confirming age of an SAA

sportee

sportee

Regular
Rating - 100%
15   0   0
Barrel address is correct - "COLT'S PT F.A. MFG Co HARTFORD CT USA"

Frame has correct dates-

PAT SEPT 19 1871
" JULY 2 - 72
" JAN 19 - 75

Serial number is too worn...only two maybe three digits are slightly visible on the frame. Numbers are completely worn off the backstrap and trigger guard.

It has the cylinder pin retaining screw rather than the button catch.

If my reading is correct Colt replaced the screw with the button in 1892...

So, given the patent dates and the screw this should be between 1875 and 1892?

The barrel doesnt have the "FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER" mark on it nor does it have the caliber markings...when did colt start stamping the cal on the barrel and when did they change the barrel address?

After a little more reading it looks like colt started puting the "FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER" on the barrels in 1877...This may narrow the date a bit...between 1875 and 1877...maybe. Of course the early ones were etched rather than stamped so it may just be worn off...

Any other ways to narrow down the date?
 
Last edited:
My colt has them 3 line patent dates and its ser # is in the 133,000s so get the Date of Manufacture lists from Coltparts.com and that will help narrow it down some.
I think.
 
Looking at the photo there is no way that 6 digits can fit on the frame. They are larger numbers and the two that sho are exactly centered...so if digits are worn off I cant say its more than a 4 digit s/n
 
Hey sounds like a Mexican Copy Be carefull Sportee theres lotsa Copys out there.
COLT did not use BIG #s im pretty sure they were always the same size.
 
Most 2 digit #ers will be "pinched sight" models (very desirable)
Any SAA with 3 line pat date will be #32000 & up. In 1890 they started using the 3 dates in two lines with the circled rampant colt stamp.
Colt used numerous barrel adress's from 74 onward (Started using two line address on all 4.75" barrels only in 1880)
Around 1880 (around ser. 40000)colt started to mark some with the caliber on the left side of the barrel. Before that on all guns and even a lot after that it was marked in small # under the barrel and on the left side of trigger gaurd. Some 45's between #73000 and 122000 had no barrel markings. Most barrels were marked on left side after #135000(about 1990).
You are right about the cyl. release pin being started about 1896.

Other than the Ser # being troublesome to authenticate I would say the gun was born sometime between 1885 to 1888.
Dingus may very well be right on it being bogus. With gun in hand there are a lot of other checks can be made to authenticate it.
I think Colt Frontier Sixshooter was only used on 44-40 guns (again after 1880 & # 40000 &above).
 
It kinda fits the bill for the 44henry models that went south. They were made from 1875 to 1890-something... these models were the only ones with their own serial number range starting at number 1. So given the 2 digit s/n and the fact that it has all 3 patent dates, and the story that it came from south of the border...it could be one of these guns. Im told its chambered in 44 colt so it could be a converted RF model...im asking for pics of the hammer pocket to see if its got the slot for the rimfire pin.

...Its probably one of those copies but you never know...:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom