$ Sold---------Colt (3rd gen) - .44spl - 7 1/2"

[Angryman]

This kills me, but I've got to sell one of the finest handguns I own. It's my first Colt SAA and is a .44spl, so I had to have it It will be $sold plus shipping. I paid much, much more than that. So the price is firm. I don't want any trades. Just need the cash. I'm just being upfront with you guys.

This is supposed to be hard to find. Colt SAA with a 7 1/2" barrel, in .44spl. I don't know that to be true, but 2 gunsmith's (top shelf) said so. But who knows.....

anyway,

This SAA has had 12 rounds shot through her. Pistol looks almost brand new. I think I could pass it off as unfired, but I would never, ever do that. I lost the box when a hurricane hit us last year (only the box and paperwork washed away from the garage) SAA was inside, so never touched water)..... Bummed, but I really only cared about the SAA.
The case coloring looks great. I'm just having a hard time capturing the colors in the pics. The bluing is deep and very nice. I used 7.5 grs of Unique under 240gr Oregon Trails SWC. Accuracy is perfect. I know there are some problems with some 3rd gen. Colt's. This is not one of them. I couldn't be happier.

I will add a couple of pics in this post. If anyone is interested, I'll be glad to email a slew of pictures. I tried to cover everything to make a buyer feel comfortable. You will love it. Photobucket drives me crazy, but feel free to add a visible pic if I monkey this up. LOL

Thanks for your time with my long winded babbling
Regards,
Paul
http://s306.photobucket.com/user/angryman29483/media/IMG_4591_zps58klamws.jpg.html

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn259/angryman29483/IMG_4591_zps58klamws.jpg
http://s306.photobucket.com/user/angryman29483/media/IMG_4610_zpspi3f1d8e.jpg.html
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn259/angryman29483/IMG_4610_zpspi3f1d8e.jpg
http://s306.photobucket.com/user/angryman29483/media/IMG_4593_zps54wmeggz.jpg.html]http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn259/angryman29483/IMG_4593_zps54wmeggz.jpg
http://s306.photobucket.com/user/angryman29483/media/IMG_4613_zpssfdm2jon.jpg.html
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn259/angryman29483/IMG_4613_zpssfdm2jon.jpg

 

[princeout]

Nice!
Tim

 

[Angryman]

Thanks brother! I always seem to mess up photobucket.

 

[Angryman]

Price drop to $Sold!

 

[Hondo44]

The vintage is very important to most Colt SAA buyers: removable cy pin bushing? Or can you supply a partial serial #?
Have you also listed here? http://www.coltforum.com/forums/single-action-army/

 

[Angryman]

Thank you Hondo. I appreciate the advice. I thought that just stating "3rd Gen" said it all (not trying to be funny). But this is my first ever Colt SAA.

So....

*Coming from South Carolina
*Serial number is = SA279XX (so it should be an early 3rd Gen)

I tried to date it on Colt's website, and it doesn't come up. All serial numbers match. 100% legit. I don't know why it wouldn't be available on Colt's website. I've been told that they are lacking a bunch of info.

I am a member of the Colt Forum, but don't have enough posts to do much. I'd rather sell it here than one of the auction site's.

But seriously Hondo. I appreciate your advice.
Best regards,
Paul

 

[Angryman]

 

[Hondo44]

That's a 1979 vintage, these had good quality control and finishing!

Here's my general guide to the 3rd gen Colt quality which has the greatest quality variances compared to the 1st and 2nd gen SAAs. Most Colt SAAs do not have an accuracy problem, they shoot good patterns, it's just that the point of impact is not always at the point of aim.

The very early 3rds with an SA suffix and early SA prefix are fine and compare well to late 2nd gens in quality still having the trigger guard bevel, and proper barrel address font (instead of the later .22 Peacemaker font), but alas, no cyl base pin bushing any longer.

The SA65XXX to SA705XX range 1983-85 (pre strike production, strike in 1986), is about the peak of the worst period; inspect very closely for:

Cyl end shake (fore and aft play), flattened hammer spurs, off center firing pins in the hammer, non-flush backstrap ‘ears’ to hammer base fitting, poor loading gate fit, crooked front sights, sloppy actions with more than four clicks, crooked rolled stampings on frame and barrel (sometimes patent dates are missing altogether), lousy case coloring, poor grip strap to frame fit, over polished edges or edges so sharp at front of frame you could cut yourself, etc., etc. The labor strike was in 1986. Now having said all that, I have found an occasional decent gun in that period.

After that period things start to improve with typically only one of those problems per gun but sometimes more, and sometimes none. The lousy backstrap 'ears' to hammer base fitting is still fairly common as are flattened hammer spurs. Once the SA in the serial number splits SXXXXXA in 1993, they continue to get better thru 1999.

Around #S26XXXA in 1999 the authentic removable base pin cyl bushing like 1st and 2nd gen guns is first re-introduced on the 2000 units made for the 125Th SAA Anniversary Model, with unused 2nd gen serial numbers. By post 2003 all production guns had it and cyl end shake is usually all but eliminated. Case colors really improve as well as fitting. Hammer spurs are correct as well as most backstrap ‘ears’ to hammer base fit. Now the guns are approaching late 2nd gen quality and do to this day. However the trigger guard/front grip strap still does not have the bevel of the 1st, 2nd and early 3rds with SA suffix or the wide loading gates of the 1st gen and early 2nd gen, and probably never will again. The 2nds never had the 2 line short barrel address, although it is a shorter single line address than the other barrel lengths, or the 1/2" radius cyl flutes of the 1st gen. Even the post 1934 1st gens lost the case colored hammers and all vestiges of the front cyl chamfer. At least three pre c. 1936 features can be special ordered now on 3rd gens; CCH hammer, the 2 line barrel address on short barrels and the cyl chamfer (but it's not accurately done). Of course there's a one to two plus years wait.

 

[Angryman]

Awesome info! Thanks brother

 

[Armybrat]

Very nice .44 Special you got there. Wish I had the $$ at the moment, or we would be talking. But I just got through depleting the gun kitty.
At that price, your Pony wouldn't last very long on the Colt Forum - plus it is a desirable caliber. Too bad about losing the box though. At least you still have the sweet gun. Good luck with selling it.

My Colt SAA .357 Magnum looks just like your .44 Special. It is serial #SA15xxx and was made in early 1979. Can't find anything much wrong with it at all.

 

[KLNC]

PM sent.

 

[Angryman]

And replied to.

Looks like it's Sold Pending Funds. Thank you my friend.
(OUCH)(my heart)

 

[Angryman]

Armybrat,

That's a beauty. It's a twin of my .44 for sure

 

[CraigC]

I was fighting some serious temptation on this one!