List of 1873 SAA calibers?

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Depending on where you read, the Colt 1873 Single Action Army was produced in 30 (or31) different calibers.  I know some were unusual (i.e. .476).  I used to have the list, but can't find it.  Anyone have a link to the list?

Thanks in advance.

[G Dog]

This thread has at least a partial list -


https://www.coltforum.com/forums/single-action-army/66315-th-36-calibers-colt-saa.html

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Thanks.  I was specifically wondering about .44 Colt with the .451" heeled bullet.  I talked to someone many years ago who had a 1st gen in .44 Colt.  The Bore was .450"ish and the cylinder may have been a 44 Russian bored through.  He had a second cylinder for 45 Colt.

[The Pathfinder]

44 Colt in the SAA is one of those calibers that seem to bring disagreements among the collectors. Some argue that they never existed and others point out listings in the ledgers that say 44C. Then as you say, you've actually seen one. Close as I've come is a picture in one of the reference books that shows one that was sent to Winchester, I guess as a test gun for their cartridges? Either way I don't imagine there were very many of them. I've always thought you could probably build one up using a second gen .45 barrel and boring out straight thru a 44 Spec cylinder. I believe USFA offered a 44 Colt, but it was for the modern incarnation of the ctg, as the barrel was .429 according to Gary G.

[Coffinmaker]

  I got nothin

[Tascosa Joe]

David M. Brown wrote a book called the "36 Calibers of the Colt".   I know there were fewer than 36 as some of the British calibers were in his book did not exist and he mistakenly used a reference to barrel length as a caliber, i.e. .450 Boxer long and short.  That drops the list to 34.  There are some inconsistencies in his claims and research.  I am not at home to look at the book, but I do not remember a reference to a pistol in .44 Colt caliber.  I will check latter today or tomorrow.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

It was pretty cool. It had a shorter barrel (don't remember how long specifically), no finish with matching patina on both cylinders.  He speculated that someone already had a conversion in .44 back in the day, and wanted a matching 1873, He had some original rounds of both 45 and 44 for it.  Considering people did not readily get rid of things that worked well back then, it is not too far fetched a thought.  It was impossible to say if the .44Colt cylinder was original, or if it was a minor caliber like .44 Russian bored through.

The .44 Colt round, after all, was a fairly decent round - especially the Frankford Armory .44 Martin load: 225 grain bullet and 30 grains of powder.

[Tascosa Joe]

I checked the Brown Book and he does not list the .44 Colt as one of his 36 Calibers.  Although as I have stated before some of his research may have been flawed, but if there was any indication in factory records, or if he had found a pistol that possibly fit the description he would have included it in his book.  I doubt if the dual cylinder Colt you described was built by the factory.