Colt Single Action Army and Glock have a lot in common

[shooting on a shoestring]

So Gaston Glock died December 27 and I was thinking about that. I’m not a Glock fan. I don’t care for them on several counts but I recognize they will be part of gun culture forever. Much like the Colt Single Action Army. I am a fan of the Colt SAA and realize the two pistols have several things in common.

1. They are iconic. Love them or hate them, everyone who shoots knows what they are. They are well established and will be a part of history most likely for as long as there is history.

2. They were each primarily aimed at military contracts first, then law enforcement and then the public.

3. They were each ground breaking. The Colt SAA was the first revolving pistol (wording from Colt’s patents) to use fixed ammunition. In 1873 it was a huge leap ahead of cap and ball revolvers. Likewise in the 1980’s Glock was a big step ahead of the steel wonder nines of the 70’s. Striker fired polymer pistols were made mainstream by Glock.

4. Each introduced their own 45 caliber cartridge. 45 Colt and 45 GAP.

5. They have been chambered in a multiple calibers. Wiki claims over 30 calibers have been chambered in the Colt SAA. I can think of 8 calibers for Glocks. In fairness, Glock has only been chambering pistols since 1982, so only 41 years. Colt started in 1873, so 150 years ago. Glock might catch up in the next 100 years or so. I’d like to see Glock chamber 30 Super Carry for their ninth caliber.

6. They were each invented to be military man killers. But each have branched out into civilian competitions for instance SASS, IPSC, collectors, fanboys, hunting, self defense and recreation.

7. Multiple generations. Glock is on it’s 5th and the Colt SAA is on it’s 3rd although some are calling the late 3rd’s with the removable cylinder bushing the Gen 4’s.

8. Mutually exclusive fan base.

9. Simplicity.

10. Reliability.

Did I miss any?

[shooting on a shoestring]

Oh.
Two more.

11. Clones/knock-offs/wanna-be’s.

12. History of accidental/negligent discharges.

[smorin2]

Both were groundbreaking in their respective platforms.

[Eddie Southgate]

Pretty sure Smith & Wesson had a fixed cartridge revolver(1857) well before the Colt SAA. Not to mention all of the conversions that proceeded the 1873 Colt. Plus a bunch of pinfire cartridge revolvers.

[cwtebay]

Pretty sure Smith & Wesson had a fixed cartridge revolver(1857) well before the Colt SAA. Not to mention all of the conversions that proceeded the 1873 Colt. Plus a bunch of pinfire cartridge revolvers.

You are correct, that bored through cylinder patent that Sam Colt didn't think was important had S&W ahead.

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[shooting on a shoestring]

Ok I’ll concede on the first fixed ammunition pistol. But those early S&W’s were pin fire and rim fire. 45 Colt was center fire. Winchester did the center fire 44-40 in 1873 but it was a rifle cartridge then. I’m still thinking the 45 Colt in 1873 was the first center fire pistol cartridge. Maybe I should also qualify that as the first commercially successful center fire pistol cartridge.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Still the number of similarities between the Colt SAA and Glock really surprises me.

[Thumbcocker]

I always thought of Glocks as the evolution of the Smith model 10. Not a Glock fan but I won't deny their strong points.

[Wayne Smith]

Ok I’ll concede on the first fixed ammunition pistol. But those early S&W’s were pin fire and rim fire. 45 Colt was center fire. Winchester did the center fire 44-40 in 1873 but it was a rifle cartridge then. I’m still thinking the 45 Colt in 1873 was the first center fire pistol cartridge. Maybe I should also qualify that as the first commercially successful center fire pistol cartridge.

Nope. Look up the Smith and Wesson Model 3 - in 44 American.

[georgerkahn]

So Gaston Glock died December 27 and I was thinking about that. I’m not a Glock fan. I don’t care for them on several counts but I recognize they will be part of gun culture forever. Much like the Colt Single Action Army. I am a fan of the Colt SAA and realize the two pistols have several things in common.

1. They are iconic. Love them or hate them, everyone who shoots knows what they are. They are well established and will be a part of history most likely for as long as there is history.

2. They were each primarily aimed at military contracts first, then law enforcement and then the public.

3. They were each ground breaking. The Colt SAA was the first revolving pistol (wording from Colt’s patents) to use fixed ammunition. In 1873 it was a huge leap ahead of cap and ball revolvers. Likewise in the 1980’s Glock was a big step ahead of the steel wonder nines of the 70’s. Striker fired polymer pistols were made mainstream by Glock.

4. Each introduced their own 45 caliber cartridge. 45 Colt and 45 GAP.

5. They have been chambered in a multiple calibers. Wiki claims over 30 calibers have been chambered in the Colt SAA. I can think of 8 calibers for Glocks. In fairness, Glock has only been chambering pistols since 1982, so only 41 years. Colt started in 1873, so 150 years ago. Glock might catch up in the next 100 years or so. I’d like to see Glock chamber 30 Super Carry for their ninth caliber.

6. They were each invented to be military man killers. But each have branched out into civilian competitions for instance SASS, IPSC, collectors, fanboys, hunting, self defense and recreation.

7. Multiple generations. Glock is on it’s 5th and the Colt SAA is on it’s 3rd although some are calling the late 3rd’s with the removable cylinder bushing the Gen 4’s.

