Never before in history has an effort been put forth to produce the finest single action revolver.
To start, this entire gun is made of solid 4140 steel; there are no inferior cast or metal injection molded parts used. No other maker of this type of gun can make such a claim. Additionally, the precision machining equipment used in the manufacture of our guns is the absolute finest in the industry and because the machining is done in-house, quality is carefully controlled. Even the very best parts are of little value without the hands and minds of experienced gunsmiths. The master gunsmiths here at Standard Manufacturing are versed in making iconic guns that include the Ansley H. Fox, Parker, and Model 21 double shotguns.
courtesy mfr
Upon close inspection of our Single Action Revolver, you will immediately recognize that this gun is something very special. With its perfect fit between all of the parts to the hand polishing and stoning. Traditional nickel finish on all of the metal surfaces with hardware having a deep fire blue finish. Even all of the screws are perfectly timed from north to south. Our Single Action Revolver is true to form, which is to say the man who designed this gun originally would immediately recognize it as his own, as would the legends of the Wild West.
courtesy mfr
These guns are available for immediate delivery starting at $1,995 for the Nickel Plated Model and $3,495 for the C-Coverage Model, plus $40 shipping and handling to your local FFL dealer. As a special introductory and limited time offer, we are providing a lifetime warranty on these Single Action Revolvers. If you do not agree with any of our statements upon receipt of this gun, we will 100% refund your money and pay return shipping.
Specifications and Features
Action Type: Single Action, with cone shaped firing pin and no transfer bar
Caliber: .45 LC
Capacity: 6
Barrel Length: 4 ¾”, 5 ½”, 7 ½”
Hammer Type: Spurred and Nickel Plated
Grips: Two Piece Walnut, One Piece Walnut, Two Piece Checkered
Sights: Fixed
Weight: 40 oz. (approx.)
Finish: Frame Barrel, cylinder, and metal parts are nickel plated
All screws and pins are fire blued.
I’m holding out for genuine gutta-percha grips. God love you if you know what gutta-percha is without having to google it.
They used to make golf balls out of it. Didn’t know they used it to make pistol grips.
G-P was the first of the “moldable” semi-plastic goo for grips, handles, etc. It was the new-new manufacturing stuff before Bakelite came along…
Yep. It was the forerunner to ‘hard rubber,’ although Gutta Percha IS ‘hard rubber’ in that it is tree sap from one particular tree (oddly enough, the ‘Gutta Percha’ tree. . . ).
Lots of things were made with Gutta Percha, including sheathing for undersea telegraph cables, and the original ‘hard rubber’ embossed boxes for S&W’s #1 revolvers. It had some drawbacks, one of which was extreme fragility and anther a tendency to soften up and degrade at fairly low temperatures (100F or so).
I hate nickel plating. It will eventually wear off – in the most unaesthetically way possible.
I would prefer polished stainless steel.
Never mind that. Did you know Hoppe’s no. 9 will eat nickel? There’s a mar on my nickel S&W .41 Mag 8 3/8″, is how I know. A gun coating ruined by Hoppe’s? Are you kidding? After that, I’d prefer chrome!
Correct Hoppes attacks the copper underneath the nickle platting. Found this out back in the late 70’s when a friend soaked the cylinder from his nickle platted S&W K frame 357 to get the build up out of the cylinders throats,had to have his cylinder re plated. If one has a nickle plated gun he cares about keep Hoppes or any solvent that attacks copper away from it.
Nice call have not hand my hands on any for a very long time,
Yes,however Gutta Percha wasn’t used by Colt on the SAA until 1878 -1880 time frame,of course the pictured Standard Manuf. SAA pictured is a smokeless frame circa 1890 so that would fall in line with the Gutta Percha grip time frame.
Standard Manuf. has been rumored for the last ten years to be out doing Colt for a SAA,prior to US patented firearms demise,they held that spot and most of their guns when found on the used market are in the neighborhood price wise of a Colt SAA.
