Colt Single Action Army First Generation Black Powder Frame .44-40, 4.75" Barrel, 1883 Manufacture, Factory-Lettered (Shipped 1886)
This First Generation Colt Single Action Army is an antique, black powder frame revolver in .44-40 Win., manufactured in 1883 and documented by a Colt factory archive letter. The letter confirms shipment on October 25, 1886 to E. C. Meacham Arms Co. in St.
Louis, Missouri, as part of a lot of 25. Notably, the factory letter specifies an original 7.5" barrel; the revolver is now fitted with a 4.75" barrel.
Condition
Overall Condition: Fair condition, showing extensive signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Condition: Fair - Generally clean, some residue or smudges, slight corrosion.
Bore Rifling: Fair Rifling - Worn rifling, slight loss of definition.
Specific Condition Notes: There is rust and pitting throughout the metal surfaces and within the bore. The grip panels are loose, and the screw securing them does not appear to be original.
What’s Included
- Colt factory archive letter (dated April 29, 1981)
Built on the early black powder frame, this SAA features the screw-retained cylinder base pin associated with first-generation production. It retains fixed sights with a topstrap groove rear and a fixed front blade, a fluted six-shot cylinder, and a bullseye-style ejector rod head. The frame shows a color case-hardened finish with blue on other components, and it wears checkered black hard rubber grips with Rampant Colt oval panels. There is no lanyard ring.
The barrel currently measures 4.75" in length, while the included Colt factory letter specifies the revolver originally shipped with a 7.5" barrel. The barrel bears the one-line Hartford address, and the frame carries three-line 1871–72–75 patent dates, consistent with early SAA markings.
Chambered in .44-40 Win., this revolver’s bore measures approximately 0.424 inch. Because the present barrel length does not match the configuration listed in the factory record, caliber/bore verification by a qualified gunsmith is recommended before use.
Provenance is clearly documented: the revolver is factory-lettered as shipped on October 25, 1886 to E. C. Meacham Arms Co., St. Louis, MO, in a lot of 25. This provides a traceable history within the 1880s era of First Generation production.