Just Added Another Colt SAA .45 4 3/4" to the Herd.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

Paid too much but it was either buy it or go without. I ordered one 3 years ago still no sign of it so when I saw this one I thought I'd better jump on it.

This one is a black powder frame, the serial number is lower than a 7 1/2" black powder frame I bought new in 2006.

The previous owner never fired it, I'll be shooting it.

[Love Life]

Beautiful!! Will you be shooting black powder?

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I'll be shooting smokeless, mostly Unique.

[Love Life]

Oh. It's a black powder frame. I believe using Unique might be unsafe. I can send you a Glock in 45 ACP to use Unique in, and I'll take that SAA off your hands.

No need to thank me...

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I worked for a place that tried to give me a Glock for nothing in return, they didn't have any luck either.

[jmort]

If only Colt would focus more on all their hand guns and bring back the double actions. That is a beautiful gun.

[Love Life]

I look forward to the range report, and many pictures! Those SAA are just wonderful. If I see a new production one in person for sale, I may hurt myself reaching for my wallet.

[Beagle333]

Very nice!

[birch]

Colt single actions are indeed special. I can't believe the Colt custom shop does not spend more time creating a crisp trigger, but for some reason, the creep just does not bother me on my cavalry. If I had more money, I would have a entire safe dedicated to SAA's

Yours is a beauty. I want a 5 1\2 barrel in 38 special for my next SAA.

[bedbugbilly]

Congrats on your new Colt! It's a beauty! I like both the barrel length and the caliber!

I ran across one this past summer and had the opportunity to buy it but I passed after a lot . . and I mean a LOT of thinking over it. I had the cash as I had decided to sell my 4" Python but after considerable pondering . . . I bought myself a Uberti 45 Colt and used the left over money from the Python for some things my wife wanted (and deserved - she doesn't ask for much and has put up with me for 44 years!) At my age, I just couldn't justify the Colt SAA and the Cattleman has quenched my thirst for a 45 SAA.

There is just something about a true Colt though . . . the feel, the history, all of it As already said, I don't know why Colt doesn't concentrate more on their pistols and especially their SAA. I would think the market would certainly be there and I know others who are still waiting on orders placed a few years back.

Enjoy that new hogleg and have fun shooting it! I have a feeling that it is just going to melt in your hands like butter when you shoot it!

[Love Life]

I'd love if Colt produced more than 1 SAA per year.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I've bought 9 SAA's in 30 years, plus the 1911's and cap and ball guns I've bought. Buying Colts is one of my favorite things to do with my hard earned money.

[DougGuy]

If SANTA CLAUS himself ain't jealous he must be a LIBTARD! Good find!

[Bill*B]

Nothing feels better in the hand than a Single Action Army. Nothing is faster for the first shot. Enjoy your classic!

[gray wolf]

I like your new pistol---very nice---enjoy

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I got her home yesterday and found it did not have the detachable 2nd generation bushing, which is fine with me. The mainspring was too heavy and replaced with a Colt cobra mainspring. The cylinder base pin retaining screw is too short and I'll fashion a new one of sufficient length. The front sight is higher than my other Colt .45 4 3/4" barreled guns which are zeroed to 250 gr boolits at 850 fps so this Colt might be just the ticket for that 270 gr Keith Scovill mould I've been wanting to try.

The overall the fit and finish is very high quality.. I wish I didnt have to run off and go to work right now.

[9.3X62AL]

If only Colt would focus more on all their hand guns and bring back the double actions. That is a beautiful gun.

Amen, sir.

[Treetop]

Beautiful hawgleg, Silver Jack! We are all looking forward to more pictures and range reports, when you have the time. Like many others, I have always wanted a genuine Colt SAA, but have had to settle for various clones.

I have a Cimarron 4 3/4" SAA clone with both .45 Colt and .45 Auto cylinders. Why can't Colt make those an option for their SAAs? I actually shoot the .45 Auto cylinder more than the .45 Colt cylinder!

[TXGunNut]

Very nice, congrats! Looks like the one I bought awhile back, a NIB 30 yr old 45 Colt. Sales guy couldn't believe I was going to shoot it, and with BP and lead, no less.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

Last night I fashioned a base pin retaining screw, cut it to length and blued it. Now this horse is ready to taken out to the range. I'm hoping it shoots low so I can get that RCBS 270 gr Scovill Keith mold.

