When Did Colt Single Action Change To Push Button Cylinder Pin

The Colt Single Action Army (also known as the Colt Peacemaker, Single Activeness Army, SAA, Model P and Colt 45) is a unmarried action revolver with a revolving cylinder holding 6 rounds, though lacking a safety switch normally only five rounds were kept chambered by the user. It was designed for the US government service revolver trials of 1873 by Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Visitor, today Filly'south Manufacturing Company, and adopted every bit the standard armed services service revolver until 1892.

The Colt Single Action Army has been offered in over xxx dissimilar calibers and various butt lengths. Its overall appearance has remained consistent since 1873. Colt has discontinued its product twice, but brought information technology back due to popular demand. The pistol was pop with ranchers, lawmen, and outlaws akin, but current models are mostly bought past collectors and reenactors. Its design has influenced the product of numerous other models from other companies.

History

Leap by the Rollin White patent (#12,648, April iii, 1855) and not wanting to pay a royalty fee to Smith & Wesson, Colt could not brainstorm development of bored-through revolver cylinders for metallic cartridge use until April 4, 1869. The Colt Single Action Army was designed for the The states authorities service revolver trials of 1873 by Filly's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Visitor and adopted equally the standard military service revolver. Its original moniker was the "New Model Army Metallic Cartridge Revolving Pistol".

The very commencement production Unmarried Activeness Regular army, serial number i, idea lost for many years after its product, was found in a barn in Nashua, New Hampshire in the early 1900s.

The .45 Colt cartridge was of eye fire design containing charges of upwards to of fine grained black powder and a edgeless round nosed bullet. Relative to flow cartridges and almost later handgun rounds, it was quite powerful in its full loading.

The Colt Single Action Army revolver replaced the Filly 1860 Army Percussion revolver and remained the master US military sidearm until 1892 when it was replaced by the .38 Long Colt caliber Colt Model 1892, a double action revolver with swing-out cylinder. Past the cease of 1874, series no. 16,000 was reached; 12,500 Filly Unmarried Action Army revolvers chambered for the .45 Colt cartridge had entered service and the remaining revolvers were sold in the civil market.

Variations 1873–1941

The Single Activeness Army became available in standard barrel lengths of 4¾", five½" as well every bit the Cavalry standard, original seven½". The shorter barreled revolvers are sometimes called the "Civilian" or "Gunfighter" model (4¾") and the Artillery Model (v½"). There was besides a variant with a sub 4" butt, without an ejector rod unofficially referred to equally the "Sheriff's Model", "Broker'south Special", or "Storekeeper"

From 1875 until 1880 Filly marketed a Single Activeness revolver in the .44 rimfire Henry caliber in a split number range from no. 1 to 1,863 .

A "Flattop Target Model" was listed in Colt'due south catalogs from 1890 to 1898. Filly manufactured 914 of these revolvers with a frame which was flat on the pinnacle and fitted with an adaptable leafage rear sight. The forepart sight consisted of a base with a interchangeable blade.

In 1896, at serial number 164,100, a springloaded base pin latch replaced the cylinder pin retaining screw and past 1900, at serial number 192,000, the Filly Single Activeness was certified for use with smokeless pulverisation. In 1920, larger, highly visible sights replaced the original thin bract and notch. The revolvers remained essentially unchanged from that point until cessation of manufacture at the commencement of World War II.

45 Filly cartridge variations

The beginning Colt Single Action Army revolvers were manufactured in .44 American caliber for the 1872 regime trials, as the .44 American was the cartridge used in the thousand Smith & Wesson Model iii revolvers issued to the troops. Later on the tests, the Colt was declared the superior revolver and the government specified that a .45 quotient cartridge would exist required. With the adoption of the Colt Single Action Army revolver in 1873, the service cartridges were Copper cased .45 middle fire Benét inside primed "Colt'south Revolver Cartridges" loaded with 30 grains of black powder and an within lubricated bullet of 250 grain. They were manufactured at Frankford Arsenal, Philadelphia, PA, through 1874. In 1875, the cartridge was shortened and then that it would also function in the newly adopted S & Westward Schofield revolver. It was designated "Revolver Cartridge" and loaded with 28 grains of black powder and a bullet of 230 grain. The Bénet primed cartridges were manufactured until 1882 and then replaced by reloadable cartridges with brass cases and external primers.

