In House Shipping:
Make: Colt
Model: Single Action Army, 2nd Generation
Serial Number: 8677SA
Year of Manufacture: 1956 (
https://www.colt.com/serial-lookup)
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 checkered black hard rubber with Rampant Colts in ovals at their tops. The inside of the left panel is hand-scribed "8677", the inside of the right has "8677" under another number that has been struck out. The grips have little in the way of handling wear with only a few minor marks. The checkering is well defined. There is good detail in the Rampant Colts. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Fine to Excellent Condition.
Type of Finish: Blue & Case Color
Finish Originality: Original, matching serial and assembly numbers.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the rifling is sharp. There are a few spots of minor erosion in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 9 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 90% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at most edges. Most of the balance is handling wear in the grip areas. The cylinder has light turn-wear. There are some scattered small marks. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Very Good Plus Condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this revolver. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This revolver comes in an original Colt 1950s hinge-lid black cardboard box with “Colt” in gold across the top, a green interior, and the original manual, warranty card, and “Handling the Handgun” brochure inside.
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. Manufactured from 1873-1941, the Single Action Army was discontinued by Colt as they tooled up to provide for the war effort in WW2. Colt also believed that the design was obsolete, as swing-out cylinder revolvers had been around for half a century, and autoloaders were gaining in popularity. The SAA most likely would have never been made again if not for the “cowboy craze” of the 1950s. Demand for Colt SAAs skyrocketed, and led Colt to reintroduce this American classic in 1956, birthing the 2nd Generation Colt Single Action Army.
This Rare, First Year Colt 2nd Gen SAA was made in 1956 and is in Very Good Plus Condition. It features a 5.5” barrel, 90% of its crisp, original blued finish, with some vibrant case coloring on the frame and loading gate, classic two-piece checkered black hard rubber grips with Rampant Colts in ovals at their tops, strong mechanics, a mostly bright bore with sharp rifling (there are a few spots of minor erosion), and an original Colt 1950s black cardboard box with the manual, warranty card, and “Handling the Handgun” brochure inside. The gun is chambered for the common .38 Special cartridge, so if you choose to shoot it, ammunition should be easy to find in a variety of loads. This is a gorgeous example of an early Colt 2nd Gen SAA, and a great relic of a halcyon era, the “mom and apple pie” 1950s.