[silvertip44]

On one of my trips out of the interior/bush of Alaska, in 1973, came across a Colt SAA 4 3/4" .357 magnum 2nd Gen in a Pawn Shop in Anchorage. Did some trading n' it went out the door with me. Pawn Shop asking price was $135.00 Back then I wasn't too fond of a SAA being in .357 magnum. Already having/using in the bush a 1958 5 1/2" SAA in .44 Special, so decided to alter/convert this .357 magnum to suit 'me'.

I sent the cylinder off to Christy Gun Works and they re-bored it to .44 Special. Having a 7 1/2" factory .44 Special barrel on hand, had a gunsmith cut it down to 4 3/4", seeing as that barrel length wasn't offered with a 2nd Gen SAA. In the meantime I 'dehorned' any corners/ridges on the trigger guard (give me a break here, k'. Colt SAA's were readily available back then) and sent it off to Armoloy for their coating. Later on added a Webley type butt swivel - they do come in handy when canoeing. About 9 years ago, stopped by to visit with Bob Munden and left it with him for his action work. All-in-all it has been/is a useful tool for 'me'.

Would I give a Colt SAA such treatment again today? Most likely not, unless it was a basket case.
What have others done to Colt SAA's, altering them from their original factory release?
An older Model 100 Lawrence holster, but still in top shape.

 

[Cozmo]

Nice! A gun that gets used and mods to make it more durable and user friendly. Well done.

I didn't do the work but perfect gun for my own use. I came to me as a 4", 3rd Gen, 4" in .44.

Also a 44 Special where I use 240s. More recently I fit a 44-40 cylinder for 200s. I got it with stag. Never a big fan of stag I bought and fit a set of true once piece walnut blanks from Dave Lanara to take the abuse of a saddle gun gets. Had Jim do a new design for me on the holster. I like the combo.

 

[SDRider]

Nothing that drastic, I changed grips and cylinder on a commemorative model.

 

[beemermark]

Colts are expensive today so extensive mods are kinda out of the question. However on 1st and 2nd gen revolvers I've swapped barrels & cylinders, had them case hardened and re-blued. IMHO an early gun that has already been put through the "fire" (shot out, hammered to death and no longer original) is simply waited to be "transformed. I don't considered 2nd gen guns to be even remotely "collectible" and have no qualms whatsoever having caliber changes and refinished.

 

[ColtSAA3G]

Mainly spring replacement, action work and after market grips. Plus a consecutive numbered pair of the 125th Anniversary commemorative from 1961 that went to Nutmeg for one-piece ivory and Turnbull for "1st gen" refinishing.

As purchased:


as completed:
They are now my main-match revolvers for cowboy action shooting.
With custom Trailrider rig:

Fulfilling a life-long fantasy playing cowboys with my Colts!

 

[saintclair]

I have a 2nd gen that was in 357 mag that I converted to a 44 special with Colt barrel and cylinder. I sent the 357 mag cylinder to Jim Cornwall and had him re-bore it to 44-40 to go with the SAA so it could shoot both cartridges. Both cylinders have the rampant colt on the rear.

 

[LEO918]

Picked up this well used 2nd Generation .357 with a 5 1/2" barrel and a ruined hammer for a very good price at a Phoenix gun show. I had a .44 barrel I'd bought for $80 at a show in Yuma. Dropped it off with Bob James for a new hammer, barrel swap, cylinder bore and action job. Fitted Ram's Horn grips myself, now it's a great .44 Special shooter configured just the way I wanted.

 

[oldies]

2 of these old girls, (top and bottom), were not factory when I got them, so they danced with the torch and hack saw.

 

[MARKO65]

Short barreled NF45 , Tom Sargis installed the 12' barrel and i installed the 1860 army brass grip frame and longer screw for the stock.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

Your modified SAA with lanyard ring looks great. And practical for your uses. On a rare impulse buy for me I picked up this grip frame and grips and tried them on a couple .45s. The trigger hole was plugged. These grips felt great in the hand and I thought it looked like Bass Outlaw's slip gun. But I sold it to Swamprat and it's probably still in his estate collection for sale now, may he rest in peace.

 

[shooter214]

A Colt SAA needs no "mods". It's perfect just the way it is.

Like a fine painting, the painter knows that one more brush stroke and the painting is ruined.
Colt Single Actions are like that.

 

[29aholic]

I have converted several 38's and 357's to 44 or 45 cal guns. Or, long barrels to short barrels.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

Around 1984 I saw a full blue SA with repro hard rubber grips, 5 1/2" .38 Special Christy barrel and cylinder and no markings and a great action. It was $200. Pawn shop guy said it was Italian but looking at it in good light I faintly saw the rampant Colt on the frame. I bought it and I remember he put "Italian" as the gun's make on the receipt. Things were simpler then. My late friend Frank Leaman turned it into a 4 3/4 engraved .45 with new frame markings. The gun was made in 1920.

 

[29aholic]

Around 1984 I saw a full blue SA with repro hard rubber grips, 5 1/2" .38 Special Christy barrel and cylinder and no markings and a great action. It was $200. Pawn shop guy said it was Italian but looking at it in good light I faintly saw the rampant Colt on the frame. I bought it and I remember he put "Italian" as the gun's make on the receipt. Things were simpler then. My late friend Frank Leaman turned it into a 4 3/4 engraved .45 with new frame markings. The gun was made in 1920.

Well we need to see the whole gun

 

[Wyatt Burp]

Well we need to see the whole gun

That's it on the bottom.

 

[ussmanlovede36]

This one started out as a 357 mag in 1966 then someone changed it to a 45 colt buntline. I changed it to a 5 1/2" barre.

 

[Romulus]

Short barreled NF45 , Tom Sargis installed the 12' barrel and i installed the 1860 army brass grip frame and longer screw for the stock.


View attachment 648693 View attachment 648695 View attachment 648693

This is some good the bad and ugly revolver style. wow.

 

[Cozmo]

A Colt SAA needs no "mods". It's perfect just the way it is....

And there I was thinking the most fun part about a SAA is how easy it is to change caliber on one, make new grips of any size required or simply turn a barrel to get them shooting POA

 

[smkummer]

The only thing I have done to my cowboy action guns is use the wolf hollowed out mainspring for a lighter pull. I have a 3rd gen NF nickel 357 7 1/2” that is very heavy on the hammer pull that may get one of those springs as well.

 

[LEO918]

I install the Wolff springs in my second gens as well, then use the second gen springs for the pre war guns.