The original .45 Colt blackness pulverization load of forty grains propelled the 250-255 grain bullet at a nominal. Authors John Taffin and Mike Venturino have demonstrated that modernistic black pulverisation loadings of the 45 Colt cartridge frequently achieve velocities in the vicinity of with the 7½" "cavalry" butt length, even though modern solid-caput cases brand information technology impossible to load a full forty grains.Specifications for 20th-century smokeless loads set velocity with a round-nosed flat-point bullet at providing free energy.

The current version of the 45 Colt differs from the original cartridge instance in that the rim is significantly larger (with a groove immediately above it) and the internal aspect of the primer pocket is surrounded by solid brass instead of protruding into the powder bedroom. This "solid head" case is stronger and resists deformation of the primer pocket. Some commercial and custom revolvers and single-shot pistols (such as the Ruger Blackhawk, T/C Contender and others) employ loftier-pressure loads that are dangerous in the Unmarried Activeness Army and other vintage arms chambered for the 45 Colt cartridge, especially 19th-century "pre-smokeless" revolvers which should be fired (if at all) only with black pulverisation or light smokeless loads.

Prior to World War II, the 45 Colt used a groove diameter of .454"; mail service-WW 2 production adopted the .452" groove bore of the 45 ACP. Handloaders should slug their barrels to determine the correct groove diameter, and size cast bullets appropriately.

Calibers

By 1878 the Colt SAA was being offered from the factory in additional calibers for civilian and strange military sales. Many were sold in .44-twoscore Winchester Centre Fire (WCF), introduced in 1878 to allow cross-compatibility with the Winchester '73 lever activeness rifle; this model was called the "Colt Frontier Six-Shooter" which was etched and later roll-stamped on the left side of the barrel. Additional menstruum calibers for the SAA included .38-xl Winchester (38 WCF) introduced in 1884, the .32-20 Winchester (32 WCF) introduced in 1884, the .41 Filly introduced in 1885, the .38 Long Colt in 1887, the .38 Special and the .357 Magnum in the 20th Century. Some of the separately-serialized .44 Henry rimfire revolvers were rechambered to .22 rimfire after 1885. The SAA at once or another was offered in dozens of calibers from .22 rimfire to .476 Eley, though the .45 Colt has always been the most common. A scaled-down .22 rimfire version called the Scout or Frontier Scout was available in the late 20th Century.

Beginning-, 2nd-, third-generation Colt Single Action and major calibers

From 1873 through 1940 (with small numbers assembled during and afterward World War Two, the so called "Pre-War, Post-War" model), production of the Colt Single Action Army reached 357,859. This is identified as the "Pre State of war" or "Commencement Generation" of the model. Calibers, at least xxx in all, ranged from .22 rimfire through .476 Eley with approximately half or 158,884 (including Bisley and Flat Top Target variations), were in the .45 Colt chambering. The side by side most prevalent were the .44-40 Winchester Center fire (WCF) at 71,392; 38-xl (38 WCF) at 50,520; 32-20 Winchester (32 WCF) at 43,284 and, the 41 Filly at 19,676.

Second Generation Colt Single Action Army revolvers were produced from 1956–1974 and carried series numbers in the range of 0001SA to 73,205SA. About 400 of the Second Generation Colt Single Actions were manufactory engraved by Colt'southward, the mill engravers of the menstruation were Alvin Herbert, Earl Bieu, Dennis Kies, Robert Burt and Leonard Francolini. Ane of the nearly sought-after engravers who have worked on Colt revolvers was Alvin White and the store of A. A. White Engravers.

