Screw in front of frame on SAA???

[Boar]

On some SAA models there's a screw going into the frame at an angle under the barrel. Some don't have 'em? What is it? If you go to this website and scroll down to the guns you can see what I'm talking about...http://www.uberti.com/firearms/Cattleman.tpl. Thanks!

 

[Jim Watson]

It is the old style base pin retainer. Loosen it to take out the base pin and cylinder. In 1892 Colt went to the cross-bolt spring loaded retainer.

Various makers have brought back the "black powder frame" to have something a little different to sell.

 

[timothy75]

I prefer the old style and have never had a pin jump with one. When the west was wildest no one had the cross pin design yet. Like Jim said 1892 is when they switched and I believe the guns were in the 160,000 seriel number range. In case you dont know both styles made today are safe with smokeless and black powder.

 

[Hafoc]

...and furthermore, not all original "smokeless" frames were said to be safe with smokeless. Colt had been making the frames with the spring-loaded crosspin for a while before they started saying their SAAs were smokeless-rated. So the "blackpowder" and 'smokeless" names are only approximately correct.