 1971. The made 5001 of them. Your trigger guard looks to be NRA4171. I have NRA2021. Your back strap is another number altogether XXXXXSA? It could be 66360SA. Does you paper work serial number match your SAA you frame's number?
My guess is it is a parts gun some one built. But you could always get a Colt letter and see how it came from the factory to know for sure..
Seems like I recall Colt having (and subsequently using) left over parts from the NRA run. To add to the confusion, the number on the back strap appears to be stamped over a different number.
you have a very serious colt there.
does the serial number happen to be 66329SA and is it a 7.5 " barrel , nickel finish ??? is the cylinder beveled ?,
is the caliber line on the opposite side of normal place it should be ? are the wood stocks numbered 296 ?
if you answered yes to the above you have a very Rare / scarce 2nd gen SAA . if that is the one then it shipped on 4/10/1974
hope it is new or like new and the original box to boot , WOW !!!!!
colt put this SAA together ( factory ) , not a parts gun from Bubba
PS , more pics are due / required let us see it all, box too
you guys need to look at Don Wilkerson book , Colt Single Action Revolvers
Handbook 1955-1975 (red cover with someone holding a SAA with the hammer cocked back.
that gun in particular with the OP is the gun featured in the book with it being pictured on page 71-72 ,and a couple of paragraphs describing the actual pistol . BlackAgnes ( TIM) hit a grand slam by purchasing that gun , I have already talked to Tim
a new in box plus its featured in a Book by the renowned Don Wilkerson = pay dirt all day long.
I also have one that is almost or is as rare/scarce as this one from the OP. I believe his were only 7 made like that one, and mine with colt letter states that only 3 were made in my configuration. mine is new but no box , he has a box and paper work .
Could the beveled cylinder be a left over from the Centennial series since it has a horse stamped on it? I say that assuming the 2nd generation Centennial HAD a rampant Colt on the cylinder which might not be the case. If not, what's the explanation for the bevels, which I think are a great touch by the way?
EDIT: OOPS! Can't be a Centennial cylinder since I think they came out in '75, didn't they?
A great find. Knowledge is king! I would never have purchased the gun since I did not have the knowledge that eagleeye had/has. Eagleeye, thanks for sharing with us!!
I hear you Saintclair. I have this aversion to the writing on the right side of the barrel. Can't stand it and would never purchase one. Or at least I wouldn't have before reading this.
Buying one of these 'assembled from parts' SAA's is only attractive as a way to make a profit by selling to a collector who wants to own every variety of 2nd gen SAA's.
By that same logic, I am probably a person who would not have wanted one of those "upside down" airplane stamps when the Post Office sold them.
The grips being correct to the gun are way better looking than the usual wood grips that came on nickel guns of the period. No wonder eagleeye's name is eagleeye spotting this gun right down to the serial number. I hope the anomalies of the gun like weird marked grip frame and barrel address on the other side made you get a real deal on it.
It is possible that Colt assembled your gun with overrun parts from past production. Being a very late 2nd Gen gun might support this possibility. However, there aren't many pictures, which leaves all of us in the dark for comment.
Come to think about it, I have one 2nd gen in that same SN range in the woodgrain box. I have not looked at it since I purchased it well over 15 years ago. It may be a parts gun.
I thought I had heard of these before, refered to as "non-standard production models" or something like that. About two months ago I saw a used one at a local California gun shop, it was a 2nd Gen with beveled cylinder and "single action army .45" on the right side of the barrel. If I remember correctly it was a 5 1/2" barrel in blue/cch. They wanted $2000, it was not beat up but definitely well used.
I received Don Wilkerson's book today and found my exact revolver pictured in page 71 and described on page 72. All numbers listed are found on my gun! I want to thank you publicly for noticing this and pointing it out to me and the other Forum members.
It appears I have a rather special firearm.
BlackAgnes , cheers !!!!! thank you for the thanks . I was excited to see it on the forum and when I spotted it I knew you had a very unique SAA.
I knew you would be thrilled to see your gun in a book , I know I would.
I have learned a lot here and just passing some insight to help others as others have helped me in the past when I had questions.
this is the best forum bar none .
EagleEye
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