The Third Generation began in 1976 characterized past a change in barrel thread pitch and a solid cylinder bushing replacing the removable/replaceable part from the first and 2d generations. This Generation ran until 1982 as a limited-issue production with the series number range of SA80,000 to SA99,999. In 1994, production resumed with the increase in popularity of "Cowboy Activity Shooting". These models are known either as "Late Third Generation" or sometimes Quaternary Generation with the serial number convention changing yet once again starting with S02001A and continuing with the "S" prefix and "A" suffix to 2009. Colt currently offers the Single Action Army in 1 of 2 finishes: either an all-nickel or blued with color example-hardened frame; in the traditional 3 butt lengths: 4¾", 5½" and seven½"; and six chamberings: 32-20, 38-40, 44-40, .38 Special, 357 Magnum or 45 Colt; a total of 36 variations.

Operation

The Unmarried Activity Army action is a refinement of the earlier Colt percussion revolvers and the Colt 1871 cartridge revolver. The cylinder is mounted on a central axis and operated by a manus with a double finger whose more extended activeness immune the cylinder-ratchet to be cut in a larger circle, giving more torsional force to the cylinder. 3 notches on the face of the hammer engage the sear portion of the trigger, affording four basic hammer positions. The hammer when fully lowered rests within the frame. Fatigued slightly to the rear, the hammer engages the safety notch of the sear and holds the firing pin out of direct contact with a chambered cartridge. Similar the earlier percussion revolvers, the Unmarried Action Army was designed to allow loading of all of the chambers. The safety notch replaced pins on the rear of the percussion revolver cylinders which served the same purpose every bit the condom position by preventing hammer contact with the primer/percussion cap. Nevertheless, many users adopted the practice of leaving one empty sleeping accommodation under the hammer because a sharp accident could damage the mechanism and allow the fully loaded revolver to burn down. This practice is now universally recommended. Drawn back nigh one-half way, the hammer engages the second notch. This cams the cylinder commodities out of engagement and allows the cylinder to rotate for loading. Fully cocked, the revolver is ready to burn down. Cartridge ejection is via the bound-loaded rod housed in a tube on the correct side of the butt.

The loading sequence is as follows:

1. Place the revolver on half-erect and open the loading gate to the side;
2. Load each chamber in sequence (original), setting the hammer in the safe notch when finished; or (prophylactic and prudent method) load one chamber, skip the next, load the remaining four chambers, shut the loading gate, depict the hammer to total cock and lower fully, making sure that the firing pin is over the empty chamber.
3. Firing the revolver is accomplished past drawing the hammer to full cock and pulling the trigger. The hammer must exist manually cocked for each shot.

Information technology is possible to fire the SAA rapidly by holding down the trigger and "fanning" the hammer with the other mitt. While this is ofttimes shown in movies, information technology is inaccurate and unsafe and should not be attempted; it also tin can impairment the revolver machinery and cylinder, requiring expensive replacement. The U.S. Burn Arms Prophylactic and Instructional Transmission for Single Action Firearms describes prophylactic handling procedures and user responsibility.

The Colt Single Action Ground forces in the U.S. Army

All original, good condition, U.S. Cavalry and Artillery Single Action Armies (those produced between 1873 and 1891) are among the most valuable to the collector. Specially valuable, often going for well over $10,000, are the OWA (Orville Woods Ainsworth) and the rare Henry Nettleton inspected Single Action Army Colts. The OWA Colt refers to the earliest issued Single Activeness Army guns which were inspected by Orville W. Ainsworth. Ainsworth was the ordnance sub-inspector at the Filly factory for the first 13 months (Oct. 1873 to Nov. 1874) of the Unmarried Activity Army's production. Information technology was Ainsworth who inspected the Colts used by Col. Thousand.A. Custer's 7th Cavalry at the Battle of the Footling Bighorn. The number range of possible Picayune Bighorn Colts is 4500 - 7527.

Henry Nettleton was the U.S. Master Sub-inspector in 1878 at the Springfield Armory. Second only to the OWA Colts, Nettleton Colts are prized by serious collectors. Both the Nettleton and OWA Colts have the cartouche (OWA or HN) on the left side of the woods grip.

By the mid 1870s, the Army had purchased a meaning number of Smith and Wesson Schofield revolvers chambering a shorter .45 round. Logistical problems arose because the ammunition was not interchangeable. The Colt revolvers would accept the shorter circular just not vice versa. For a time, the Government stopped orders for the longer Filly cartridge and used the Smith and Wesson circular exclusively. The Southward & West Schofield was shortly retired and sold to the civil market.

