New 3rd Gen. Colt SAA

[Frank V]

There is a lot of interest in the Colt SAA myself included. I love them.
I'm wondering if those who have & use the 3rd gen. Colts think they are a good gun & if you use them more than occasionaly?
I'd like hearing about your experiences.

I'll start off, I use one regularly & really like it. I've taken a lot of small game with it & carry it a lot when in the hills.
The fit & finish, lockup, & looks are great. Probably as important as anything the gun hits where it looks.
I LIKE IT.    Others opinions?
Thanks.

[Isom]

I've got a pair of early model 3rd gen. 44-40's. Got them in 98-99 for shooting in SASS. they had issues,, so went back to my Rugers. Finally got the issues cleared up and shot them mostly, 3-4 times a month. Almost retired my Rugers In '09 I started shooting B/P, so I had to get new guns. Everyone knows once you shoot smokeless in a gun ,, you can't shoot B/P in them ,,,,, it'll mess them up. Soooo you have to buy "new" guns. "That's my story and I'm sticking to it"    I got a pair of late 3rd gen. Colts in 38-40. I took them apart, cleaned and lubed them for B/P. I only shoot 1 maybe 2 times a month now, but they just soldier on. Got a pair of 32-20's in '10 so's I could round out the set, once in a while with them. I've got a 45 Colt but it's 2nd gen. So, that's almost 10 yrs with the 44-40's ,,, 5 yrs with my 38-40's and no problems. "I LOVE MY COLTS" 
Isom Dart

[Sagebrush Burns]

I have seven 3rd gen Colts, four SAAs and three New Frontiers.  They all get used.  SAAs for cowboy action shooting, NFs for for field use.  I like 'em all.

[Shotgun Franklin]

I own two and carry one on occasion. I've killed deer with one and no telling how many rabbits. They shoot as well as any gun I've owned. The only thing I'd change? I'd rather have the BP type frame.

[yahoody]

I have a few.  All in 45.  Shoot at least one or two several times a week.  All of them have been good enough to cut cards with at a distance where I can still see a card's edge in bright sunlight.  It aint far and I have to work at it...7 yards or so... but it's fun anyway.

Love my Colts.  This gun is from early '14 production.

[Frank V]

Yahoody

That is a beautiful Colt a true BBQ gun  & nice shooting.
Thanks for sharing

[Hondo44]

I'm often asked about 3rd gen quality. My experience and thoughts with 3rd gen Colts:

Most Colt SAs do not have an accuracy problem, it's just that the point of impact is not always at the point of aim. That can be adjusted however. Here's a general guide to the 3rd gen Colts which have the greatest quality variances compared to the 1st and 2nd gen single actions.

The SA46XXX to SA05XXX range 1981-86, is about the peak of the worst period. I'll try to put a bracket on it: The very early 3rds with an SA suffix are fine and compare well to late 2nd gens in quality if not features like the trigger guard bevel, cyl base pin bushing, et.al.

Starting about 1980 # SA3XXXX range thru about 1989 #SA94XXX, inspect very closely for:

Cyl end shake (fore and aft play), flattened hammer spurs, off center firing pins in the hammer, bad backstrap to hammer base flush fitting, crooked front sights, sloppy actions with more than four clicks, crooked rolled stampings on frame and barrel (sometimes patent dates are missing altogether), lousy case coloring, poor grip strap to frame fit, over polished edges or edges so sharp you could cut yourself, etc., etc. The labor strike was in 1986. Now having said all that, I have found an occasional decent gun in that period.

After that period things start to improve with typically only one of those problems per gun but sometimes more, and sometimes none. The lousy backstrap 'ears' to hammer base fitting is still fairly common as are flattened hammer spurs. Once the SA in the serial number splits SXXXXXA in 1993, they continue to get better thru 1999.