I wish Standard Manuf. well on their venture and hope pricing doest do to them what it did to US patented firearms,however quality and hand fitting/labor has a cost .
Trivia alert!
Colt didn’t use ‘Gutta Percha’ for grips on the Model P; Those were really hard rubber–not quite the same thing. Gutta Percha fell out of use in the late 1860s because it really wasn’t any good for such things.
Just got Cimarron Pistolero, around $500 and I like its looks better. What this is good for I couldn’t guess.
STD guns (hint, stay away), is kind of a company that needs a come to Jesus experience…
I’ve tried to communicate with them on 3 occasions, and in all cases what I learned is that I am silly and I get what I get. Like Henry Ford, any color as long as its black. And I’m not really a squeaky wheel, so I bet they really come off the rails when real problems arise. Long story long, I don’t recommend anyone deal with them, as they “just don’t get it” when it comes to customer service, and therefore, don’t deserve your cash…
This gun is just plain ugly. No picatinny rails, no threaded barrel option.
And where’s the trigger dingus?
Is there a Hillary hole?
Not on a SAA.
Pray that S&W never gets into the SAA game.
Smith and Wesson make a Colt pattern firearm?
I don’t think there is any danger of that.
Now, if S&W decided to make a reproduction Russian flop-top, or the Baby Russian flop-top… that could be interesting.
S&W made a reproduction of the Model 3 Schofields from 2000 to 2002. Less than 3,000 were made by the Performance Center and were absolutely beautiful.
As if a Schofield with a Hillary hole would be any better than a SAA with one…
Correct,doesn’t need one,that is supposed to be that thing between ones ears is for.
No this is new “like a Virgin” not an ol worn out hag of a gun:-)
Not bad, …
Now, how ’bout bringing back the Python. Colt won’t. Or can’t. Or doesn’t want to.
BTW, are these the same people who make the DP-12?
Yes.
One discrepancy I see in their press release: their screws aren’t all timed “north-south” – the frame screws on the left side are timed “east-west”, as they should be. I’m sure the grip/frame screws (the four screws below the hammer on the back of the gun) and the grip panel screws are north/south.
This is a Nice Gun. The engraved and color-cased C-coverage model is even nicer.
Now, I want you people who keep running your fingers about gun production to look at something here. There are no castings here. There are no MIM parts. They’re machining this from bar stock 4140, what too many people mistakenly call “billet.” It’s not billet, it’s bar stock. They claim ALL of this gun is made from bar stock.
Anyway, this here is what some of you keep claiming needs to be done. This is a company making a 140-year old design on CNC machines. They’re making it out of good quality steel – not a space-age super-steel, but good quality chro-moly steel. 4140 is the mainstay of the gun industry (and many other industries).
And here are your prices.
Look at their non-engraved, non-plated version. Still color-cased, still has nice wood grips. $1900. Want it cheaper?
OK, let’s knock off the color casing and wood grips. Maybe you’re now down to $1600.
Moral of the story: If you want a job done correctly, you’re going to have to pay up for it. Those of you who keep claiming that someone can produce a high-quality gun for less than $1000 are coming face-to-face with what I’ve been saying for years here at TTAG: If you want quality, you’re going to have to pay up. I’ve been telling you for years what it would cost to make a nice shotgun, or a Colt Python again, etc. Some of you continue to not believe me. Well, here’s an example of what I’m saying. Want quality? It costs money.
Don’t blame me, and don’t blame the gun maker.
Blame the Federal Reserve, who has a deliberate and pubic agenda of making your money worth half of what it is today in 36 years.
Anyone who races anything knows what the market will bear for precision machined parts.
2K seems perfectly reasonable for this gun, especially considering what Colt charges. I think I might buy one in fact.
