Duplicate Serial Numbers: Colt manufactured 60,000 pistols in the Ithaca serial number range (804), 41,696 in the Remington Rand serial number range (900), and 4,171 in the US&S serial number range (10896). Feb 11, 2010 I have a Colt SAA that has two Serial numbers. The first S/N D.F.C 82173 is at the bottom of the frame by the trigger guard. The second S/N 81514 is located on the bottom of the steel grip grame. I dont know why the gun has two serial numbers. The number 590 is stamped on the loading gate. The Book of Colt Firearms by R.L.Wilson. A Study Of Colt Single Action Army Revolver by Graham, Kopec, Moore. Colt Firearms from 1836 by Severn. A History Of The Colt Revolver by Haven and Belden. The Peacemakers by R.L.Wilson. For Factory letters contact: Kathy Hoyt Colt Archive Properties LLC Historical Research PO Box 1868 Hartford Ct. Life Lesson: Get the Colt SAA's serial number and call 1-800-962-COLT before making the purchase. This is certainly worth it, when you are considering purchasing one of these guns. NOTE: Colt's website says the phone service is available for first generation SAA's up to the 343,000 serial number range (although mine was slightly higher) and the. I just purchased a NIB Colt SAA with a serial number SXXXXXA stamped in the bottom of the frame just ahead of the trigger guard assembly. I went to the Colt web page to try to find the year of manufacture and it comes back as unable to find. Just out of curiosity, I instead typed XXXXXSA and the web site found the year it was built. How do i reformat external hard drive for mac.
Colt Python
The finest production revolver ever made.The Colt Python was first introduced in 1955 as Colt's top-of-the-line model. Dell mfp 3115cn driver windows 10. The gun pictured here was made in 1962. Pythons produced from 1955 to 1969 have no letter in the serial number and are the most desirable to collectors. The Pythons from the 1955-1963 era were all hand made and hand finished (prior to CNC machining and mass assembly line production).
Use the Colt Serial Number Database Lookup Tool. Pc multimeter software, free download.
Colt Saa Serial Number Identification
Colt Database Search1962 .357 Colt Python wearing period elephant ivory grips
Pythons have a distinct appearance. A full barrel underlug, ventilated rib and adjustable sights combine to give the gun its unique look. Originally, Colt manufactured Pythons with hollow underlugs but quickly left them solid to add stabilizing barrel weight. The Python was originally available in two finishes: Royal Blue and Bright Nickel. The Bright Nickel model was discontinued with the introduction of the more durable satin stainless and mirror-polished Ultimate Stainless models. NOTE: My nickel plated gun pictured on this page is a half century old and has been used throughout the last 50 years (not stored in a safe). How much more durable are those new finishes?
The very last guns of this model were produced only through the Custom Shop by special order and are also highly prized by the collector. I enjoy swapping out the grips on the Python from time to time. It really looks like a different gun with the walnut vs. ivory. This is one of my all-time favorite guns. The action is smoother than any revolver I've ever handled. According to Colt, it was designed to shoot 2' groups at 15 yards, and it does, even 44 years later. We recently had a visitor looking for the date of manufacture (DOM) of his Colt Python with a low serial number beginning with the KT prefix. He called Colt at 1-800-962-COLT and they informed him that the DOM was 1991. Thanks Ken, for letting us know!
Serial Numbers
Toward the end of 1969 the letter 'E' was added as a prefix to the serial number. In 1975 the letter 'E' was moved to the end of the number, becoming a suffix. In 1978 and later other letters were used.
According to the Colt Python Serial Number Table here, production of the Python peaked in 1981 (the highest production year). Colt produced more guns in that one year than the first ten years combined! However, 1978 is a 'question mark' due to missing information surrounding guns with serial numbers that have the 'N' Suffix. If more than 9,900 Pythons were produced with the 'N' Suffix, 1978 would be the highest production year.
At any rate, the five year period from 1977 through 1981 appears to be the peak demand period (Life Cycle Peak) or 'golden years' of production for the Colt Python. After 1981 production numbers fall off rapidly, culminating with the gun eventually being produced by the Colt Custom Shop to order only, up until production ceased altogether.
Some very lucky person out there owns the very last Python produced by Colt. I suspect the value of that gun to a collector would be very high. However, as long as Colt remains in business the remote possibility exists that they might produce another Python, thus de-throning the 'last produced Python', a proposition that could never threaten the 'first Python produced'.
Hand Made vs CNC Machine Made
Colt Saa Serial Number Identification Form
'You made a statement that CNC machining had an impact on the possible quality or value of guns made after 1965. I have been in the CNC machining business since its introduction to the manufacturing industry. It really did not have much of an impact until the mid to late 70's. Most machining was done on manual machines before that. One of the main reasons was the cost of the equipment and high degree of training to program and operate older CNC machines. Also they were highly unreliable. In the beginning, one needed to know a great deal about electronics just to keep them going. By 1980 they were very reliable, easy to program and produced very high quality components, much more so than a good machinist on a manual machine. So as far as quality of the parts in a Colt revolver: the ones produced on modern CNC machines were most likely superior to the older hand made versions.
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Colt Archive Letter of Authentication on my 1962 Python
Colt SAA's of the 3rd Generation are great!' 'Colt SAA's of the 3rd Generation are Lousy.' It may be a conundrum, but both statements are true. Early 3rd Generation SAA's had some problems in fit and finish. More recent 3rd Generation ones are excellent in those respects. Both of those opinions humbly come from my own experiences. https://ebmzmu.over-blog.com/2021/02/mac-os-screenshot-command.html.
Back in 1976 Colt reintroduced the SAA after a two-year hiatus for retooling and redesigning. Whereas 2nd Generation SAA's left off in the 74000SA range, 3rd Generation skipped to 80000SA. My first 3rd Generation SAA came in late '76 and was a .45 with a 71/2″ barrel, blued with case-colored frame. It was in the first few hundred of that 80000SA range.
It was a great disappointment to me, even to my relatively inexperienced eyes. The backstrap and trigger guard did not fit flush with the frame and sharp edges stuck out. Its backstrap came with a small crack and the grip frame's blue did not match the barrel or ejector rod housing. Eventually I actually gave it away.
Among the re-engineered factors was a change in barrel threads, a different ratchet at the rear of the cylinder, with corresponding rotating hand and a pressed-in cylinder pin bushing as opposed to the replaceable one of 1st and 2nd Generation SAA's. Webasto hollandia user manual.
