[Cpo1944]

I have a line on two SAA`s..45LC 7.5 & 5.5 inch barrels they are both nearly identical ,although the 5.5 has a very small flaw in the finish,same price . which is the more desirable , and why?
Thanks in advance .
Jack

 

[Trapdoor]

I thinks it's personal preference. I like the 4 3/4 and have several but my shooter is a 5 1/2. Never handled a 7 1/2 but I bet it would be nose heavy like my 1860 army. You better play it safe and just get both.

 

[Cpo1944]

"She Who must be obeyed" would not be pleased with that ! I have to settle on just one. They are 1971 vintage is that a good year?

 

[jrbman]

I concur with Trapdoor. I personally like the 7.5" length but L believe the 5.5" is the most popular. Jeff

 

[Trapdoor]

1971 is a good year, but 1873 would be better, but she probably wouldn't let you spend that much either, oh well.

 

[Kid Sopris]

Go with the 5 1/2", It will give the same point of impact as the 7 1/2", but leather will be easier to find, easier to carry and has a nice balance. Since I own all three barrel lengths, I find myself caught between points of indecision as to what to carry on a particular day. I use te 5 1/2" primarily for SASS events, though I have been know to add a third gun, (4 3/4"), but I have also carried the 5 1/2" for Concealed carry.

7 1/2" falls in the cool factor category.

 

[cjwils]

I have a 7.5 inch SAA 45, and it does not seem nose heavy to me. I have heard that smaller calibers with that barrel length do seem nose heavy, because smaller bore means more metal weight in the barrel.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

I'd go with the longer barrel. They point great, and I've packed my old nickel .45 on hikes, kept it literally under my pillow sleeping next to campfires, and wore it as a camp gun cross draw under an open flannel shirt and forgot I had it on. But I'm biased since the 5 1/2" is my least favorite and I don't even own one anymore. Not a real Colt, anyway.

 

[Monsai52]

It doesn't matter what any of us on the forum think. What do you like; that's all that's important. Go with the one that you like the feel of and answers what you think a SAA should be.

Personally I don't particularly care for the 7.5", unless it's an early 1st gen. I prefer 4.75" and 5.5" guns; somehow they just feel "right" to me.

Best regards,

 

[Monsai52]

Just to add a quick point to my prior post:

SAAs are more about how they feel in your hand than more modern designs. To me there is a naturalness when I pick up a SAA which I don't get in any other style of handgun. I think this is part of the reason that Bisleys aren't as popular SAAs; they don't have the same naturalness.

So bottom line, you've got to handle both of them and see which one feels right to you.

Best regards,

 

[Wyatt Burp]

It doesn't matter what any of us on the forum think. What do you like; that's all that's important. Go with the one that you like the feel of and answers what you think a SAA should be.

Personally I don't particularly care for the 7.5", unless it's an early 1st gen. I prefer 4.75" and 5.5" guns; somehow they just feel "right" to me.

Best regards,

Yep. It's purely a matter of personal choice. And when it comes to a gun this nostalgic and classic, that choice can mean practicality might take a back seat to romance. I craved a long barreled nickel .45 ever since I was 14 and saw Shane for the first time. I didn't care about balance or anything. I just thought it was a cool and must own one. A little later I saw a guy at a fair dressed as a cowboy and he let see his his "Shane gun", a 7 1/2" nickel .45. So, you might just want to choose based on my silly nonscientific reasoning.

 

[Chaffee]

Monsai52 has made a very good point. I've handled and shot many different types of handguns, old and modern, and nothing feels as good in my hand as the SAA/Navy grip style. In fact, I like the little extra length of the 1860 just as well. Something about the angle and the size being just right for my hand. It is, to me, perfect. One of the reasons that the SAA is my favorite handgun.

As far as length, as has been said, you'll have to decide for yourself. I prefer 7 1/2 and 5 1/2 and don't care for 4 3/4 much but that's just me....

 

[WIL TERRY]

I CANNOT IMAGINE BEING A SHOOTER and not having---or not wanting--- one of each in every caliber and every barrel length. And let me tell you, they are distinctly different.
The 7 1/2"...points like radar...looks sleek...the original BBL length.
..lessened recoil delivery....
The 5 1/2"....the most balanced looking...the most balanced in some hands...not all....points well with little effort...sights closer together and crisper...an easy to carry SA sixgun...
The 4 3/4".....easiest to carry....points well if you pay attention...sights closest together...extremely well balanced....quick recoil....looks like a million bucks....hot-damn-summer-in-the-city I do love 'em all !!!

NOW....every caliber has different characteristics in each barrel length and some are just startleingly different. And yet, a 38/357 SAA or NF handle and point just as well as a 45 which is a LOT lighter in any barrel length.

And so it goes...

 

[don62]

What kind of price are they getting for that year?? Are they new, with boxes?

 

[Cpo1944]

$1200 each in a presentation box unturned & unfired

 

[don62]

At 1200.00 for a 2nd gen in that cond I'd buy both...

 

[saintclair]

In my part of the country, it is impossible to find excellent condition 2nd Gen SAA's for under $2000. I would also suggest buying both. Maybe you will get a better deal for taking both. It is always worth asking.

 

[Monsai52]

$1200 each in a presentation box unturned & unfired

When you say "presentation box" are these commemoratives or standard production? Commemoratives are generally less desirable and usually command a lower price than standard production, BUT at $1,200.00 each that's still an excellent price, and if I had the coin, I'd pick them both up, whether or not they were commemoratives.

Best regards,

 

[Cpo1944]

They are NRA`s

 

[Monsai52]

The NRAs probably are/were the most popular of the commemoratives because they had the least amount of embellishments and could picked up by folks looking for 2nd gen shooters for a good bit less than the going rate of a comparative non-commemorative 2nd gen. Collectors generally have little interest in the commemoratives.

IMO, either one (or preferably both) of these SAAs would make a great shooter, and $1,200.00 is an excellent price. I'd go for the 5.5" in a heartbeat, and both if I had the coin. These are guns to shoot and not worry about.

Best regards,