Define ‘high quality’. A Lamborghini may be a fine car, but try pulling an 8,000 pound trailer with one. A $35,000 F150 will do the job just fine. Obviously the F150 will never cost what the Lamborghini does and the Lamborghini will never sell like the F150. Personally I have a S,R&Co Vaquero and an F150, but if you’ve got the money and it’s burning a hole in your pocket, more power to you.
– no castings
– no MIM
– no plastic
– no aluminum.
– wood (vs. plastic) grips. Gutta percha would be nice too (but I must warn people – G-P grips become very fragile with time…)
This isn’t rocket surgery here, folks. There’s really not much room for Derrida-esque deconstruction. Make a firearm with the materials with which they were made before the 1960’s, and you can make a large segment of the gun market happy.
What many in that segment don’t want to admit is how worthless their money has become vs. tangible goods, and they have to pony up a lot more bum-wipe Federal Reserve Notes for a gun that used to cost perhaps $150 before 1960 – when we were still tied (even if fractionally) to a gold standard.
That’s why you can easily pay $35K to 50K for the F-150 you mention today, and back in 1960… you paid maybe only $3K for a F-100 pickup. Today, if you still have that 1960 F-100 and it is in good shape, you can probably sell it for over $10K.
Inflation is taxation. Pure and simple. The government prints the money and spends it and you’re left with less buying power. But it is better than deflation.
It’s fair to note though, that there aren’t too many folks out there today working for a buck an hour. Overall, I’m pretty sure ‘quality’ is more affordable today than then. Besides initial cost that F100 probably needed new rings and bearings and a valve job after 50,000 miles. And the rust would pop through the paint after 3 winters.
I make 12 times what my Dad made and 20 times what my grandpa made 50 years ago. It’s all relative.
Dyspeptic…….I bet this is an accurate single action. All this precision has got to result in precision shooting for a 45 cal. Bet as you cock the hammer the clicks are like music.
Cimarron makes very accurate SAA guns. For 1/4 the price. Can we get a comparison? Cimarron also has more expensive SAA, with worked trigger and fancier kit, up to nearly 1/2 the price of this gun, crank up a TEST!
I have the Smokewagon Deluxe or 4109DE I’m happy enough, as you said, at 1/2 the price.
The one thing I wish my Smokewagon had is instead of the case hardened look, I’d rather have had a beautiful quality bluing done on it. But it’s good enough.
Cimmarons are either Piettas or Ubertis, straight from Italy. I have two Piettas (both with the Ruger style transfer bar and hand spring, the latter being far more reliable than the original, and fragile, Colt design), and they are both quite accurate for what they are. One I bought for just under $400, and the other just over. I’ve never popped for one of the factory tuned models because, these being extremely simple machines, are very easy to tune once you find the instructions. No, my screws are not nitre blue nor properly timed, but these guns are shooters.
Yeah, I neglected to mention Cimarron makes no guns, all are eyetallian. Pistolero is case hardened frame and beautiful blue cylinder and barrel, with brass hardware like trigger guard and such, really gorgeous. Haven’t shot it yet, but hear they shoot great.
“case hardened frame ”
Chemically case colored,not true bone case hardening like Colt and Standard would use
Classic bone charcoal hardening is not necessary with modern steel, as Dyspeptic explained, it’s just there to look good. And IMO, Pietta does a better (more colorful) job of it than Uberti does. On he other hand, the “case hardening” Pietta puts on the hammer and ram on their black powder guns isn’t even acid dipped, it’s a sprayed on finish that comes off easily. I actually wish I knew where I could send out small parts to be finished properly.
“Bet as you cock the hammer the clicks are like music.”
And spells C-O-L-T.
Who is Standard Manufacturing? All in all that is one pretty looking gun.
They’re a division or subsidiary of Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Company, who makes some high-end O/U and SxS guns.
Where are they manufactured?
New Britain, CT.
Are Heritage revolvers and inexpensive way to get into SAA? I’M looking for a cheap way to get into the sport.
Ruger would be better money spent than the Heritage ,Rugers Are the Tuffest Sixguns,RATS.
