In House Shipping:
Make: Colt
Model: Single Action Army, 1st Generation
Serial Number: 357859 (this is the last serial number of the 1st Generation)
Year of Manufacture: The serial was applied to the frame in 1940 (https://www.colt.com/serial-lookup). The Colt ledger containing this serial number was stolen in the 1970s, we cannot confirm when the revolver was assembled or shipped.
Caliber: .38 Special
Action Type: Single Action Revolver with Side Loading Gate Cylinder
Barrel Length: 5 1/2”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a quarter-round blade fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a square notch at the rear of a groove in the top strap.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece smooth bone panels with silver-colored Colt medallions. The grips have little in the way of handling wear, but have discolored from age. There are grain-lines opening on the bottom face of the grips. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good-Fine condition.
Type of Finish: Nickel
Finish Originality: The finish appears Original to the parts. Due to the missing ledger, we are not able to confirm this serial's original configuration. The cylinder does not have a serial or assembly number marking, but does have a five-pointed star marking on the front face indicating high-grade steel (common to later-production SAA cylinders). Other serial/assembly number marked parts are matching.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the rifling is sharp. There is infrequent minor erosion and a little stubborn fouling in the bore, mostly at the muzzle-end. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 8 or 9 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 92% of its metal finish. There is infrequent finish loss, mostly around the front of the cylinder. Most of the nickel has gone slightly cloudy. There are a few light nicks and thin scratches. There are light tool marks around some screw heads. There are firing-pin strikes between the chambers on the rear face of the cylinder. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with usable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The firing-pin strikes on the cylinder would typically indicate a timing issue, but the action functions correctly. We did not fire this revolver. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: Included is a Colt Archives letter indicating that this revolver's frame was produced September 11, 1940 and was sent to the shipping department September 20, 1940. The letter also states that the ledger book containing shipping records for this revolver was lost or destroyed many years ago.
Our Assessment: The Colt Single Action Army is perhaps the quintessential old west handgun, produced for more than a century, serving the U.S. Army as its sidearm from 1873 into the first world war and captivating audiences on the silver screen. The SAA was discontinued by Colt as it tooled up to provide for the WWII war effort, and it was thought by Colt that the design was obsolete, swing-out cylinder revolvers had been around for half a century and autoloaders were gaining in popularity. A grand total of 357,859 frames were produced through 1940 with sporadic assembly and shipping afterward. The 2nd Generation would be introduced in 1956, but some of these "pre-war/post-war" guns (parts produced pre-war, assembled and shipped post-war) would ship as late as the 1960s!
This is a wonderful find for the Colt collectors as it is serial 357859, the very last serial number of the 1st Generation Single Action Army. Unfortunately, Colt's ledger containing this serial number was stolen in the 1970s, so we cannot be sure if it is a true pre-war/post-war, assembled and shipped after WWII, or if it was one of the few late revolvers shipped before the war. We also cannot be sure if its very desirable configuration, nickel finish, .38 Special, with bone grips, is how it left the factory. In any case, its serial number alone makes it a very important piece of the history of Colt's Single Action Army revolver and it would take a prized place in even advanced collections. Please see our photos and good luck!