[jeepyj]

I've collected a couple ponies however I haven't obtained a beautiful SAA like that one yet. I hope it shoots as good as it looks for you! Congratulations
jeepyj

[Silver Jack Hammer]

156475

Trying to to attach pics here. This is 454424 cast from 6 parts scrap wheel weights 4 parts Linotype sized .454" over 8.5 gr Unique. Starline and CCI 300's. 25 yard rest @ 2 1/4".

[Silver Jack Hammer]

156476

Here are some draw and fires from the holster. 20 yards, one shot at a time from the holster.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

156477

25 yard 2 hand hold off hand 454190 scrap wheel weights sized .454" over 8.0 Unique. Starline CCI300.4 in 1 3/16" 3 1/8" overall group size.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

156478

25 yard 2 hand offhand hold. 3" with 454190 scrap wheel weights sized .454" over 8.0 gr Unique. Starline CCI300.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

156479

Don't know how to rotate this. The new Colt's point of impact is about 6" low, not 6" to the right. So aiming at the playing card at 25 yards it hits 6" low. Now its time to buy an RCBS 270 gr Keith / Scovill mould.

My other .45's are zeroed with 250 gr boolits by filing off the top of the front sight, but I think I might just add a gold bar to zero with 250 gr boolits.

[shoot-n-lead]

156479

Don't know how to rotate this. The new Colt's point of impact is about 6" low, not 6" to the right. So aiming at the playing card at 25 yards it hits 6" low. Now its time to buy an RCBS 270 gr Keith / Scovill mould.

My other .45's are zeroed with 250 gr boolits by filing off the top of the front sight, but I think I might just add a gold bar to zero with 250 gr boolits.

IF you add a gold bar to the top of the sight...it will just shoot lower.

[propwashp47]

post #23 says it all you must be happy with that saa

[DougGuy]

You add the gold bar down from the top not on the top.

A single action that shoots low is short on dwell time or lock time as it's called but SJH already knows that. 2 things cure this, a heavier boolit moving slower so it stays in the barrel longer, or a heavier boolit moving slower.. ;)

I betcha a 280gr RF outshoots the 270gr Keith.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I just took a file to the trigger guard where the sharp edge cut the skin of my knuckle under recoil. And I hit the right rear back corner of the grips to smooth out the sharp corners that dig into the palm of my hand. These are pretty common areas of trouble that a couple passes with a file take care of. The corner edge of the trigger guard blues up nicely with cold bluing.

Don't be appalled at the idea of a hand file on an expensive Colt. It's made to be shot and the steel is made to be worked with to form this into a useful tool. Many of the Colt's that have come onto this ranch have needed this but you would not be able to find this branding even if you looked. You'd just notice the grip hurt your hand if theses little jobs weren't done.

[Vulcan Bob]

I got her home yesterday and found it did not have the detachable 2nd generation bushing, which is fine with me. The mainspring was too heavy and replaced with a Colt cobra mainspring. The cylinder base pin retaining screw is too short and I'll fashion a new one of sufficient length. The front sight is higher than my other Colt .45 4 3/4" barreled guns which are zeroed to 250 gr boolits at 850 fps so this Colt might be just the ticket for that 270 gr Keith Scovill mould I've been wanting to try.

The overall the fit and finish is very high quality.. I wish I didnt have to run off and go to work right now.

Very nice! You were wise to replace the base pin screw, Bought my 3rd gen 4 5/8th BP frame in .45 Colt in 2008. It's pin screw was too short but I shot it anyways, well it battered that tiny reduced shank screw and just trying to remove it one day the slot head of the screw just turned off with almost no resistance. Had a heck of a time removing that bugger! I replaced the pin with a #5 belt mountain locking pin and shortened a new factory screw and used it for a hole plug! I lucked out as it shoots to POA and accurate with .455" diameter boolits with 250gr boolits. Enjoy that one and happy NEW YEAR.

[birch]

I have the .45 acp serial numbered to my cavalry. Anyone can request an acp cylinder for their 45 Colt if purchased new, or, you can send your frame in, and they will fit and serial number a cylinder.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

157805

Today I tried my new RCBS 45-270-SAA cast 4 parts Linotype and 6 parts plumbers lead sized to .454" lubed with Alox over 8.0 gr Power Pistol. This target in the pic is turned, the group is 3" low, not 3" off to the right. It's a sub 2" group. The front sight is going to meet the file soon.

