tactical870
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Buckhorn, Ontario
Well I'm starting to think I need to consider buying myself an SAA for Christmas. What should I look for and what is a fair price? Caliber? It must be antique status...
Thinking of an SAA
- Thread starter tactical870
- Start date
Welcome to the club. 
.41 Colt has to be the most commonly available caliber for an antique SAA. I think Win 38-55 has one in .455 and Dingus has a few in other calibers like .44spl.
I have paid $2000-$3300 or so. All of them have needed to be timed, which isn't difficult to do. I got my parts from Peacemaker Specialists.
Another plus about these guns is availability of spare parts. My SAA guns will be going for another 100+ years.
.41 Colt has to be the most commonly available caliber for an antique SAA. I think Win 38-55 has one in .455 and Dingus has a few in other calibers like .44spl.
I have paid $2000-$3300 or so. All of them have needed to be timed, which isn't difficult to do. I got my parts from Peacemaker Specialists.
Another plus about these guns is availability of spare parts. My SAA guns will be going for another 100+ years.
I guess you need to decide weather its a shooter or collector shooter as in an original in 44 russian or 455 eley or a 45 colt redone to 45acp or 455 and original 455 or 44Russian will run you 6000. plus . I just bought a new made cylinder in 455eley cost me $275. canadian to get it here .
Here is a pic of my original in 455Eley I just timed the new cylinder to the gun so I'm not so scared to shoot it .You can buy a saa in 41 colt for around 2500.00 up here redone ones 44 special or 45acp seem to run between 3000.to 5000.
Here is a pic of my original in 455Eley I just timed the new cylinder to the gun so I'm not so scared to shoot it .You can buy a saa in 41 colt for around 2500.00 up here redone ones 44 special or 45acp seem to run between 3000.to 5000.
tactical870
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Buckhorn, Ontario
I'm leaning towards a 44 spl or 45 acp as I want to be able to shoot factory ammo. To build a 44 spl you would rechamber a 44-40 I assume? I've been looking at a number of 44-40's that don't seem unreasonable pricewise... I think I'd avoid 41 as it's tricky to load for....
Most SAA owners I know still download these calibers. By factory I assume you mean lead bullets beacause even if you have a modern cylinder you likely will have an old barrel and you will quickly obliterate any rifling with FMJ projectiles. Sorry, don't mean to be a wet towel, just saying.
tactical870
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Buckhorn, Ontario
Sorry, I don't know the answer to that one.
If it is bullseye type accuracy your after you might want to consider something like a WG. These can be bought considerable cheaper and with a good barrel these were known to outshoot some of the best revolvers of their period including Colt's SAAs.
Nonetheless SAA are fine revolvers, have a mystique of their own and if that is what you want, no one could reasonably fault you.
International Harvester
CGN Regular
- Location
- Republic of Saskatchewan
buy a new one from doc rowland. the dollar's at par.....
tactical870
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Buckhorn, Ontario
I am not interested in new SAAs, only antique status. Missed a nice one tonight on the EE....
If you want an antique with some good punch, some good calibers to consider are 44 Russian, 44 Special, and 45 Schofield. For an antique Colt SAA in excellent shooting condition (tight gap, no end shake, perfect timing) and in one of these larger bore calibers, it will be hard to find one under $4,000 and you might have to lay out almost $5,000 although anything is possible. If you are a good 'smith, then you might save a lot by buying a fixer-upper and restoring it, but if you have to rebore a cylinder, it might be a challenge to get all six holes perfectly spaced such that they all align perfectly with the cone. You have to be a good machinist to do that, I think.
tactical870
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Buckhorn, Ontario
The majority of the guns I have looked at are in the 4-5000 range. I would almost rather a remington 1875 but they seem scarce here and there are very few parts in Canada....
As I understand it if you have a certified antique if you alter it to shoot a modern cartridge you just pooched the antique status. Not so?
And there's the simple fact that you'd ruin the antique value of the gun by altering it in such a way even if it were possible... which it's not without producing a new cylinder or re-lining the old one.
Also you're two thou out. .44-40 is listed as using .427 size bullets while .44Spl uses .429 for cast lead. The tighter fit will raise the chamber pressure significantly and you won't know where the "last straw" occurs. Old antique black powder guns and their less fancy heat treating won't take kindly to such abuse.
Besides, it's not hard to find both .44-40 brass and bullets. So just jump in and reload your own. And may I suggest Pyrodex as the powder of choice since the residue it leaves is compatible with the lube used on "modern" cast lead bullets such as you can get from the Bullet Barn.
If you're just after a shooter then I don't see why you would not just buy a modern repro. It makes a lot more sense than to butcher an antique. If you want to shoot the antique then get one which can still be reloaded for and enjoy it for the gun it is rather than what you THINK it should be.
You are incorrect regarding your comment about modern cartridges and antiques. I suggest you read the stickies.
44-40 caliber handgun no matter how old can never be a prescribed antique in Canada(again see stickies) The main reason one would want to convert the caliber is so it can be recognized as a prescribed antique and enjoy the current legel benifits of antique ownership.
