In House Shipping:
Make: Colt
Model: Single Action Army
Serial Number: 285878
Year of Manufacture: 1906
Caliber: .38-40 Winchester Center Fire (.38 WCF)
Action Type: Single Action Revolver with Side Loading-Gate Cylinder
Barrel Length: 4 3/4”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a fixed blade. The rear sight is a “V”-notch in the top strap.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered black hard rubber with Rampant Colts in ovals at the tops. The grips have light wear, slightly more notable on the left than the right. There are some minor nicks and scratches with a couple more notable nicks at the bottom-rear of the right panel. The left panel has an "X"-shape that appears intentionally applied to the bottom face. The right panel's checkering is well defined, the left shows more wear, but is visible. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good Condition.
Type of Finish: Blue & Case Color
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore is gray with well defined rifling. There is light erosion and pitting scattered through the bore. In this writer's opinion, this bore rates 5 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 50% of its current metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is scattered light finish wear. Some areas of the blue finish have an iridescent appearance. The grip areas show handling wear. The case color has mostly muted with some good color in protected areas. Some worn areas have gone to a patina with some scattered light surface oxidation. There are scattered nicks, scuffs, and scratches. The action shows operational wear including a turn-line on the cylinder. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings range from clear to worn and incomplete. Overall, this revolver is in about Good Condition as Refinished (see Mechanics).
Mechanics: The bolt engages very shortly after the hammer reaches the half-cock notch. Otherwise, the action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This revolver comes with a Colt Archives letter indicating it was shipped on November 17, 1906 to the Walter Tips Company in Austin, Texas.
Our Assessment: The expiration of Smith & Wesson's patent on the bored-through cylinder in 1869 led Colt to design the revolutionary M-1873 Single Action Army, which soon earned the moniker the "Peacemaker", "Equalizer", and "gun that won the West". Carried by soldiers, cowboys, ranchers, rustlers, lawmen and outlaws alike, the Colt SAA quickly became synonymous with the untamed wilds of the American West. While Colt originally introduced the revolver chambered only in .45 Long Colt, they soon offered the SAA in many of Winchester's cartridges, allowing the use of the same round in both a revolver and a rifle.
This Colt 1st Gen Single Action Army Revolver was made in 1906 and is in Good Condition as Refinished. It features a 4.75” barrel, 50% of its re-blued and re-casecolored finish, the classic two-piece checkered black hard rubber grips with Rampant Colts in ovals at the tops, strong mechanics, and a gray bore with well defined rifling (there’s light erosion and pitting scattered throughout). Some of the markings have faded. The bolt engages very shortly after the hammer reaches half-cock. Otherwise, the action functions properly. Most interestingly, this revolver comes with a Colt Archives letter indicating it was shipped on November 17, 1906 to the Walter Tips Company in Austin, Texas. Walter Tips, who served as a Texas State Senator, ran his namesake Walter Tips Hardware store in the late 1800s, early 1900s on Congress Street in Austin about a block from the Texas State Capitol as well as Texas Rangers Headquarters. This old hogleg has a great “been there, done that” appearance, and is an Austin, Texas shipped example to boot.