The more things change...

[Wyoming Shooter]

My girlfriend's uncle is Richard "Dick" Burdick, a preeminent Colt Single Action Army (SAA) collector. I met him 06/01/2019 in his home town - Meeker, CO. Although I am more shooter than collector and more S&W than Colt, we had a fascinating discussion about the SAA. Dick's specialty is SAAs with "provenance". An example is his piece on Bat Masterson's last SAA. I was struck by Masterson's order which stated in part "Make it very Easy on trigger and Make front Sight rather high and thick." The more things change...

[M2CattleCo]

No no no. That's all wrong. You're supposed to master a long gritty 7lb trigger to really tactically manage the hell out of a threat.

[M2CattleCo]

If your girlfriends uncle has any suggestions on where to send a Colt for some action work I'd be all ears. I'm hesitant to send 'em out as I want 'em done right the first time. Fairly recent 3rd gen 45s.

[UncleEd]

The Masterson letter to Colt, I believe, stated he wanted the barrel
to end at the ejector housing (making it a 4.75 inch model) and
definitely nickeled as that made the actions smoother and the gun's
finish more durable.

Supposedly Masterson said that six SAAs were in order for the
frontier: Two in holsters, two being sweetened and two in
reserve. This reflected how the soft iron tended to wear,
making the guns less durable during regular use.

Of course, Masterson reportedly in his newspaper days in
New York used to buy SAAs from the local stores to sell
as the "genuine" guns he carried on the frontier.

[Coal Train]

Very cool story. I had heard that about Bat before. I think Colt recently (last few years) did a Bat Masterson edition SAA based on that description.

[Totem Polar]

Sounds like what Bat really wanted was my 50th anniversary Blackhawk.

[Dave T]

In all the reprints or copies of Masterson's letter I've read he specifies the barrel should end at the ejector housing. That would make his request for a 4-3/4" barrel rather than the 5-1/2" barrel portrayed. To back that up, the Bat Masterson edition had a 4-3/4" barrel.

M2, over on the Colt Forum Jim Martin is considered one of the best. You might stop in there and get his phone number. I don't think he has a web site as he's a bit old school for that. (smile)

Dave

[Dagga Boy]

No no no. That's all wrong. You're supposed to master a long gritty 7lb trigger to really tactically manage the hell out of a threat.

Because federal court, massive civil and criminal penalties for very small deviance from some perceived MMQB way a current jury understands use of lethal force was a HUGE factor for Pat Garrett.....😉

[TheNewbie]

Because federal court, massive civil and criminal penalties for very small deviance from some perceived MMQB way a current jury understands use of lethal force was a HUGE factor for Pat Garrett.....😉

The more I see fellow cops and others handle guns, the more I wish the P250 was standard issue across the nation. To carry something else, you have to pass a tough test.

[oregon45]

No no no. That's all wrong. You're supposed to master a long gritty 7lb trigger to really tactically manage the hell out of a threat.

I wonder--and I wonder because I don't know--if the old-line gunfighters who used single-action guns favored light triggers because they did not cock their revolvers until they were certain they were going to fire, at which point a quick--and crisp--trigger pull would be a distinct advantage, because the decision to fire already had been made.

Also, Garret's order reminds me very much of Elmer Keith's early custom Colts--made only about 40 years after Garret's (so, think the distance in time between a 1930's-era custom 1911 and a 1970's Pachmayr Special)--the common features being crisp triggers, sights you can see, and a handy barrel length suitable for carry in a belt holster sometimes concealed beneath a man's jacket.