One bad thing about Colt's front sights is they come from the factory buffed and polished so that the edges are rounded rather than with sharp crisp edges. Filing the front sight enables me to square up the edges so they are sharp and crisp.

[rondog]

So nice, I'm jealous! I harbor a lust for a 7-1/2" .45 SAA myself. I'd love a Colt, but I'd be shickled with even a Uberti.

[krems]

Beautiful gun you have there!.. Having collected Colt SAA's for a while I just cringe at the thought of taking a file to that gun. Nothing takes the value down as much as altering an original Colt. But on the other hand a gun that doesn't hit to point of aim has no value to me as well. Using this gun as a working tool like you are it makes sense to get it dialed in. Might as well smooth the action and give it a trigger job as well. That way you will never want to get rid of it. A finely tuned Colt SAA is hard to beat. I know as I have owned a few customized by Bowen, Ed. Jannis, and B. Munden. I'll never get my money back out of them because they have been altered. They are shooters now and I plan on shooting them. My biggest beef with Colt is why can't they get their cylinder dimensions for the 45 colt and 44 spl. figured out. Every Colt I have owned needed oversized bullets to shoot and the chambers were large as well. I understand that the newer ones are better. I've owned some that had no chance of shooting well so I got rid of them. It looks like yours is a shooter. I love that bullet you are shooting as I shoot the same one. Congratulations on a nice purchase.

[lobogunleather]

158026158027158028
Several years ago I picked up a 1979 SAA 5.5" .44 Special, unfired with hang tag. I was not able to keep it unfired!

Enjoy it!

[Silver Jack Hammer]

Couple things about filing on Colt's. Start out by tracing the curve of the front sight on a piece of paper. Use a flat file and put it on a flat surface. Put a stack of targets on the flat surface the same thickness as the file. Turn the Colt up side down and put the rear sight on the top of the stack of targets and stroke the front sight across the file. The metal the front sight is made of is the softest steel on the Colt. Be careful to only take off a little at a time. Do this at the range shooting often between strokes. When you have brought the point of impact up to zero touch up the top of the front sight with a little cold bluing. Then using the line you traced on the piece of paper, re-shape the curve of the top of the front sight with the file. Your front sight should now be a little too thick for the rear sight notch. File off the side of the front side to bring the windage to zero. Touch it up with a little cold bluing and your sights are zeroed. I've done this to lots of my colds and if you lucked you wouldn't even be able to tell. I also like to shape the front sight so that what I'm looking at through the the rear sight notch is flat.

[Markbo]

It sounds so easy when Jack descrbes it. But taking a file to any gun's sight carries with it a bit of a pucker factor. ;)

[Silver Jack Hammer]

My RCBS 45 270 SAA drops 4 parts Linotype 6 parts wheel weights at 270 gr.
9.0 gr Unique clocks 906 fps
16 gr. 2400 clocks 861 fps
10.5 gr AA#5 clocks 860 fps
11.0 gr VV 3N37 clocks 928 fps
Your mileage may vary.
So far the best ground groups have been with VV 3N37 and AA#5.
Starline brass, CCI300 primers Lubed with Alox sized .454"

[Silver Jack Hammer]

The front sight required lowering by .035" to zero. It took a few range sessions to get it right, and the short days didn't help much either. I just used a dial calliper and measured from the top of the rear sight to the bottom of the barrel as a constant reference and shot many 5 shot groups off hand at 25 yards until the group made it to zero.

I'm using the RCBS 45 270 SAA cast 4 parts Linotype 6 parts plumbers lead, sized .454" lubed with Alox. Starline brass CCI300's. A 10.5 gr. dolap of AA#5 clocks at a comfortable 860 fps and the 270 gr boolit is pleasant in the Colt.

Now I'll reshape the front sight top round with the file and blue it. I also like to file a nice flat face on the back of the rear sight where the ramp is for the most optimum sight picture.

[DougGuy]

It sounds so easy when Jack descrbes it. But taking a file to any gun's sight carries with it a bit of a pucker factor. ;)

Heh I stick mine on a belt sander! Not kidding! Did a 1911 Commander and took about .080" off the MGW front sight, brought it right up to point of aim.

[Thumbcocker]

thank you for an informative thread.