Looking for info on a special USFA Colt SAA

[durgadas311]

I'm researching a USFA six-shooter for a friend. This one is a Colt SAA 5.5" Army grips chambered in .44-40. It has a serial number in the (low) 59xxx range. It has custom carved ivory (yes, real ivory) grips, which may or may not be original. The grips depict the patterns used on the TV show "The Adventures of Brsico County Jr", but we don't know if these were made for the show or later on in remembrance. I don't have any pictures of the whole gun right now, but here are the grips. Any information about when this was manufactured and if the grips might be original would help. Thanks.

[Coffinmaker]

  Well to Begin

Just FYI, the gun in question is not a "Colt SAA 5.5"  Colt SAA is a registered trademark of Colt.  Anything else is just a Single Action Replica.

What your friend has is a USFA Single Action in 44-40.  The probability the Carved Ivory Grips are OEM is near non-existent.  On a Five-n-Half inch gun, Army Pattern grips would be an option.  Value (artificial) for USFA guns has gone through the roof due to collector interest.  You might better visit "Gun Broker" for an idea of the asking price.

[durgadas311]

Thanks, but not really interested in setting a price. We're interested in determining how this gun is related to the TV show. It was purchased from an estate sale of a (supposed) "Hollywood producer", but we have no more information. I was hoping the serial number might give some idea of the circumstances under which the gun was made, and when. And any thoughts about custom-carved ivory being done in the period 1990-2010. If USFA did not (ever) do custom grips as part of their custom gunsmithing, that would be good to know definitively.

[St. George]

More like 'custom molded' from one of several 'faux ivory' suppliers - they did all manner of 'Eagle', 'Nude', 'Steer', 'Bison' and - like yours - 'Asian'.

You could fit them yourself or sometimes the maker would do so.

Scouts Out!

[durgadas311]

Note, these grips are not plastic or faux. They are real ivory and carved. I'd be inclined to believe they pre-date the gun, except that they fit so precisely.

[durgadas311]

I was able to get some confirmation from Gary. This serial number range is for the Gunslinger models, and based on "several hundred" being made this one falls roughly into the first third of those. I'm guessing mid-late 1990s. He also confirmed that the grips would not have come from USFA. I did not ask whether USFA would have made a gun to fit existing grips, so am assuming these grips were created well after the show ended. But they must have been made with the original grips as a reference, to be this close. Still not known why ivory was chosen, other than the obvious esthetics.