The Dizzying World of Colt SAA Clones

[Rex G]

Loving the USFA goodness. I have a few of the USFA sixguns, and even one that could be termed USPFA, from when the word “Patent” was still being used. Of course, a USPFA would be mostly, if not totally made with Uberti parts. I bought the USPFA new, in the Nineties, and the others pre-owned, before the prices went “bat guano crazy,” as @Dave T eloquently stated.

For some time, I had a plan to eventually acquire a well-preserved Second-Generation Colt, that was manufactured during or near my birth year of 1961, but, that has largely faded, as priorities change, and I managed to acquire a Colt DA snubby of similar vintage, to be my “token” Colt.

[awp_101]

There's more but they will start yelling at me for stolen band width if I keep it up.

Just tell them to never no mind and hush up!

The only downside to posting more USFA pics is it reminds me of the ones I had in the mid-00s and sold because SAA sights drive me nuts. Should have hung on to a couple just to admire...

[Dave T]

...SAA sights drive me nuts.

awp,

With practice (and the right glasses) I've gotten reasonably consistent with my USFA fix-sighted revolvers. That's 10" round plate consistent out to ~20 yards. And I'm shooting full power, black powder loads strong hand unsupported.

Since this thread has turned into more fun that anything, here's a few more from the safe:



This is one of their satin nickel Sheriff's Models with a 3" barrel. Chambered in 45 Colt naturally and wearing buffalo horn stocks. I didn't like the IPSC look of the original finish and a friend from Idaho told me to take a lead-removal cloth and polish away at it. eventually it takes on the look of "old" nickel plating. I've started the project but it needs still more work.



This is USFA's reproduction of a rare modified Cavalry Colt from the "Artillery Model" refurbishing. Gram, Copec, & Moore chronicle that about 200 (and possibly as many as 400) arsenal Colt SAAs that were never issued or even fired did not get the full blue, mix up the parts treatment the other re-built SAAs received. Their barrels were removed, shortened to 5-1/2", had new front sights installed, and then were reinstalled in the proper frames. A number of these have been documented and records indicate there were more out there.



And finally, this is what I think of as my 'Hollywood' gun. It's what John Wayne's much seen Single Action Colt would have looked like when brand new. It is a late production USFA 45 Colt with the appropriate 4-3/4" barre, black powder frame of course, and fake Ivory stocks. And wouldn't you know, it shoots my BP hand loads pretty good. (smile)

Dave

[37th Mass]

Here is what I got back from Greg at Cimarron:

"Cimarron does still offer several models of the 1873 SAA that have the original "Colt" action and are 4-click revolvers. All Pietta manufactured 1873 SAA revolvers are 4-click. All Uberti manufactured 1873 SAA – Old Model Frame – revolvers are 4-click. All Uberti manufactured 1873 SAA – Arizona Ranger – Pre-War Frame - revolvers are 4-click guns. All Pietta manufactured gun’s “Model #” begins with the letters “PP” or “PPP”. All Uberti manufactured gun’s “Model #” begins with the letters “MP”, “CA” or “AR”. The bottom line is if you want a Uberti manufactured revolver built on the “Pre-War Frame” that has the original 4-click action the Cimarron “Arizona Ranger” revolver is the only option remaining.



Hope that helps!!!"

I just bought (last week) a Cimarron Uberti "Artillery" model that is a 4-click gun. This one:

https://www.cimarron-firearms.com/u-...dard-blue.html

[Super77]

Looking at some of those USFA guns, for that price why not just get the actual Colt?

[Rex G]

Looking at some of those USFA guns, for that price why not just get the actual Colt?

USFA, especially the ones manufactured during the era of all-USA parts, are not second-best.

It is quite difficult to find pre-owned Colts in decent condition. Colts seem to be either pristine, and therefore prohibitively expensive, or, beat all to he11 by idiots playing “fanning” with them, slamming the hammer back with the heel of the hand, Hollywood style.

A properly-timed Colt is not supposed to have a turn line. At the first sign that the bolt is starting to drag, the informed SAA owner has the timing corrected. I have seen so very many otherwise-clean Colts, with turn lines, that I suspect that they had left the factory with improperly-tuned actions.

The QC with Third-Generation Colts has been all over the place, but all too often has been dismal. The one Third-Generation Colt that I bought new seemed to have gravel in the action. Upon (careful) disassembly, I found poorly-fitted parts, with rough edges, that seemed to have been merely assembled drop-in style. I soon traded it away, to a dealer who mostly sells to collectors, for an actually decent price.

For purists, and even somewhat less-demanding aficionados, Third-Generation SAA Colts are seen as less-accurate replicas of the “real thing” than the fully-USA-made USFA Single Actions.

[37th Mass]

Standard Manufacturing makes an SAA replica. I've never handled one myself, but some folks on the interwebs say that they are as nice as the USFA guns and perhaps nicer than Colt.

https://stdgun.com/single-action-rev...colored-45-lc/

Bud's has some in stock for less than the price shown on the Standard Manufacturing website.


I considered a Colt or a Standard Manufacturing revolver, but I wanted a range toy that I can shoot with my kids, not a collector's piece. Price was also a consideration. I'm happy with my Cimarron/Uberti. I posted a pic in the Gallery subforum in the Single Action Revolver thread.

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....=1#post1510834

[Jim Watson]

STI once showed a SAA called the Texican. Not many made, one internet expert said they were made for STI by Hartford Armory, better known for their attempt to bring out a deluxe 1875 Remington.

[jh9]

STI once showed a SAA called the Texican. Not many made, one internet expert said they were made for STI by Hartford Armory, better known for their attempt to bring out a deluxe 1875 Remington.

https://www.handgunsmag.com/editoria...2008901/138377

The Texican is 100 percent U.S. made at STI's facility in Connecticut, where it manufactures every single component except the springs; the frame, loading gate and hammer are color case hardened by Turnbull Restorations--a company renown for its superb quality in case-hardening.

https://stdgun.com/single-action-rev...colored-45-lc/

To start, this entire gun is made of solid 4140 steel; there are no inferior cast or metal injection molded parts used. No other maker of this type of gun can make such a claim. Additionally, the precision machining equipment used in the manufacture of our guns is the absolute finest in the industry and because the machining is done in-house

There's a lot of familiar-sounding wording there. There's also some pics somewhere of Standard Manufacturing with parts in-process similar to how you can find tours of the S&W factory showing the gun going from a raw piece of metal, to a metal pancake forging, to various states of machining, to completed parts.

The names of the companies change over the years but there seems to be some persistence on building these types of high quality copies in the area and doing most or all of the work in-house. As you say, apparently it was Hartford Armory in 2010. Then very shortly after, they fold and USFA goes from being an importer of Uberti parts to building their own parts in Colt's old facilities in Hartford. Then selling their tooling so they could build that Zip gun abomination. Then they go under and Standard Manufacturing comes along (already building shotguns, and presumably the buyer of that tooling?) building their own parts in house, not in Hartford but still in Connecticut.

I assumed it's just local machine shops that started out as vendors doing work for Colt on contract and eventually branched out into manufacturing their own guns. But there also seems to be someone in the area constantly scraping up the capital to take yet another shot at making high-quality copies of the SAA right on Colt's doorstep. I'd love to know the whole story there.

[Jim Watson]

made at STI's facility in Connecticut

I thought STI was located in Texas. They are now, dba Staccato. So did they move? Or did they have a cut of that wandering set of tooling?