The largest group of U.S.Colt Cavalry revolvers was inspected by David F. Clark, his D.F.C. cartouche volition exist encountered on revolvers inspected from 1880 to 1887.

During the year 1893, the .45 U.S. Colt Unmarried Action Ground forces revolvers were retired past the Cavalry and replaced by the .38 caliber Filly Model 1892 Double Activeness Army revolver. The .45 Single Action Army revolvers were nonetheless standard result to the Infantry, Arms and other branches of the U.South. Ground forces. In 1895-96, the Government returned 2000 SAA revolvers to Filly's to be refurbished; 800 were issued to the New York Militia with the 7 ½" barrel and 1200 were altered to a barrel length of five½". In 1898, 14 900 of the SAA revolvers were altered the same way past the Springfield Armory. The original records of the State of war Department practise refer to these revolvers with the shortened barrel as the "Altered Revolver". The proper name "Artillery" is really a misnomer, maybe considering the Light Artillery happened to be the first units to be armed with the contradistinct revolver.

The Artillery Single Actions were issued to the Infantry, the Calorie-free Artillery, the Volunteer Cavalry and other troops because the standard issue .38 caliber Colt Thou 1892 double-action revolver was lacking stopping-power. For that reason, the .45 Arms SAA Revolvers were used successfully by front end troops in the Castilian-American War and the Philippine-American War. Theodore Roosevelt's Crude Riders charged upward San Juan Loma wielding the 45 cal. Arms Model.

The Arms Model usually had mixed numbers. Information technology tin exist identified past the U.S. on the frame, the inspector's stamps on unlike parts (such as a tiny A for Orville W. Ainsworth, DFC, HN, RAC for afterwards inspectors and K for replacement parts) and the cartouche of Rinaldo A. Carr (RAC), the inspector who inspected the refurbished guns, on the grip.

The Filly Borderland Six Shooter

The Colt Frontier or Borderland Half dozen-Shooter was a Colt's 1873 "Model P" type revolver, manufactured in .44-40 Winchester caliber instead of .45 Colt (in which configuration it was called the Unmarried Activity Army), and so as to be cantankerous-compatible with Winchester Model 73 armament. Production began 1877. Colt Borderland Vi-Shooter was the actual name of the Colt pistol model, and this was acid-etched on the left side of the barrel. After 1889, the legend was ringlet-stamped until 1919, when the quotient designation ".44-twoscore" was added. Afterward Colts 1878 Double Action Army Model likewise wore this designation on the barrel when chambered in 44 Colt/44-40 Winchester. The Bisley 1895 Model was the final Colt to wear the Borderland Half dozen Shooter designation.

In the last half of the 19th Century it was very common for an individual to ain a long gun (rifle or carbine) and a revolver. The users of the .44-forty Winchester cartridge in the Far West appreciated the convenience of beingness able to carry a single caliber of ammunition which they could fire in both revolver and rifle. The Filly Frontier Six Shooter Revolver and the Winchester Winchester Model 73 or the Winchester Model 92 in .44-twoscore WCF caliber were one of the nigh common combinations seen in "the Old West".

The Bisley model

The Filly Bisley was introduced in 1894 equally a target pistol. The name Bisley came from the famous firing range in Bisley, England. The Bisley Colt can be distinguished in the longer grip, the wider hammer spur and the wide trigger. The distinguishing feature of the Target Models is the top strap, which is apartment and fitted with a sliding rear sight adjustable for windage merely. The front sight is a removable bract, which fits in the slotted base attached on the butt. The revolvers were supplied with unlike blades for elevation.

The Bisley mainspring is longer than the SAA mainspring and the two are not interchangeable; it is attached to the hammer with a stirrup via a forked upper end. The series numbers are stamped on the frame, the back strap and the trigger baby-sit strap; at the finish of production with tiny dies.