If i was in the market for a gun of this type I’d buy a Ruger too
Definitely spend the little extra and buy a Ruger. It’s a much better gun that will last several lifetimes. If you can’t swing a new one (although the new are a great deal) look for a used one.
That’s a fine and handsome firearm. The nickel is nice, but to my eye their “entry” level revolver with the charcoal/bone case hardened frame and blued barrel and cylinder is gorgeous. At $1,895 this kind of quality is fairly priced.
I have to be honest: I find nickel finishes to be garish. I don’t know why. They’re not low-quality, or hack jobs. I just don’t like them. Same with highly polished chrome. They’re not cheap, crappy jobs. I just don’t like to attract that much attention when I pull a gat out.
I’m with you – I like color casing or blued firearms.
The one question I have in my mind is “how did they keep the 4140 from hardening through-and-through when doing a bone charcoal pack case hardening?”
Some background: The reason why so many late 19th century guns (or at least their frames) were color cased was because these guns were not made with high(er) carbon steels, or even steel at all. The original SAA’s were made with malleable iron, which is quite soft, and it dents and scratches easily. What you can’t do with malleable iron is harden it.
So they’d pack it in charcoal, heat it to 1500F, and get a pretty color case that was also functional – the color casing infuses the outer layer of the malleable iron with carbon (perhaps 0.020″ deep), and now when it goes into the water quench, that outer layer can become quite hard. It’s called “case” hardening because you have an outer layer (the “case”) that is quite hard, but the core of the piece is still soft.
As an aside, the Garand and M14 receivers/bolts are heat treated like this – they’re case hardened (but in a cyanide salt bath, for functionality only, not for color) 8620-ish steel, which doesn’t have enough carbon content to harden clear through. You get an outer layer of steel that’s hard-hard (like Rc 53+) and an inner area that’s about Rc 42. Now you get something that is both tough and wear resistant.
4140 has a high enough carbon content (0.40%C) to harden clear through. The outer layer might get to be higher in carbon and harden slightly more than the core, but the core could easily be Rc 48+.
I agree. That color case/blued piece is very nice. Personally, I think it would look just about perfect with some bone or antler grips.
Nice gun, but way too expensive for most people
The Colts start at $1400 last I looked, and go as high as you want when you start adding finishes and hand engraving. I don’t know if they are still produced, but that not that long ago you could get authentic African Elephant ivory grips–for $3500. Looking at this gun, those grips are not run of the mill walnut, but the higher end stuff with some curl to it. The standard stuff is all straight grained.
Colt’s SAA’s are up around $1800 in .45 Colt.
But are they drop safe with all six chambers loaded?
From what I see, no. They have no transfer bar. They’re a faithful reproduction of the SAA.
To load a SAA properly: Pull the hammer to half-cock. Open the loading gate. Load one, skip one, load four. Pull the hammer to full cock, then lower the hammer. It should be on the empty chamber.
Cimarron (EYE-talian) does have a transfer bar, does that mean load all 6? Not really concerned as I don’t plan to keep it loaded, but that stuff is nice to know BEFORE you blow your ass off.
With a transfer bar, it is safe to load 6. The firing pin CANNOT touch the primer unless the trigger is also pulled back.
If the method Dyspeptic Gunsmith: lined out is used/followed there will always be a empty chamber under the hammer and one will Not “blow your ass off.”
The best safety is the thing located between ones ears.
If I had the income I’d buy one. The quality seems to be there and made in USA which tics both my boxes for a single action revolver. Beautiful gun.
how does it compare to the Ruger vaquero. I own two and one is upgraded with a fast draw trigger system and stone polished stainless steel. big difference between the two
If by Ruger Vaquero,you are referring to one so marked and not Ruger New Vaquero,size and internal trigger,bolt/pawl in Ruger terminology ,hammer cam along with spring and plunger are the design differences,between the Ruger and most colt SAA copies.
