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When Single Action Army revolver No.1 left the old plant on the river in Hartford, it had a barrel that ran some 7 1/2 inches from forcing cone to muzzle. In time, other guns came along with shorter barrels, most commonly 5 1/2 or 4 3/4 inches. These three lengths served the interests of handgunners about 99 percent of the time. One of the three lengths worked well for most shooter’s since 1873, when all of this Peacemaker business began. In the so-called “first generation SAA” period, which was basically before World War II, Colt was willing to fill special orders for other lengths. We know of a handful of guns made with extra-long barrels, some of them the Buntline Specials. And we also recall a larger quantity of Sheriff’s or Storekeeper’s Models with no ejector rod assembly on the lower right side of the barrel. I always wondered what the Frontier handgunner used to poke out his empties when equipped with one of these guns. Most likely, it was a pencil or plain old stick. Most of these guns, however, were one of the three standard barrel lengths and that remains true to the present.
December 18, 2012
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Recently, I saw an old copy of a movie poster from the 1980s. The film was called “The Grey Fox” and starred the late Richard Farnsworth—a wonderful actor in an off-beat western set in Canada at the turn of the century. That poster, a small triumph of the graphic arts, showed a dour Farnsworth in period dress with a big revolver stuffed in his waistband. It was the gun that caught my eye and intrigued me into seeing the movie when it was originally released. The film is a movie-go-er’s delight, but I have to chuckle about why I was personally attracted to it. As a life-long so-called “gun guy,” I was enthralled with someone using a Bisley Colt.
July 10, 2012
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In honor of the 125th anniversary of American Rifleman, the following is an excerpt from the April, 1929 issue: The Last Word.
June 15, 2011
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Could it be the sleeping giant is stirring? Colt is sporting a prominent sign in its nicely appointed booth here at the NRA Annual Meeting in a vast exhibit hall. The sign says: “If it’s not a Colt, it’s a copy.”
May 02, 2011
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Colt’s Patent Firearms Mfg. is considered by many—and with good reason—to be the first name in American firearms. And change appears to be coming to Colt.
May 11, 2009
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