The New Colt Single Action Army

Guns Magazine, May, 2000 by John Taffin

Rumors of its demise are greatly exaggerated -- the greatest sixgun in history is still available from Colt.

Anyone who says they do not believe in miracles obviously is not acquainted with the Colt Single Action Army. The basic design of the action dates back to 1836, and although the Single Action Army was introduced 120 years ago, its popularity is growing both in its original form and in the replicas offered by Cimarron and EMF. The reason of course is the rapidly growing sport of cowboy action shooting.

Even Ruger, which modernized the Colt Single Action with the Single-Six in 1953 and the Blackhawk in 1955, has now taken a step "backwards" bringing us the Vaquero, which looks as much like a Colt Single Action as possible.

From 1873 to 1941, more than 350,000 Colt Single Actions in more than 30 calibers were produced. Half of the big guns were made in .45 Colt and the rest in .44-40. The next two most popular calibers were the .38-40 and the .32-20.

Long before World War II however, the Colt was basically a dead design with plummeting sales. Even if the coming of hostilities had not forced a shift to wartime production, the Colt Single Action would probably have been dropped from production.

Colt Goes Post-War

After the war years, Colt announced the retirement of the Single Action, but by the mid-1950s, the new medium of television saturated the airwaves with old western movies and new western television shows and shooters wanted Colt Single Actions again. The dead Colt was resurrected and the Second Generation Single Action began. Still the same gun as the 1873 Peacemaker, the "new" Colt was made of stronger steels and was available only in four calibers: .45 Colt, .38 Special, .357 Mag. and .44 Special.

By the 1970s, the machinery was wearing out and the Colt Single Action was again pronounced dead -- only to revive in a few short years with the Third Generation of the Colt Single Action Army. This incarnation produced Single Action sixguns in .45 Colt, .44 Special, .44-40 and .357 Magnum. Two minor changes occurred. The hand design was changed for easier assembly and the cylinder no longer featured a full length bushing, but rather a button bushing at the front end.

In addition, the original "black powder" screw in the front of the frame, which held the cylinder pin, was changed to a spring-loaded catch. These three design changes marked the only changes in Colt Single Action design in over 120 years. Hammer profiles have changed, the type of lettering on the barrel has changed, the location of the serial numbers has changed -- all minor variations which have nothing to do with the operation of the Single Action six-gun itself.

The Third Generation Colt Single Action lasted into the late 1980s when the market was flooded with all types of variations of finish and barrel length. Quite often, these latter guns were second rate to say the least.

The Gun With Nine Lives

Having died three times, it would seem that the Colt Single Action would finally remain dead and buried. Not so. The Colt Single Action is back! Again! I consider this the "Fourth Generation," but Colt refers to them as a continuation of the Third Generation so I will go along and also call them Third Generation Single Actions.

They are expensive and limited, available only from the Custom Shop, but they are genuine Colt Single Action Armies and no other single action can make that claim. Available in both blue case hardened and nickel finish, the newest Colt Single Actions are being made in .45 Colt, .44-40 and .38-40.

For the past year I have been privileged to own four of the newest Colt Single Action Armies. Two of these have been in .45 Colt chambering, a 7 1/2" blued sixgun and a 5 1/2" nickel example. The other two are both nickeled sixguns in .44-40, one 4 3/4" and the other 5 1/2" in length. At the present time, Colt is cataloging both blue and nickel sixguns in all three calibers but only in barrel lengths of 4 3/4" and 5 1/2". 7 1/2" guns are promised in the future.

All new Colt Single Action Armies feature nicely shaped, plain-Jane walnut grips with gold colored Colt medallions, I have replaced the 5 1/2" gun's grips with custom grips -- one-piece birdseye maple from BluMagnum on the .44-40 and stags from Charles Able on the .45 Colt. The short barreled .44-40 now wears Third Generation Colt Eagle grips.

As they came from the factory, all Colt Single Actions could use an action job and all but the short-barreled .44-40 have been worked over by fast draw expert and gunsmith Bob Munden. Munden replaces the mainsprings and bolt springs with those of his own design and then works over all of the action parts with file and stone. The result is an incredibly smooth Single Action Army.

The 4 3/4" .44-40 was sent to Eddie Janis of Peacemaker Specialists. It now has been action-tuned, with the trigger set at 3 lbs. and the barrel tweaked in to correct the leaning front sight.

Sixgun Sighting

In all my years of shooting Colt Single Actions I can only recall one that shot to point-of-aim with my preferred load. That one was a Third Generation .44 Special with a 5 1/2" barrel. All the rest needed the front sights filed down, or they required that the front sights be built up, which normally requires the aid of a good metalsmith.