Summary

Colt 1873 Single Action Army (SAA) or Peacemaker centrefire revolver, cased, National Rifle Association commemorative edition (1971), cal. .45 in., rifled octagonal barrel 119 mm (4 3/4 in) long with R.H.side mounted ejector.

Made by Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Co, Hartford, Connecticut, serial number NRA3404, 1971.

Physical Description

Colt 1873 Single Action Army (SAA) or Peacemaker centrefire revolver, cased, National Rifle Association commemorative edition (1971), cal. .45 in., rifled octagonal barrel 11.90cm (4 3/4 in) long with R.H.side mounted ejector, excellent blueing. Six chambered cylinder with standard length flutes, steel trigger guard, solid steel frame with strong case hardening colours, steel back strap with excellent bluing, wooden grips with cast brass National Rifle Association of America escutcheon inlaid on both sides, blade front sight, loading gate on R.H.side. Knurling on hammer is fine and unframed. Barrel address is a Hartford address. Two-line patent stamping on L.H.side of frame. R.H. side of barrel stamped 'COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY .45'. L.H. side of barrel stamped '1871 NRA Centennial 1971'. Serial number NRA3404, loading gate is number 567. The NRA commemorative edition was produced in 1971. Case is a genuine Colt commemorative edition case, wooden, lined on the inside with a mustard coloured pile fabric. The lid's outer surface has both the bronze Colt escutcheon inlaid in the lower R.H.corner, as well as a transparent perspex square in lid centre with a bronze National Rifle Association of America escutcheon suspended in the perspex. There are no accessories and the only compartment in the case if the recessed stencil for the revolver itself.

Significance

In 1971 Colt produced a commemorative edition of the 1873 Single Action Army revolver, also known as the Colt Peacemaker and popularised for its associations in cowboy genre cinema during the twentieth century as the favoured side-arm of gunboys, on the occasion of the centenary of the founding of the National Rifle Association (NRA) in America. The total production run was 5001. The items were cased and both the outer and inside of lid carry an inlaid medalion commemorating the NRA centenary.

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