Any Colt Single Action Army (1st, 2nd, or 3rd Gen) Love Around Here?

[KurtM]

I thought so too on the 3rd Gen thing, but some Colt guys say it's 3rd.

 

[mtngunr]

I thought so too on the 3rd Gen thing, but some Colt guys say it's 3rd.

Well, the 3rd Gen kicked off true mid-70s (1974 last 2nd Gen/1976 first 3rd Gen), although there were some transitional models as the OP posts show. If your cylinder ratchet is different from the older (and with different hand to turn cylinder) and has a fixed collar to front of cylinder, then it is a 3rd Gen. If ratchet same as earlier and cylinder bushing which slides out, then it a 2nd Gen. There are also SN tables giving good approximations on DOM, and generally 3rd Gen had an SA prefix SN while 2nd Gen has SA suffix.

 

[KurtM]

I agree with everything you say, and yet several other Colt experts say it's not, so I've got a 2/3 Colt 😁

 

[mtngunr]

I agree with everything you say, and yet several other Colt experts say it's not, so I've got a 2/3 Colt 😁

One nice thing is that it is a Colt, so, as time passes, it'll always appreciate. And although it might be a 2nd Gen with 3rd Gen parts, it also could be the only example of experimental 3rd Gen parts trial to accidentally go out the door and anyone saying different is just covering for the mistake...I like that version.