Colt 3rd Gen Single Action Army SAA Buntline 1981 Nickel 12″ Revolver, .44 Special

SOLD FOR: $1,700.01
LSB#: 180913JR09

Make: Colt

Model: Buntline Special SAA, 3^rd Generation

Serial Number: SA51408

Year of Manufacture: 1981

Caliber: .44 Special

Action Type: Single Action Revolver with Side Loading Gate Cylinder

Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “COLT BUNTLINE .44 SPECIAL”. The top of the barrel is marked “COLT’S PT. F. A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CT. U.S.A.”. The left side of the”.  frame is marked “Pat. Sept. 19, 1871 / July 2,72 Jan. 19,75” and with the “Rampant Colt” logo. The underside of the frame at the grip frame is marked “SA51408”. The left front of the trigger guard is marked with a “VP” in a triangle and at the rear with “K”. The right front of the trigger guard is marked “Z”. The rear face of the cylinder is marked “44” and “S” and the front face is marked “1408”.

Barrel Length: 12”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a tall quarter round blade fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a square groove in the top strap.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are smooth walnut with brass Rampant Colt medallions at the tops of the grips. The grips show a few very light marks. The grips rate about in Excellent condition.

Type of Finish: The revolver is nickel plated.

Finish Originality: The finish is original.

Bore Condition: The bore is bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore.

Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 97% of its metal finish. There are a few very light handling marks and swirl marks from polishing in the finish. There is also a light drag line on the left side of the front strap and a small mark on the rear of the left recoil shield. The cylinder does not have a drag line. The screw heads are sharp and the markings are clear.  Overall, this revolver rates in about Excellent condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The cylinder lockup shows barely perceptible play. The hammer has ¼ and ½ cock safety positions. The trigger pull is crisp. We did not fire this revolver. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None

Our Assessment: The Colt Single Action Army handgun is a single action revolver with a revolving cylinder holding six rounds. It was designed for the US government service revolver trials of 1873 by Colt’s Manufacturing Company and adopted as the standard military service revolver until 1892. Although the SAA has been offered in over 30 different calibers and various barrel lengths, its overall appearance has remained consistent since 1873. Colt has discontinued its production twice, but brought it back due to excessive demand. The Colt Buntline Special is a long-barreled variant of the Colt Single Action Army revolver, which Stuart N. Lake described in his best-selling but largely fictionalized 1931 biography “Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal”. According to Lake, the dime novelist Ned Buntline commissioned the production of six Buntline Specials equipped with 12” barrels and presented them to five lawmen as well as to Buffalo Bill Cody in thanks for their help in contributing local color to his western yarns. Two of the recipients were supposed to be Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson, but there is no record of them ever owning such handguns. That didn’t stop Hollywood from equipping Hugh O’Brian with a Buntline Special when he played Wyatt Earp in the TV series “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp”. The Buntline Special was never made by Colt as a standard model, but they did make short runs of 2^nd and 3^rd Generation “Buntline Specials” as well as a “New Frontier Buntline Special” with adjustable sights. This is a 3^rd Generation Colt Buntline Special made in 1981 and chambered in .44 Special. It is nickel plated and has smooth walnut grips with brass Rampant Colt Medallions. The revolver is in about Excellent condition with 97% of its finish remaining. The bore is bright with sharp rifling and no erosion. All of the Colt SAA revolvers are collectable: 1st, 2nd or 3rd Generation, just to different degrees, but those made in very short runs are very collectible, especially ones with a finish as nice as this one. This is sure to end up in a high-end Colt collection.

CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable: This single action revolver CAN be transferred as a dealer sale in California and CAN be sold as a Private Party Transfer (PPT) at our Simi Valley shop. This does not apply to out of state residents.