8. Mutually exclusive fan base.

9. Simplicity.

10. Reliability.

Did I miss any?

I might add that both are often the most popular "buy me!"'s at gun shops and shows. I know that, at least the shows I have been in attendance at, the Colt SAA's are generally scarcer than proverbial hens teeth; and, the Glocks -- while often appearing in good numbers -- seem to be the 1st to fly off the shelves.
Funny that I have seen the many exact same firearm at show after show after show -- sometimes, but rarely with lower price over time -- but I can recall seeing only one Colt SAA being presented again -- this, imho, due to the dealer's crazy, ridiculous, unbelievable (greater than $2K for a beat 2nd generation) price.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Wayne Smith, ok I’ll agree you’re right. BUT! You just made me think of another similarity between Colt SAA and Glock. They are both generally believed to be “first” when it turns out they really aren’t.

So the SAA in 45 Colt turns out not to be the first center fire pistol cartridge. But it has been so over-whelmingly popular for such a long time that it overshadows the real first one which evaporated into obscurity before most of us or our parents were born.

Similarly, most people think Glock was the first polymer pistol. Well, it’s not. H&K did it first over a decade before Glock. But, Glock did it on such a large scale that most people assume Glock was the first. The H&K VP70, who ever heard of that?

[Bigslug]

I'd say the Glock has more in common with the 1911:

Nothing else is as easily end-user serviced without specialty tools.

You have to be VERY motivated to break one.

Both inspired a lot of attempts to copy without patent violation, and those attempts usually just managed to make the gun more complicated or harder to work on.

Both set the direction service handguns would follow for AT LEAST one generation after their introduction.

Despite its prominent place in U.S. history, the Peacemaker was bordering on obsolescent when new. It had the advantage of being a durable beast, but lacking double action and a rapid way to dump six empties and replace with six live were the glaring Achilles heel. It was effectively just the '51 Navy / '60 Army, updated to remove the muzzle loading process.

[Texas by God]

The Nylon 66 was the first synthetic (Zytel)frame gun.
I know, not a pistol but first regardless.
I’m not a Glock guy but I’ve owned two. They got traded off. They work.
If those Police trade in M22 .40s keep getting cheaper- I may own another…..


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[georgerkahn]

The Nylon 66 was the first synthetic (Zytel)frame gun.
I know, not a pistol but first regardless.
I’m not a Glock guy but I’ve owned two. They got traded off. They work.
If those Police trade in M22 .40s keep getting cheaper- I may own another…..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I was told -- note the word "told" -- by a local sage that the same arm, in pistol version, used same materials as the Nylon 66: The Remington XP100 in .221 Fireball. This may very well be bogus info, but, if so -- there's your pistol .
geo

[M-Tecs]

I was told -- note the word "told" -- by a local sage that the same arm, in pistol version, used same materials as the Nylon 66: The Remington XP100 in .221 Fireball. This may very well be bogus info, but, if so -- there's your pistol .
geo

https://www.americanrifleman.org/con...xp-100-pistol/
When Remington was purchased by DuPont during The Depression, the company adopted a somewhat futuristic styling attitude. DuPont, which started as a gunpowder manufacturer, later developed into a chemical company that helped introduce plastics and synthetic substances into the manufacturing process. A futuristic-looking pistol required an equally innovative stock, so Remington turned to its godfather for a stock material. A hard and abrasion-resistant thermoplastic polyamide from the nylon family, Zytel, was the chosen stock material. This material, dyed dark brown, was used in the 1959 model Nylon 22 rifle. Remington continued with similar styling for the new pistol, even incorporating a couple of white diamonds in the ambidextrous stock and completed with a black fore-end tip with a white-line spacer. A not-too-practical nylon vented rib was attached to the barrel in keeping with the “space age” styling, along with a so-called “shark fin” front sight. Though not really space age, the dog-leg bolt with its flat-globe-like knob certainly was a different look for the time. Unfortunately, Remington did not see fit to reverse the side of operation of the bolt.

The pistol was introduced to the shooting public in 1963 as the Remington XP-100 Long Range Pistol—the XP-100 standing for “experimental pistol number 100.

[Wayne Smith]

Wayne Smith, ok I’ll agree you’re right. BUT! You just made me think of another similarity between Colt SAA and Glock. They are both generally believed to be “first” when it turns out they really aren’t.

So the SAA in 45 Colt turns out not to be the first center fire pistol cartridge. But it has been so over-whelmingly popular for such a long time that it overshadows the real first one which evaporated into obscurity before most of us or our parents were born.

Similarly, most people think Glock was the first polymer pistol. Well, it’s not. H&K did it first over a decade before Glock. But, Glock did it on such a large scale that most people assume Glock was the first. The H&K VP70, who ever heard of that?

The Smith and Wesson Model 3 was sold to the Russians for payment in gold! It was the Russians that demanded an inside lubricated bullet, thus creating what we now routinely do. That was the Smith and Wesson Model 3 in 44 Russian. Smith and Wesson sold thousands to the Russians, only a few here. Hardly obscurity unless you are hopelessly American focused.

[rintinglen]

My 72 year old wife is a lot like Scarlet Johanssen. They are, after all, both women.