Which Colt SAA

[Mike8623]

Ok Boys......here is one for you. I'm not the smartest tool in the chest....but I have a Colt SAA in 357 magnum......the frame I think is blackpowder (may have been rebarreled earlier in its life)....the cross pin cylinder release and the rampant colt within a circle.....anyway....I wanted to move up to a big bore.....44-40. So I bought a barrel and took the old barrel off......so now to my problem.......the barrel I just bought is a different thread pitch........the frame and the 357 barrel are threaded 20 threads per inch.........the barrel I got is 24 threads per inch......

So did Colt SAA's have different thread pitches and which ones which.....can anyone help me out and enlighten this old beat up cresent wrench.

Life is a learning experience

 

[gumshoe4]

I don't know the answer to your question, but you might want to go over the the Frontier Sixshooter Message Board and post that question. The gents over there have forgotten more about SA revolvers than I will ever know...there are even a few gunsmiths who hang out over there. It's a very gentlemanly group. I suggest you post the question over there and I'll bet you'll have a response in very short order.

Here's the URL:

http://disc.server.com/Indices/208184.html

Good luck. SA revolvers are a kick in the pants. I've got lots of "tactical" guns, but the SAs are a blast to shoot and they can even be pretty good defense guns under some circumstances. Some of the guys over there carry them and don't feel under-gunned. Take a look at the photo link and you'll see some very cool SA pistols.

Bob

 

[Jim Watson]

Colt went to 24 TPI barrel threads for the "third generation" SAA in 1976.
Every previous SAA from 1873 to 1974 had the 20 TPI barrel.

Check the site Gumshoe said and see if you can line up a swap.

What is the serial number of your gun? Colt went to smokeless powder proof in 1900 around sn 192,000 although they had gone to the crossbolt cylinder pin retainer, commonly called the "smokeless powder frame" in 1892 around sn 144,000.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I'm not the smartest tool in the chest...

Sharpest. Trust me.

 

[blfuller]

Didn't the black powder frames have the single screw at an angle from the front to hold in the cylinder pin in?

 

[Jim Watson]

Yes, although, like I said, there was a period of time that they were using the crossbolt catch but had not started proofing the guns for smokeless. Gotta go by serial number, not "features."

 

[Wildalaska]

Let me get this right...ya pulled the barrel off of a 1st generation colt?


WildhuhAlaska

 

[Rinspeed]

Let me get this right...ya pulled the barrel off of a 1st generation colt?

That is exactly what I was wondering. What on earth would posess you to do such a thing.

Rinspeed

 

[Jim Watson]

To quote from the original post:
"may have been rebarreled earlier in its life"
Which I take to mean it was that way when he got it.
Remember, once upon a time, SAAs weren't automatic "collector's items" they were just old guns to be used, repaired, and modified to suit the owner.

 

[Wildalaska]

A properly rebarreled first is better than a mulitple rebarreled first...and the word "may" as in may have been make me even more...huh?

WilddirtyAlaska

 

[thatguy]

Was the 1st Gen SAA offered in .357? The 357 came out in 1935 and the SAA ceased in 1941 and sales were bad during Depression so if it was offered they couldn't have sold too damn many of them. Sounds like somebody is trying to turn a $10,000 Colt into a $1,000 Colt.

 

[Wildalaska]

The number one rule of Colt SAAs....never garage gunsmith one!

WildleaveemaloneAlaska