Need a Good 1873 SAA Copy

[charles isaac]

Mec, those pistols you are posting pictures of are all very nice nice. Mine looked almost that good when I got it but the barrel, cylinder and ejector tube got worn down to the metal pretty quick and the cylinder got a circle worn around where the catch stops it.

How do you keep them so nice? Thanks for posting those pictures. I have not seen many of those guns that look as good as yours do.

 

[William Manns]

Colt action

I have a (never fired) Colt (copy) SAA , .45 cal, 7 1/2" barrel. This gun was made in the early 60s by Great Western Arms Co. of LA, Calif. I can email pictures if you have interest. I think they went out of business in 64. They made the first Colt SAA replicas starting in the early 50s. A great looking gun. $900.

 

[mec]

One important factor is that I don't holster carry them very much. Another are these holsters a friend makes and lines with fake fleece. They don't rub the finish off at all. I'm not sure how durable the lining is but I've carried a 60 army and 62 navy in one of them for quite a while

The cylinder ringing can be avoided by proper loading and cycling techinique if the revolver is well timed to begin with. (load one, skip one, load four- hammer all the way back and down on an empty chamber.)

 

[charles isaac]

I loaded mine with the method you describe. I learned from an oldtimer that actually carried one as a policeman.

He liked the way it pointed and the speed of the first shot. After he shot a guy that already had his gun pointed at him, he would never give up his Colt for a modern swing out revolver!

He died back in the early 80's and I will never forget the tricks he taught me. He would file a notch in the rim of a cartridge and lower the hammer in between 2 chambers and I have never met anyone that knew this method and they always said it was dangerous.

I never carried mine that way because I figured 5 shots was good for anything I had to do, like a back up for my deer gun, camping or walks in the woods.

 

[mec]

I haven't heard of that either. He was imitating the old hammer notch/safety pin system from the percussion revolvers.

 

[joab]

He would file a notch in the rim of a cartridge and lower the hammer in between 2 chambers

Old old school

 

[Musketeer]

He died back in the early 80's and I will never forget the tricks he taught me. He would file a notch in the rim of a cartridge and lower the hammer in between 2 chambers and I have never met anyone that knew this method and they always said it was dangerous.

I assume you meant CYLINDER and no CARTRIDGE. As stated he was depending on that little notch to keep the cylinder from revolving all the way to place a loaded round under that uncocked hammer. That is a lot of faith to put in a little home made notch... There is no use trying to convince some old timers though.

Needless to say, don't do that!

 

[Jim Watson]

I have heard of lowering the hammer with the firing pin between two cartridge rims, like a C&B's "safety pin" but do not consider it very secure. I think Freedom Arms or the early big North Americans had dimples in the rear cylinder face for the purpose.

I read Skeeter Skelton about the load one skip one ritual a long time ago, but would only do it with factory loads in a clean gun. I like to be able to roll the cylinder to check for high primers, thick rims, or fouled chambers before I let the hammer down on the empty. Seen too many CAS shooters tie up guns by not checking for free rotation.

 

[charles isaac]

One was pretty promising, had a 6" barrel but it was a .38.

Most of the single actions I am finding are .38s. Why have so many people bought these in .38?

.45s are not that hard to handle and these .38 guns are heavier. Heavier and less power seems very odd to me.

One pawn shop guy said there are a lot of these used in .38 because the people that used them graduated to a .45 or .44 after gaining enough experience with the low powered gun.

The prices on the used guns have been very reasonable so far. I especially like the USFA guns because they seem to have the feel of a good quality pistol and look exactly like my old Colt did.

 

[mec]

light loaded 38s are popular with gamesmen in the Cowboy action matches. Less recoil and they can shoot faster.

 

[charles isaac]

Quote:
The Army grip frame is no problem; repros are available and will run around $120 for the two parts. The one-piece stocks will cost another $40-50.

Sir:
I found a whole Colt 1860 for $125. This must be some kind of a crazy good deal if the grip and triggerguard is $160-$170!

 

[charles isaac]

OK, the grip on this 1860 Army is NOT the same size as the 1860 grip that was on the Colt SAA I used to own. It is much SMALLER.

Why is this new gun smaller?

So far, recreating the custom gun I used to own is not working out.

 

[Jim Watson]

One theory is that the clone labs took castings of original parts to make moulds for repros, but the materials used shrank when cured, so the parts based on them are undersize.