At #S26XXXA in 1999 the authentic removable base pin cyl bushing like 1st and 2nd gen guns is re-introduced and cyl end shake is all but eliminated. Case colors really improve as well as fitting. Hammer spurs are correct as well as most backstrap ears to hammer base fit. Now the guns are approaching late 2nd gen quality and do to this day. However the trigger guard/front grip strap still does not have the bevel of the early 3rds with SA suffix or wide loading gates of the early 2nd gens and probably never will again. The 2nds never had the 2 line short barrel address or 1/2" radius flutes of the 1st gen, and even the late 1st gens lost the case colored hammers and all vestiges of the front cyl chamfer. At least three pre c. 1936 features can be special ordered now on 3rd gens; CCH hammer, the 2 line barrel address on short barrels and the cyl chamfer, but it's not accurately done. Of course there's a one year plus wait.

The last three rows in the photo below are my carefully chosen 3rd gens. Those indicating USFA 1st gen cylinders with base pin bushings have them to correct Colt's cyl fit/finish issues. Left to right, then down:

1st row are 1st gen.
2nd row are 2nd gen.

3rd row:
1979 SA suffix 45 unfired,
1984 Sheriffs 44 S/44-40 convertible 2 pc ivory,
1986 45 Storekeeper w/USFA 1st gen cyl w/bushing factory OSBH (one side blind hole) ivory,

4th row:
1984 44 spl,
1984 44 Spl w/USFA 1st gen cylinder w/bushing,
1992 38-40,

Last row Turnbull Colts;
1998 .45 125th SAA Anniversary numbered in the 2nd gen 70,000 serial range, removable bushing, finished by Turnbull for the factory w/1 piece ivory,
1998 .44-40 Turnbull finished, serial # DT 44,
2005 .45 Factory engraved, removable bushing, sent to Turnbull for finish then back to Colt.



Jim

[Frank V]

I would buy a 3rd gen. Colt if I could look at it or had return option.
The new ones I've seen are good ones.

[Hondo44]

I would buy a 3rd gen. Colt if I could look at it or had return option.
The new ones I've seen are good ones.

Frank,

You probably were looking at the most recent 12 years of production which are pretty nice quality.
Go to this thread with 3rd gen serial numbers and you can tell what vintage you're looking at:
http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,45382.0.html

[Frank V]

Frank,

You probably were looking at the most recent 12 years of production which are pretty nice quality.
Go to this thread with 3rd gen serial numbers and you can tell what vintage you're looking at:
http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,45382.0.html

Yup, the latter Colts I've seen are pretty nice.
  Thanks for that list.

[yahoody]

Frank, thought I'd add this to the conversation specifically for you.   I have 4 nickeled 3rd gens I bought sight unseen.

I am pretty picky about the guns I keep.  Hammer/ back strap blending in particular and how they shoot.  I do my own triggers and recut the forcing cones.

But the 4 are bertween , SA26xxx (2), SA29xxx, (1979) SA34xxx (1980).  All are nice guns.

Also have a pair of blue and case guns in the SA96xxx (1991) range that are very nice.  More importantly they all shoot well/well enough for, which aint easy.  Most won't without some additional work.

No question there are some really bad Colt's out there but doesn't seem to take a lot of looking either to find a nice one.

I had aspired to only buy the newer guns with a removable cylinder bushing.  But some of the earlier SA guns have won me over as well.  To the point now while still a consideration it isn't a deal breaker.  But do really like the older bushing design better.

[Frank V]

Yahoody

I'm with you I don't think it takes a lot of looking at Colts to find nice ones. Most of the bad fit & fitting that we are worried about can be seen with a good looking over. Timing can also be checked & all notches on the hammer usually checked by handling. Will they hit to poing of aim? That can only be answered by shooting as long as the bbl is on straight & sights not bent. It can also be fixed sometimes by adjusting the load to the gun. If the seller won't let me cock the gun after I explain to him how to properly handle a Colt, I'll pass.
Someday I'd like a nickle SAA, maybe one day.
Thanks for the info.