Colt Single Action Army Third Generation .357 Magnum, 7.5-inch, Blued/Case-Hardened, 1981, SA-Prefix
This 1981 Third Generation Colt Single Action Army is a .357 Magnum with the classic 7.5-inch Cavalry-length barrel and SA-prefix serial. It wears a deep polished blue on the barrel, ejector housing, and cylinder, with a color case-hardened frame and smooth walnut grips with gold Colt medallions. The bore is excellent, and the revolver comes with its factory woodgrain box with matching end label, a period Colt manual, and an extra set of checkered grip panels.
Condition
Overall Condition: Very good condition, showing only light, superficial signs of prior handling or use.
Bore Overall Condition: Excellent - Clean, mirror finish, no signs of wear.
Bore Rifling: Excellent Rifling - Sharp lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: There are minor, superficial scratches and blemishes on the exterior surfaces. The included Colt factory box is damaged.
What’s Included
- Colt factory woodgrain cardboard box with matching end label (SAA .357 Magnum, 7 1/2" barrel, Blue)
- Colt instruction manual (orange, 1978 Colt Industries)
- Additional checkered grip panels (not installed)
Built in the United States in 1981, this Third Generation SAA features the SA-prefix serial associated with the era and the design updates of the time, including altered barrel threads and a solid cylinder bushing. It retains the traditional Model P grip frame profile and classic Single Action Army handling characteristics.
The revolver is configured with a 7.5-inch barrel, six-shot fluted cylinder, and a right-side loading gate. A full-length ejector housing with a round, checkered ejector-rod head supports positive extraction. Sighting is via a fixed blade front and a fixed rear notch integral to the topstrap.
Finish and materials are period-correct: deep polished blue on the barrel, ejector housing, and cylinder, paired with a color case-hardened steel frame. The hammer sides are bright-polished for contrast. The barrel and cylinder are carbon steel, and the overall fit and finish align with factory production of the period.
Factory markings include the top-of-barrel address "COLT’S PT. F. A. MFG. CO.
HARTFORD, CT. U.S.A." and the left-barrel rollmark "COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY .357 MAGNUM." The revolver is fitted with two-piece smooth walnut grips inset with gold Colt medallions.
This example comes with a Colt factory woodgrain box bearing a matching end label for SAA .357 Magnum, 7 1/2" Blue, along with an orange Colt Industries manual dated 1978 and an additional set of checkered grip panels that can be installed if preferred.