The firearms marked Ruger Vaquero are 5% larger in dimensions of most parts,the New Vaquero was Rugers concession to the Cowboy action shooting crowd to offer the Vaquero as a more colt SAA sized gun.
I love single action revolvers, I mean I really love them. My first handgun was a Ruger Single-Six. I don’t like the nickel finish with blued screws on this one. A color case frame with blued barrel and grip would be much better. The price is not too outrageous for a USA made faithful copy of the original Colt design, but using the Ford F-150-Lamborghini analogy from above, I’d be just as happy with a Ruger and $1000 in my pocket.
When i’m shooting a CAS match if my primary guns I’m planing on using for it are any of the Italian conversion pistols,ie Uberti,Pietta,even thought they have been highly modified by a master of the conversion guns,the Rugers come along as back ups.
When I take the Rugers as primary pistols used,I don’t bother with backups,none needed.
Nice but real expensive for a range toy.
I’m holding out for genuine gutta-percha grips. God love you if you know what gutta-percha is without having to google it.
They used to make golf balls out of it. Didn’t know they used it to make pistol grips.
G-P was the first of the “moldable” semi-plastic goo for grips, handles, etc. It was the new-new manufacturing stuff before Bakelite came along…
Yep. It was the forerunner to ‘hard rubber,’ although Gutta Percha IS ‘hard rubber’ in that it is tree sap from one particular tree (oddly enough, the ‘Gutta Percha’ tree. . . ).
Lots of things were made with Gutta Percha, including sheathing for undersea telegraph cables, and the original ‘hard rubber’ embossed boxes for S&W’s #1 revolvers. It had some drawbacks, one of which was extreme fragility and anther a tendency to soften up and degrade at fairly low temperatures (100F or so).
I hate nickel plating. It will eventually wear off – in the most unaesthetically way possible.
I would prefer polished stainless steel.
Never mind that. Did you know Hoppe’s no. 9 will eat nickel? There’s a mar on my nickel S&W .41 Mag 8 3/8″, is how I know. A gun coating ruined by Hoppe’s? Are you kidding? After that, I’d prefer chrome!
Correct Hoppes attacks the copper underneath the nickle platting. Found this out back in the late 70’s when a friend soaked the cylinder from his nickle platted S&W K frame 357 to get the build up out of the cylinders throats,had to have his cylinder re plated. If one has a nickle plated gun he cares about keep Hoppes or any solvent that attacks copper away from it.
Nice call have not hand my hands on any for a very long time,
Yes,however Gutta Percha wasn’t used by Colt on the SAA until 1878 -1880 time frame,of course the pictured Standard Manuf. SAA pictured is a smokeless frame circa 1890 so that would fall in line with the Gutta Percha grip time frame.
Standard Manuf. has been rumored for the last ten years to be out doing Colt for a SAA,prior to US patented firearms demise,they held that spot and most of their guns when found on the used market are in the neighborhood price wise of a Colt SAA.
I wish Standard Manuf. well on their venture and hope pricing doest do to them what it did to US patented firearms,however quality and hand fitting/labor has a cost .
Trivia alert!
Colt didn’t use ‘Gutta Percha’ for grips on the Model P; Those were really hard rubber–not quite the same thing. Gutta Percha fell out of use in the late 1860s because it really wasn’t any good for such things.
Just got Cimarron Pistolero, around $500 and I like its looks better. What this is good for I couldn’t guess.
STD guns (hint, stay away), is kind of a company that needs a come to Jesus experience…
I’ve tried to communicate with them on 3 occasions, and in all cases what I learned is that I am silly and I get what I get. Like Henry Ford, any color as long as its black. And I’m not really a squeaky wheel, so I bet they really come off the rails when real problems arise. Long story long, I don’t recommend anyone deal with them, as they “just don’t get it” when it comes to customer service, and therefore, don’t deserve your cash…
This gun is just plain ugly. No picatinny rails, no threaded barrel option.
And where’s the trigger dingus?
