Colt SAA info?

O

OsageStick

Inactive
First post and I need some help.

I inherited from my father a 2nd Gen Colt SAA (unfired, still in original box).

Local gun shop thinks grips are not original because they are a plain jane walnut with no Colt medallion. Does anyone know of a reliable online source of Colt info or does anyone know if plain grips could be original? I think they are original.

I guess I could spend $100 to get an archive letter from Colt.

Thanks
 
save your money. most of the colt letters don't specify stocks. I'm guessing that you have the 2pc walnut grips, which were available on that gun. post or email me a picture and i'll tell you for sure.
if you give me the serial # i'll tell you when it was made. you can XX the last 2 numbers. don't need 'em.
sounds like the local gun shop is trying to lowball the value of the gun.
jmho

btw, welcome to the forum!
 
Here it is:

ColtSAA001.jpg


ColtSAA002.jpg


Ser # SA556XX

Thanks
 
Thanks for the info.
The gun shop told me it was a 2nd generation but it wasn't in the original box (wood grain box should not have a 2nd generation gun).
Well the reason the box "didn't match" is because it's a 3rd Generation so it does match. The serial # and the description is on the end flap of the box.

Thanks again. I'm glad to have this cleared up even though I've decided to keep it rather than sell it.
 
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1976 was the beginning of the 3rd generation guns.
I don't know how well you know that dealer, but either he doesn't know colts too well, or he was trying to steal the gun away from you. there's a considerable difference in price for a NIB vs a LNIB without the original box, even on the 3rd gen guns.
 
I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he doesn't know Colt's that well or can't decipher his book.

To his credit, he suggested I not sell the gun.
 
I would say the grips are factory as I bought a NIB 3rd generation nickel SAA in 1981 and it has the same grips - no medallion.
 
I think the nickel finish is the difference. Many if not most recent nickel plated SAAs have wood grips, few of the blue guns.
 
I think the nickel finish is the difference.
Click to expand...

I believe you are correct Jim, as the blue SAA that I bought at the same time has the black rubber grips. Thanks for correcting my lapse in memory.
 
I am bringing this post back up with another question.

As I said earlier, I inherited this gun from my dad who was meticulous about his guns (competitive bullseye handgun shooter, high power rifle and skeet). I did not know he even had this gun until he died. The box had a note "unfired" and his original receipt.

I am not a collector, in fact I'm primarily a traditional/primitive bowhunter but I enjoy shooting firearms including some other guns I inherited. Now this "unfired" note is bugging me. Am I being stupid to just shoot it? My dad must have thought "unfired" was important but I hate to see it just sit around and eventually passed on to my four daughters who have zero interest in it other than Grandpa owned it.

Am I better off selling it and getting something else that I would feel better about shooting? I've got my eye on a couple of others: SW 686+, maybe a big .44 mag revolver to carry on my dream hunt: Alaskan moose with a bow.
 
If you are going to sell it, unfired would normally get you more money. Since you inherited it, I would shoot it and enjoy the gun. I personally would get some +P 45 Colt loads and forget the .44 mag. The price is going up on all Colt single actions everyday so the longer you keep it the more it is going to be worth anyway. Check out the price on some of those old beat up first generation Colts.
 
Thanks.
After a little gun sales research and a little soul searching I decided to buy some ammo, keep it and shoot it.

There seem to be so many models and variations of this gun that it would probably be a miserable experience for me to sell it. Besides it has a nice feel to it and my dad would probably want me to enjoy it.
 
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