The First Colt Single Action Army. In 1872, Colt produced a run of three sample pistols for testing and examination by the US Army. The revolver seen above is Serial Number #1, the first production model Colt Single Action Army ever manufactured. The pistol was The US Army’s first service revolver to use a metallic cartridge, the.45 Colt centrefire. The pistol was based on the designs. But there is no doubt that the one gun that has defined Colt for some 144 years is the Model 1873 Single Action Army (SAA) revolver, a.k.a Model P or Peacemaker. After serial number 164,100.
- Colt Single Action Army Serial Numbers
- Antique Colt Revolver Serial Numbers
- Colt Single Action Army .357 Magnum Serial Numbers
- Colt Single Action Army Serial Numbers By Year Chart
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Colt serial codes could be hard to read if you aren’t experienced. While these codes have little impact on firearms‘ performance, they’re one of the best ways to trace the origin of a gun.
The numbers, prefixes, and suffixes contain information about the weapon’s history. But, usually, the problem is that not everyone can understand them.
If you want to know how to read Colt serial numbers, then this article will offer you some tips. Below are easy steps to take when learning how to read the numbers, along with interesting information about Colt’s serial rules.
Contents
- Colt Serial Rules and Regulations
The Fast Method
Thanks to technology, you can now look up Colt serial number on the internet.
Simply go to Colt’s homepage and hover your mouse to the Customer Service tab. Click on Serial Number Lookup and then enter the serial number seen on your Colt.
You should note though, that the database isn’t totally complete yet. And that’s why the results of the lookup won’t always be accurate yet.
This is since some vintage guns have overlapping serial numbers with other models. So even though this method is fast, it isn’t a 100% efficient yet.
The Reliable Method
If you didn’t know yet, Colt offers a unique research service to their customers. It provides an official archive letter as proof of your gun’s history.
On the letter, you’ll find details of your firearm’s original specifications and features, plus the delivery address as well. The archive letter contains important historical facts about your gun which considerably enhances its collectible value.
Custom modifications like finish, barrel, and caliber changes like aftermarket engraving aren’t included though. Non-manufacturer markings won’t be addressed on the letter.
This means that the letter descriptions may also not completely match the current configuration of your gun.
To get the letter, you have to pay a fee, depending on your Colt model. The fee is typically priced at around $100 for common products. It can reach up to $300 for vintage variants like the 1851 Navy.
Those prices are only the base value. There are other factors like special engraving and specific shipping destination which could raise the final price substantially.
Since it’s quite a costly method, the archive letter is often used to tie a particular firearm to a well-known individual in the past. It’s still the best method when it comes to reliability though.
Colt Serial Rules and Regulations
For this part, we’ll take a look at the meaning behind the Colt serial numbers, prefixes, and suffixes on a variety of guns. Again, some Colt models do share their codes with each other so what you find here may not be applicable in certain cases.
However, usually, you can still get the general idea of the Colt code by checking out the information below. Just combine the methods and you should have little trouble learning Colt’s serial rules and regulations.
Prefixes and Suffixes
Some codes are pretty easy to figure out since they’re just the abbreviation of the weapon name. For example, SA is Single Action, NF is New Frontier, SP is Sporter, and MT is Match Target. Vasanthamallike.
On the other hand, a capital C prefix or suffix is used to indicate that the model is for Commercial Use. In other cases, the characters are simply used to show the year the item was manufactured.
If you want to know the exact age of the gun though, you’d have to find a reference table to crosscheck the characters with the manufacturing year.
Serial Numbers
Technically speaking, Colt serial numbers tend jump all over the place with no set pattern. That’s why it’s difficult to understand them without a point of reference.
Design changes can also change the look of the serial numbers. For example, there is the issue of the 1970s Colt M1911’s commercial production.
Started in 1912, the M1911 Commercial and its A1 variant got normal serial numbers with a simple prefix and suffix. But by the mid-1970’s, the serial numbers stopped continuing from the numbers of the previous ones.
Instead, everything else has a 70 as the first two digits. That number style remained in production up until mid-1976 before the 70 Cpk file builder. was then moved to the last two digits of the code.
Model Code
It worth the time and effort to check out Colt model code as well since it contains information about the gun’ characteristics. Having a good understanding of the code will help you differentiate similar models from each other.
A Colt single action model usually has 1 character prefix and 4 numbers. The prefix tells you the type of frame, while the numbers indicate the weapon version, caliber, barrel length, and model variation.
Colt Single Action Army Serial Numbers
- For the first digit, a 1 means your Colt is the first model with a basic frame.
- Numbers 2, 3, 4, etc. are later versions. A 2 uses a frame from Colt Custom Shop while a 3 has a non-standard frame. A 7 and 8 are used for special variants.
- The second digit of the model code is the weapon caliber.
- A 4 is used for .32 to .20, a 6 is used for a a .357, a 7 is used for a .44, an 8 is used for a .45, and a 9 is used for .44 to .40.
- The third digit is the caliber of the gun.
- A 3 means 3 or 4 inches, a 4 means 4.75 or 5 inches, a 5 means 5.5 inches, a 7 means 7.5 inches, and a 1 means 12 inches.
- Finally, the fourth digit is the finish or stock of the weapon.
- A 1 is for a nickel or full blue finish, a 2 is for a nickel or blue case-hardened finish, a 3 is for a plain nickel finish, a 4 is for a Royal Blue case-hardened finish, and a 6 is for a nickel finish.
- The meaning of the fourth digit depends largely on the preceding digits. The fourth digit has been used many times as a way to differentiate later models from earlier ones.
Antique Colt Revolver Serial Numbers
Conclusion
It’s a bit tricky to learn how to read Colt serial numbers at first, but you should get better as time goes by. With the information we’ve shared above, we hope that now you’ll have little trouble tracing the origin of your gun.
Colt Single Action Army .357 Magnum Serial Numbers
Also, if you’re a gun owner and need support with tactical gear, then you should also check out our article on the best otf knife.
Christopher Wade is a true outdoorsman. After spending most of his career as a firearms expert and instructor in Nebraska, he retreated to the great outdoors to enjoy retirement.
Colt Single Action Army Serial Numbers By Year Chart
Christopher’s expertise in handling firearms and hunting gear are what propelled him to create the Shooting Mystery blog. He hopes for all readers to gain useful and practical knowledge for enjoying their time outdoors.