Is there a Hillary hole?
Not on a SAA.
Pray that S&W never gets into the SAA game.
Smith and Wesson make a Colt pattern firearm?
I don’t think there is any danger of that.
Now, if S&W decided to make a reproduction Russian flop-top, or the Baby Russian flop-top… that could be interesting.
S&W made a reproduction of the Model 3 Schofields from 2000 to 2002. Less than 3,000 were made by the Performance Center and were absolutely beautiful.
As if a Schofield with a Hillary hole would be any better than a SAA with one…
Correct,doesn’t need one,that is supposed to be that thing between ones ears is for.
No this is new “like a Virgin” not an ol worn out hag of a gun:-)
Not bad, …
Now, how ’bout bringing back the Python. Colt won’t. Or can’t. Or doesn’t want to.
BTW, are these the same people who make the DP-12?
Yes.
One discrepancy I see in their press release: their screws aren’t all timed “north-south” – the frame screws on the left side are timed “east-west”, as they should be. I’m sure the grip/frame screws (the four screws below the hammer on the back of the gun) and the grip panel screws are north/south.
This is a Nice Gun. The engraved and color-cased C-coverage model is even nicer.
Now, I want you people who keep running your fingers about gun production to look at something here. There are no castings here. There are no MIM parts. They’re machining this from bar stock 4140, what too many people mistakenly call “billet.” It’s not billet, it’s bar stock. They claim ALL of this gun is made from bar stock.
Anyway, this here is what some of you keep claiming needs to be done. This is a company making a 140-year old design on CNC machines. They’re making it out of good quality steel – not a space-age super-steel, but good quality chro-moly steel. 4140 is the mainstay of the gun industry (and many other industries).
And here are your prices.
Look at their non-engraved, non-plated version. Still color-cased, still has nice wood grips. $1900. Want it cheaper?
OK, let’s knock off the color casing and wood grips. Maybe you’re now down to $1600.
Moral of the story: If you want a job done correctly, you’re going to have to pay up for it. Those of you who keep claiming that someone can produce a high-quality gun for less than $1000 are coming face-to-face with what I’ve been saying for years here at TTAG: If you want quality, you’re going to have to pay up. I’ve been telling you for years what it would cost to make a nice shotgun, or a Colt Python again, etc. Some of you continue to not believe me. Well, here’s an example of what I’m saying. Want quality? It costs money.
Don’t blame me, and don’t blame the gun maker.
Blame the Federal Reserve, who has a deliberate and pubic agenda of making your money worth half of what it is today in 36 years.
Anyone who races anything knows what the market will bear for precision machined parts.
2K seems perfectly reasonable for this gun, especially considering what Colt charges. I think I might buy one in fact.
Define ‘high quality’. A Lamborghini may be a fine car, but try pulling an 8,000 pound trailer with one. A $35,000 F150 will do the job just fine. Obviously the F150 will never cost what the Lamborghini does and the Lamborghini will never sell like the F150. Personally I have a S,R&Co Vaquero and an F150, but if you’ve got the money and it’s burning a hole in your pocket, more power to you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-M0aVNASHI
What gun aficionados say they want:
– no castings
– no MIM
– no plastic
– no aluminum.
– wood (vs. plastic) grips. Gutta percha would be nice too (but I must warn people – G-P grips become very fragile with time…)
This isn’t rocket surgery here, folks. There’s really not much room for Derrida-esque deconstruction. Make a firearm with the materials with which they were made before the 1960’s, and you can make a large segment of the gun market happy.
What many in that segment don’t want to admit is how worthless their money has become vs. tangible goods, and they have to pony up a lot more bum-wipe Federal Reserve Notes for a gun that used to cost perhaps $150 before 1960 – when we were still tied (even if fractionally) to a gold standard.
That’s why you can easily pay $35K to 50K for the F-150 you mention today, and back in 1960… you paid maybe only $3K for a F-100 pickup. Today, if you still have that 1960 F-100 and it is in good shape, you can probably sell it for over $10K.
