Colt Artillery Model SAAs Description

refers to U.S. government model SAA revolvers with 5 1/2 in. barrels, which were reworked and refinished between 1896 and 1903. In response to growing dissatisfaction with the stopping power of the newly adopted M1892 .38 LC cal. double action revolvers, the U.S. Ordnance Dept. directed Springfield Armory to recall all remaining quantities of .45 Colt Cavalry revolvers during 1893. The Colt Company refurbished approximately 1,200 of these during 1896, while the other 16,300 were reconditioned at Springfield Armory. During 1898, all of these Springfield refurbished revolver serial numbers became mixed and barrels were shortened. During this first re-work at Colt's in 1896, care was taken to match serial numbered parts, and in some instances, parts were even renumbered to match. After seeing hard use in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection, approximately 5,294 of these same guns were returned to Colt between 1900 and 1903 for refurbishing and total refinishing. Our source estimates that 85% of these 1896 Colt refurbished revolvers were initially issued to the Rough Riders. Serial numbers of the Colt 1896-1903 revolvers are all recorded in the Colt ledgers. RF=1.