Colt Single Action Army Revolver with Upgrades

NOTE: this is an example of a previous customer restoration, and therefore the firearm is not for sale. Please browse the showroom for our current selection of restored, pre-owned and refinished firearms that are for sale, as well as other collections. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to be among the first to learn about new additions to our website.

The Journey From 1912 to Our Bench

A revolver built in 1912 carries with it the last glimmer of an America straddling two eras. Automobiles were beginning to appear on dusty main streets, telephones were inching across county lines, and electric light was slowly making its way beyond the cities. Out in cattle country, life kept its familiar rhythm. Horses remained the everyday means of travel, supplies were often a long ride apart, and firearms were first and foremost working tools. A man who paired his Winchester and his Colt in the same cartridge was not chasing nostalgia. He was seeking practicality in a land where daylight was precious and trips to town were measured in hours.

That is the world this Colt knew when it left Hartford, an America closing the frontier chapter even as it stepped toward modern life. More than a century later, a 1912 SAA example arrived in our shop carrying that history in every line and edge.

Restoring Mechanical Integrity

We began as we always do with a full disassembly, cleaning, and inspection. Years of use had left their marks, especially in the lockwork. Our gunsmiths corrected cylinder slop, performed a barrel setback, reset the cylinder gap, and fit a new hand. Careful timing work restored the mechanical rhythm that once made this model a trusted companion on long days and late nights.

Bringing Back the Colt’s Original Finish

With the action sound once again, attention turned to the surfaces. The frame and small parts were polished to the high-polish finish appropriate to its 1912 origins. Screws were restored or replaced where needed, bringing the fine details back into harmony with the standard Colt craftsmen demanded in that era.

Engraving in the Gustave Young Tradition

The transformation continued with an artistic step. We engraved the frame, cylinder, hammer, barrel, and grip frame in the Gustave Young style, using flowing scrolls inspired by the European-trained masters who once elevated Colt’s finest work. The result is classic and confident, a look that speaks to both artistry and heritage.

Finishes True to the Era

For metal finishing, we stayed true to tradition. The frame, loading gate, and hammer were bone charcoal color case hardened, taking on the rich, mottled colors that only the original process can achieve. The cylinder, barrel, trigger guard, backstrap, and additional parts received a period-correct carbona charcoal blue. The base pin, trigger, and screws were nitre blued, adding those bright flashes of color that reward a close look.

Exhibition-Grade Walnut, Fitted by Hand

Finally, we fitted new one-piece exhibition grade American walnut grips with a hand-rubbed oil finish. The grain is spectacular, warm and lively, and gives the revolver a presence that photographs can suggest but not fully convey.

A Revival of Heritage and Craft

Once reassembled, the Colt emerged as both a tribute to its 1912 working-gun heritage and a celebration of American engraving and finishing traditions. It still carries the spirit of the era that shaped it, now renewed and ready to tell its story for the next hundred years.

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