Colt SAA, 357

[Leanwolf]

Cajun Bass, I have one exactly like your "new" SSA Colt's Frontier, .357 Mag., except I also have the original factory box and white foam box and papers. When I bought it many years ago, I bought a pair of Sambar stag grips for it, although, of course, kept the original factory grips. This was in Los Angeles.

In addition, as I intended to shoot it, I took the advice of a Colt collector, SSA repair expert and Colt SSA author, John Kopec, to buy a used Colt .357 SSA cylinder for shooting, and keep the original cylinder pristine. I bought the slightly used cylinder from John and he fitted it to my .357. I shot it perhaps 100 rounds, and then later put it back in the safe because the prices were jumping higher and higher. Still have it but have not shot it in quite a few years. It was very accurate.

I suggest you look around and see if you can find a used Colt SSA .357 Mag. cylinder, have it fitted by a good gunsmith and use it for shooting. The usual dings, bolt wear, bluing wear, etc., will ordinarily occur on the cylinder. If you keep the original cylinder pristine, it will help to keep the value up.

By the way, given I have the Sambar stag grips, original grips, spare "shooter" cylinder, factory box and papers, $1,200.00 would not touch mine. I think you got a nice deal there. Enjoy it.

L.W.

 

[Malamute]

Those who have owned and shot a lot of early Colt SAA's will probably find that the late ones not only look different but feel different. To my mind, the guns that handled and felt the best and the most like the old Colts were the USFA revolvers with the standard finish. They looked and felt more like the old Colts than the new Colts do.. The new guns are over-polished and look like the "don't touch it" collector items they are, rather than the using guns they were.

Jim

The finish wouldn't deter me in the slightest. It will mellow out getting carried and shot some the first few months. Other than perhaps one that was factory engraved for presentaion to a President or some such, Ive never seen a Colt SA with a finish too nice to use. Well, perhaps a couple engraved ones in museums may be too nice to shoot or use, but if I could afford an engraved one it would be carried and used.