# Colt Single Action Army



## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

The photo below is of Wind In Her Hair's Daddy's Peacemaker. This is the pistol that WIHH, as an 8yo little girl, learned to shoot with. After his passing, it was handed down to her oldest son. We are keeping it in safe storage until her son and his children are responsible enough to keep it at their house.

At any rate, when her son comes for a visit, he will want to shoot it. I know we can shoot Cowboy Action (black powder) loads in it. My question is, can we shoot modern, more higher powered (smokeless powder) .45 Colt loads in it? The type of loads typically sold for the Taurus Judge or a T/C Contender.


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

You can, but you will probably shoot it loose. ie, stretch the frame. Doing so will diminish the value of the revolver, and most likely render it unsafe to shoot.

Is it a 2nd, or 3rd generation?


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## Tobster (Feb 24, 2009)

Cabin Fever, I am attaching a YouTube link of a shooting channel site which features a Colt .45 SAA 1884 Vintage. You and others interested in old SAA Colts may find the video interesting. The shooter actually addresses your question in the video and echos the same advice you got from oneokie.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ASwt0CJsaU[/ame]


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## Dutch 106 (Feb 12, 2008)

Hi,

They make lower pressure cartriges specificly for cowboy shooting. Also if you load your own, trailboss is a powder made just for that game. its very bulky and seems to be very consistent. its a lot of fun to shoot the old thunder boomers with cast bullets.
Cheers,
Dutch


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> My question is, can we shoot modern, more higher powered (smokeless powder) .45 Colt loads in it?


*Standard* factory 45 LC loads are fine, especially the lead bullet loads

I certainly wouldn't shoot any BP loads in a fine gun like that because it's so corrosive

If you use half or full moon clips, you can shoot 45 ACP's
I bet you could find a few of those somewhere around the house


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

Bearfootfarm said:


> If you use half or full moon clips, you can shoot 45 ACP's


???? Have you ever done that?

45 Auto Rim cartridges won't fit in a SAA. The rim is too thick.


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## gunseller (Feb 20, 2010)

STOP WRONG you can not shoot 45 ACP ammo in a 45 Colt. The hand gun in the picture will be fine to shoot with standard 45 Colt ammo. It is a smokless powder frame. The black powder frames had a screw in the front of the frame to retain the cylinder pin not the spring loaded cross pin. You can also shoot 45 Colt Black Powder loaded ammo without damage to the firearm as long as you clean it within a day or two after firing. The people that tell how corrosive black powder is have never shot it in quanity. I shoot black powder in a 1860 Army Richards conversion made in 1871 and worth in the $3000 to $5000 range with no damage and no fear of damage. The firearm in the picture is nickeled so be careful what solvent you use as the solvent can cause the nickel to come off.
Steve


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> STOP WRONG you can not shoot 45 ACP ammo in a 45 Colt.


Yes you're correct.

I was thinking of a double action revolver.
The Colt SAA requires a special cylinder to shoot 45 ACP

SORRY!!


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## Chuck R. (Apr 24, 2008)

I've got 3 Colt SAAs in .45 Colt, two 3rd generations that I used for CAS and a 1st generation that was made in 1910 and been in my family for a while.

They're fine with standard pressure .45 Colt loads, not with Ruger-Thompson center level loads. 

Here's a good site that will give you an idea of the MFG date based on SN:

http://www.horstheld.com/0-Colt-SAA.htm

If Iâm not mistaken, the spring loaded base pin conversion was done shortly before the move to smokeless ammo, so there are some BP guns with that base pin retention system. I think thereâs around a 30K overlap in guns during the transition and around SN 192,000 they were built for smokeless. 

gunseller is right on with the BP advice. I shoot quite a bit in my BPCRs to include two day matches and have never had a spec of rust, as long as the gun remains dry, the residue isn't a problem.

Chuck


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## deaconjim (Oct 31, 2005)

You've already got good advice. That is one fine handgun though. I wouldn't take any chances with it.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Thanks for all the advice, I will look for some standard pressure loads. Any recommendations?