Bisleys were serial numbered in the range of 156300-331916, in the same sequence as the Single Action Army. All Bisleys after No. 161,376 had "BISLEY MODEL" with the caliber stamped on the left side of the barrel, which is rare for older Colt revolvers. The most common calibers were the .32-twenty, the .38-40, the .45 Colt, the .44-xl the .41 Colt and the British calibers .450 Eley and .455 Eley. A total number of 44,350 were manufactured. The production of the Bisley was terminated in 1912, only the serial No. 331916 was shipped after the 1st Earth War. Most Bisley Standard Model Revolvers were shipped to a United States address, not for target shooting but for cocky-defense because the grip and hammer were platonic for fast shooting.

Engraving

Colt engraved less than one pct of its get-go generation product of the Unmarried Activeness Ground forces revolver, which makes these engraved models extremely rare and valuable with collectors. Engraved pieces were oftentimes ordered past or for famous people of the day, including lawmen, heads of country, and captains of industry. This tradition began with the founder, Sam Colt, who regularly gave such examples away equally a means of publicity for Filly.

Colt employed a number of highly skilled engravers, many of whom were highly-trained artisans who immigrated to America from Europe. These artisans were besides known for inlaying aureate, silver, and precious stones in their work. Many of these engraved pieces were adorned with stocks fabricated of ivory or pearl with engraving and inlays too.

Legacy

The ability, accurateness and treatment qualities of the Unmarried Action Army fabricated information technology a pop sidearm from its inception and well into the 20th century. Such notable one-time west personalities as Wyatt Earp and William Barclay 'Bat' Masterson favored these revolvers with Earp's elusive and possibly apocryphal "Buntline Special" Filly Buntline gaining fame in the somewhat fictionalized Earp biography, Frontier Align, by Stuart N. Lake. An order for a somewhat customized Single Activeness Ground forces from Masterson remains in the Colt archives. The association with the history of the American W remains to the present century and the revolvers remain popular with shooters and collectors. Famed British charlatan and soldier T. E. Lawrence ("of Arabia") had a special fondness for this weapon because it saved his life during one of his pre-World State of war I trips to Mesopotamia; he was attacked by an Arab bandit who stole the gun and tried to shoot Lawrence. Notwithstanding, the bandit was unable to burn the weapon considering he did not sympathize the revolver's single-activeness machinery. Lawrence thereafter always carried one of these weapons for proficient luck. US Regular army General George S. Patton, who began his career in the horse-cavalry, carried a custom-made SAA with ivory grips engraved with his initials and an hawkeye, which became his trademark. He used it during the Mexican Castigating Expedition of 1916 to kill two of Pancho Villa'south lieutenants, and carried it until his death in 1945 shortly after the end of World War Ii.

In the early on and mid-20th century, original Peacemakers lacking historical provenance and not in pristine status were not particularly valuable. They served as raw material for early enthusiasts such as Elmer Keith, Harold Croft and R. F. Sedgley who modified the revolvers to enhance operation and experimented with more constructive ammunition. At the beginning of the 21st Century, first and second generation SAA's are highly regarded as collectors' items and frequently considered too valuable to shoot.

Afterward the 2nd Earth War, new involvement in the SAA started and firearms enthusiast William R. Wilson recognized the need and the opportunity. In 1953 Wilson founded the Great Western Arms Visitor to produce an almost-exact clone of the old Filly SAA for television and film westerns. The Peachy Western revolvers were 100% manufactured in Los Angeles.

Later Colt editions are more common, and various copies and near-copies of the revolver are made by A. Uberti of Italy, at present owned by the P. Beretta firm, and others. American manufacturers include Colt Manufacturing Company, which however retains the model in its catalog. U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. builds several variations that are true to the original start and second generation specifications. STI International has introduced a very precisely made Unmarried Action Army with a modified hand/spring assembly designed to last longer than the originals.

The Single Action Army is the forerunner and inspiration for mod sporting revolvers from John Linebaugh, Liberty Arms, Ruger, Cimarron, and others

External links

• Description of the Colt'south Double-Action Revolver, Caliber .45, Model of 1909, by United states of america War Section, Office of the Master of Ordnance, 1913
• Official Safety and Instruction Manual (.pdf)
• Modern Firearms
• Sixguns

Source: https://tremors.fandom.com/wiki/Colt_Single_Action_Army

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