Inflation is taxation. Pure and simple. The government prints the money and spends it and you’re left with less buying power. But it is better than deflation.
It’s fair to note though, that there aren’t too many folks out there today working for a buck an hour. Overall, I’m pretty sure ‘quality’ is more affordable today than then. Besides initial cost that F100 probably needed new rings and bearings and a valve job after 50,000 miles. And the rust would pop through the paint after 3 winters.
I make 12 times what my Dad made and 20 times what my grandpa made 50 years ago. It’s all relative.
Dyspeptic…….I bet this is an accurate single action. All this precision has got to result in precision shooting for a 45 cal. Bet as you cock the hammer the clicks are like music.
Cimarron makes very accurate SAA guns. For 1/4 the price. Can we get a comparison? Cimarron also has more expensive SAA, with worked trigger and fancier kit, up to nearly 1/2 the price of this gun, crank up a TEST!
I have the Smokewagon Deluxe or 4109DE I’m happy enough, as you said, at 1/2 the price.
The one thing I wish my Smokewagon had is instead of the case hardened look, I’d rather have had a beautiful quality bluing done on it. But it’s good enough.
Cimmarons are either Piettas or Ubertis, straight from Italy. I have two Piettas (both with the Ruger style transfer bar and hand spring, the latter being far more reliable than the original, and fragile, Colt design), and they are both quite accurate for what they are. One I bought for just under $400, and the other just over. I’ve never popped for one of the factory tuned models because, these being extremely simple machines, are very easy to tune once you find the instructions. No, my screws are not nitre blue nor properly timed, but these guns are shooters.
Yeah, I neglected to mention Cimarron makes no guns, all are eyetallian. Pistolero is case hardened frame and beautiful blue cylinder and barrel, with brass hardware like trigger guard and such, really gorgeous. Haven’t shot it yet, but hear they shoot great.
“case hardened frame ”
Chemically case colored,not true bone case hardening like Colt and Standard would use
Uberti dips them in hot salt and then a cold water quench. Don’t care. The results are nice!
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0By3-l1P1kK4sRTlJQ2ZHcmE4X00
Classic bone charcoal hardening is not necessary with modern steel, as Dyspeptic explained, it’s just there to look good. And IMO, Pietta does a better (more colorful) job of it than Uberti does. On he other hand, the “case hardening” Pietta puts on the hammer and ram on their black powder guns isn’t even acid dipped, it’s a sprayed on finish that comes off easily. I actually wish I knew where I could send out small parts to be finished properly.
“Bet as you cock the hammer the clicks are like music.”
And spells C-O-L-T.
Who is Standard Manufacturing? All in all that is one pretty looking gun.
They’re a division or subsidiary of Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Company, who makes some high-end O/U and SxS guns.
Where are they manufactured?
New Britain, CT.
Are Heritage revolvers and inexpensive way to get into SAA? I’M looking for a cheap way to get into the sport.
Ruger would be better money spent than the Heritage ,Rugers Are the Tuffest Sixguns,RATS.
If i was in the market for a gun of this type I’d buy a Ruger too
Definitely spend the little extra and buy a Ruger. It’s a much better gun that will last several lifetimes. If you can’t swing a new one (although the new are a great deal) look for a used one.
That’s a fine and handsome firearm. The nickel is nice, but to my eye their “entry” level revolver with the charcoal/bone case hardened frame and blued barrel and cylinder is gorgeous. At $1,895 this kind of quality is fairly priced.
I have to be honest: I find nickel finishes to be garish. I don’t know why. They’re not low-quality, or hack jobs. I just don’t like them. Same with highly polished chrome. They’re not cheap, crappy jobs. I just don’t like to attract that much attention when I pull a gat out.
I’m with you – I like color casing or blued firearms.
The one question I have in my mind is “how did they keep the 4140 from hardening through-and-through when doing a bone charcoal pack case hardening?”
