Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns A very rare Colt SAA

The 38 Colt wasn't introduced until around 1886. A prototype cartridge and gun certainly could have been built for some tests, but proving that would be hard to do. A 6 1/2 inch barrel is certainly different, as is the 38 stamp on the trigger guard. The earliest model did have a 2 line patent date ending in 1872 until 1877.

The knurling on the hammer seems different from that era, but it could still be correct.

Whatever this gun is, it certainly looks real and has the patina and condition that make it look legitimate. I would never pay a premium price for something like this without ironclad provenance that it is real. If it is real, the sky is the limit on it's value...