This is a 2nd Generation SAA. Serial # is 35xxxSA. I haven't been able to find the year of manufacture, but probably around 1960 or so.


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

Cabin Fever said:


> Thanks for all the advice, I will look for some standard pressure loads. Any recommendations?
> 
> This is a 2nd Generation SAA. Serial # is 35xxxSA. I haven't been able to find the year of manufacture, but probably around 1960 or so.


starting number 1961---33600SA
starting number 1962---35650SA
starting number 1963---37300SA


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

Beautiful firearm,I am VERY partial to the .45Colt round....As others have said,only standard pressure rds..most reloading manuals have a sep. section for Rugers and Contenders because Colt's cannot handle high pressure(and nothing worse than having a topstrap blow out,tends to ruin the day)


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

The reason I asked about high powered 45Colt loads is that I have some. Bought them for her to shoot in her .454 Casull before she graduated to the "big stuff."

For those of you who haven't seen it, here is a video of WIHH shooting a full cylinder of .454 Casul in her Ruger Super Redhawk (just click the photo below).


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## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

Cabin Fever said:


> The reason I asked about high powered 45Colt loads is that I have some. Bought them for her to shoot in her .454 Casull before she graduated to the "big stuff."
> 
> For those of you who haven't seen it, here is a video of WIHH shooting a full cylinder of .454 Casul in her Ruger Super Redhawk (just click the photo below).


Sweet!

Thanks for sharing that.. I especially liked the "it fights back" comment.

Just a side note, I hope she had in hearing protection.. Trust me on this one..I know first hand what shooting without it can do..


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## 10ecn (Mar 12, 2010)

Huh? What'd you say?


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## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

10ecn said:


> Huh? What'd you say?


Exactly!


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

You guys must think we're greenhorns! 

WIHH would not wear her shooting muffs because "it might mess up my hair." :shrug:  

So, she plugged the foam protectors in her ears.


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## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

Cabin Fever said:


> You guys must think we're greenhorns!
> 
> WIHH would not wear her shooting muffs because "it might mess up my hair." :shrug:
> 
> So, she plugged the foam protectors in her ears.


Good that's all I wanted to know.. 

That's what I was hoping you would say, that she is wearing ear plugs ..

No I don't think you're greenhorns, but I've know many shooters who didn't wear hearing protection, me being one of those fools...

Even when I was sleeping against the M102, 105 mm howitzer, I didn't wear hearing protection..

Again I know what the end results are..


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## Dead Rabbit (Oct 30, 2010)

fine lookin piece. i esp. like the grips. if mine, i think, id hang it up and look at it.


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## smalltime (Jan 26, 2007)

Dead Rabbit said:


> fine lookin piece. i esp. like the grips. if mine, i think, id hang it up and look at it.


I was always under the impression that the pearl grips where the acception to the rule and are to be called handles? LOL

Bill


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## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

smalltime said:


> I was always under the impression that the pearl grips where the acception to the rule and are to be called handles? LOL
> 
> Bill


LOL Some one has been reading Massad Ayoob (sp)..:nana:

But I agree Pearl/Ivory handle is acceptable, but nothing else is...


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

beowoulf90 said:


> LOL Some one has been reading Massad Ayoob (sp).....


I read his article too in BWH! I always read Ayoob's articles first when we receive a new BWH. A pet peeve of mine is when people call magazines or mags, "clips."


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## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

Cabin Fever said:


> beowoulf90 said:
> 
> 
> > LOL Some one has been reading Massad Ayoob (sp).....QUOTE]
> ...


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## Dead Rabbit (Oct 30, 2010)

Cabin Fever said:


> I read his article too in BWH! I always read Ayoob's articles first when we receive a new BWH. A pet peeve of mine is when people call magazines or mags, "clips."



ok, i give up.....why does the term "clips" raise your ire?


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Dead Rabbit said:


> ok, i give up.....why does the term "clips" raise your ire?


The term "clip" does not bother me at all. It is when someone calls a "magazine" a "clip"...that is when the hairs on the back of my neck start to bristle.


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