Some background: The reason why so many late 19th century guns (or at least their frames) were color cased was because these guns were not made with high(er) carbon steels, or even steel at all. The original SAA’s were made with malleable iron, which is quite soft, and it dents and scratches easily. What you can’t do with malleable iron is harden it.
So they’d pack it in charcoal, heat it to 1500F, and get a pretty color case that was also functional – the color casing infuses the outer layer of the malleable iron with carbon (perhaps 0.020″ deep), and now when it goes into the water quench, that outer layer can become quite hard. It’s called “case” hardening because you have an outer layer (the “case”) that is quite hard, but the core of the piece is still soft.
As an aside, the Garand and M14 receivers/bolts are heat treated like this – they’re case hardened (but in a cyanide salt bath, for functionality only, not for color) 8620-ish steel, which doesn’t have enough carbon content to harden clear through. You get an outer layer of steel that’s hard-hard (like Rc 53+) and an inner area that’s about Rc 42. Now you get something that is both tough and wear resistant.
4140 has a high enough carbon content (0.40%C) to harden clear through. The outer layer might get to be higher in carbon and harden slightly more than the core, but the core could easily be Rc 48+.
I agree. That color case/blued piece is very nice. Personally, I think it would look just about perfect with some bone or antler grips.
Nice gun, but way too expensive for most people
The Colts start at $1400 last I looked, and go as high as you want when you start adding finishes and hand engraving. I don’t know if they are still produced, but that not that long ago you could get authentic African Elephant ivory grips–for $3500. Looking at this gun, those grips are not run of the mill walnut, but the higher end stuff with some curl to it. The standard stuff is all straight grained.
Colt’s SAA’s are up around $1800 in .45 Colt.
But are they drop safe with all six chambers loaded?
From what I see, no. They have no transfer bar. They’re a faithful reproduction of the SAA.
To load a SAA properly: Pull the hammer to half-cock. Open the loading gate. Load one, skip one, load four. Pull the hammer to full cock, then lower the hammer. It should be on the empty chamber.
Cimarron (EYE-talian) does have a transfer bar, does that mean load all 6? Not really concerned as I don’t plan to keep it loaded, but that stuff is nice to know BEFORE you blow your ass off.
With a transfer bar, it is safe to load 6. The firing pin CANNOT touch the primer unless the trigger is also pulled back.
If the method Dyspeptic Gunsmith: lined out is used/followed there will always be a empty chamber under the hammer and one will Not “blow your ass off.”
The best safety is the thing located between ones ears.
If I had the income I’d buy one. The quality seems to be there and made in USA which tics both my boxes for a single action revolver. Beautiful gun.
how does it compare to the Ruger vaquero. I own two and one is upgraded with a fast draw trigger system and stone polished stainless steel. big difference between the two
If by Ruger Vaquero,you are referring to one so marked and not Ruger New Vaquero,size and internal trigger,bolt/pawl in Ruger terminology ,hammer cam along with spring and plunger are the design differences,between the Ruger and most colt SAA copies.
The firearms marked Ruger Vaquero are 5% larger in dimensions of most parts,the New Vaquero was Rugers concession to the Cowboy action shooting crowd to offer the Vaquero as a more colt SAA sized gun.
I love single action revolvers, I mean I really love them. My first handgun was a Ruger Single-Six. I don’t like the nickel finish with blued screws on this one. A color case frame with blued barrel and grip would be much better. The price is not too outrageous for a USA made faithful copy of the original Colt design, but using the Ford F-150-Lamborghini analogy from above, I’d be just as happy with a Ruger and $1000 in my pocket.
When i’m shooting a CAS match if my primary guns I’m planing on using for it are any of the Italian conversion pistols,ie Uberti,Pietta,even thought they have been highly modified by a master of the conversion guns,the Rugers come along as back ups.
When I take the Rugers as primary pistols used,I don’t bother with backups,none needed.
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