COWBOY COLT 45 CALI HAVE

[JOHNACM]

I HAVE A COWBOY COLT 45. BOUGHT NEW ABOUT 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO. DOES ANYONE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE MODEL?

[Sagebrush Burns]

If I recall correctly, the Colt Cowboy uses the Ruger transfer bar ignition system and chemical case colors.  They are less expensive than SAAs, were only made for a couple of years and were not particularly well received.  This is all second hand "guess work" information, so take it for what it's worth...

[Shotgun Franklin]

Yep, Colt was wanting to get into the CAS market and the SAA was just to expensive for most shooters. The 'Cowboy' was Colt's failed attempt. I handled a couple of'm, never fired one. Wasn't to impressed with those I handled. There was a few who called'm the Fourth Generation Colt SAA but that didn't catch on either. I haven't seen one for sale in awhile. Brand new, unfired, in the box with papers MIGHT be worth hanging onto for 20 or 30 years to see if they become collecter's guns. I have a sneaking suspicion that there's a small warehouse full of'm somewhere. They sold like veggie burgers at a Texas BAR -B-QUE.

[Fox Creek Kid]

Made in Czechoslovakia.

[Goody]

Made in Czechoslovakia.

Where do you get this information? First I've heard in 15 years of being involed with CAS. What manufacturer?

[Pettifogger]

Where do you get this information? First I've heard in 15 years of being involed with CAS. What manufacturer?

Came from the same source that swears current production USFA's are still made in Italy.  It's known in the trade as BS.

[Fox Creek Kid]

Came from the same source that swears current production USFA's are still made in Italy.  It's known in the trade as BS.

I thought it was common knowledge that the Colt Cowboy frame was made in Czechoslovakia which said as much in the articles when it was first introduced as Colt does not use castings & the Cowboy frame is cast & has chemical case coloring which Colt also does not do. Finally, that is also why the MSRP was $599.  This was the same time that CZ made the Colt Z 40 which was a disaster:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=205456326

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

As stated, the Colt Cowboy was an attempt by Colt to compete with Ruger for a moderately priced Single Action revolver. It did feature a Ruger like transfer bar assembly. They are not the 'Fourth Generation'. The 'Fourth Generation' is a misnomer for those 3rd Gen SAA revolvers that reverted to having a removable cylinder bushing. According to collectors, there is no such thing as a 4th Gen, the true SAA is still in the 3rd Generation of production.

The problems with the Colt Cowboy were mostly related to QC in the early guns. They soon gained a reputation for poor quality, even though Colt corrected many of the problems in later production. But the Cowboy reputation was already ruined and sales were not good. Eventually, Colt stopped producing the Cowboy.

According to the Standard Catalog of Colt Firerarms, by Rick Sapp, Colt Cowboy production started in 1998. He does not give any total production numbers, nor does he state when production ended. He does say that 'parts for the cowboy were manufactured mostly in Canada and finished and assembled in the United States.

I had the opportunity to fire a pair of Colt Cowboys a few years ago. I saw no problems with them either as shooters or from a quality standpoint.

[Cliff Fendley]

I had one that the piece on the trigger that moves the transfer bar up break twice, the last time I had it fixed I sold it. It shot good and operated very smooth when it worked but it's a weak design.  A wantabee Ruger that wont hold a candle to a Ruger. Colt should be ashamed to have put their name on them.

If I had one that was new I would just put it up and see if it becomes a collector in about 20 or 30 years. I kinda wish I had kept mine but I was mad at it since it had let me down twice.

[St. George]

Colt and the Czech arms industry were trying to provide a low-cost competitor to the Vaquero.

Alas - even the color case-hardened  'finish' was like that of the clones and would come off, too.

By the time they figured out that Colt was better off making 'Colts' - the 'Cowboy' was on its way out.

That said - this is one of those things that will turn into a collectable, because of limited production - much like the little Colt 'Juniors' have - and those were made by Astra.

Unfired, boxed examples will turn into decent property if one waits long enough - but then - everything that's unfired and with its original packaging does that.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Shotgun Franklin]

When I'm 89 I'll go to a museum to see the valuable 'Colt Cowboy' collection. If I'm lucky I'll also see the huge collection of Raven .25 Autos.

[Old Doc]

I see them for sale sometime from $500 to about $800. I still have a copy of Shooting Times with an article on the gun, when it was first introduced. A friend has one, that he picked up at a gunshow that was somehow re-barreled with a Colt SAA barrel.