Q: I have a Colt Single Action Army revolver dated 1902-1903 with the Serial No. 230507. It has a 4¾" barrel, approximately 70 percent bluing and is chambered in .45 Colt. My question is, when did Colt begin putting the Rampant Colt logo onto the cylinder? This gun has the horse stamped on the rear face of the cylinder, and the screw heads seem to be flat. The action is very smooth, light with three clicks, and it has a hair trigger. Was this gun simply re-finished or re-built with a “modern” cylinder, hammer, trigger, etc.? Is it safe to shoot?
A: Colt stamped the Rampant Colt trademark (without the circle around it) on the back face of the cylinders of its Second Generation revolvers from 1956 to 1974 on the .45-cal. guns. Other cartridges have slightly different dates. Revolvers with a serial number greater than about 164,100 are considered safe with modern smokeless powder. The best procedure would be to ask a competent gunsmith to inspect the revolver before shooting it. It has obviously been altered since its manufacture in the early 1900s.
