In the years immediately leading up to WWII, Colt saw sales of its 1873 Single Action Army revolver majorly declining. As the 19th Century "Old Breed" of handgun shooters aged out of the market, a new generation of shooters were embracing semi-automatic handguns, leaving revolvers behind. America's entry into WWII seemed to be the final nail in the 1873's coffin; as Colt shifted all its manufacturing capabilities to the production of military equipment.
Luckily for the SAA, the postwar years brought a television to nearly every American home by the 1950's' and playing on those televisions were Westerns - by the wagonload. The popularity of these Western TV Shows ignited a new enthusiasm for Colt's iconic Single Action revolver - so much so that the company pulled their old SAA tooling out of storage and reintroduced the Peacemaker in 1956.
However, instead of taking up where serial numbers left off 15 years ago, they started over again at serial number "1", adding the suffix "SA" to the end of the serial number to distinguish them from earlier production guns. Because of the new numbering system, Collectors refer to this production of Colts as "Second Generation" 1873s.
The Second Generation Colts were produced from 1956 until 1974, when the original 19th Century tooling that Colt was using to produce the guns, was deemed too worn out to continue using. However, the demand for Peacemakers was still quite high, so Colt took a few years to re-tool and re-introduced a somewhat "modernized" version of the SAA in 1976; known to collectors as "Third Generation" guns.
The legacy of the Second Generation Colts lives on as they are among the most collectible series of Pecemakers, second only to the original "First Generation" guns made during the 19th Century. Because they were made on Colt's original SAA tooling, the Second Generation guns are virtually identical to those made in the 19th Century, and remain fully interchangeable with the original guns.
Here's a near mint, unfired Second Generation Colt 1873 Single Action Army Revolver in .357 Magnum. That's right, this is not an Italian replica but a true American-made Colt Single Action made in the 1970's. As a bonafide Second Generation Colt, this beautiful revolver features real bone charcoal color case hardening, vibrant bluing, and correct Colt trademarks.
This revolver is in excellent, unfired condition! It was made in 1972, and purchased new from Colt. It was kept in its original box and in near perfect unfired condition. As such it is in near mint condition.
Mechanically, this Colt is perfect with a buttery smooth action and perfect timing; indicated by the lack of a "turn line" on the cylinder. The bore and chambers are perfect with no rust or pitting. This gun is a true collectors item.
This revolver comes complete in its original box, which is in great condition with a few scuffs in the finish from storage.
*This weapon was made after 1899 and/or fires a modern cartridge. MUST be shipped to Federal Firearms License holder for transfer. Never bought a gun through an FFL before? Give us a call at (262) 473-5444 and we'd be glad to walk you through this simple process!
