1897 Colt Single Action Army Peacemaker Smokeless Frame .45 Colt

Colt Revolver – Single Action Army Smokeless Frame

Manufactured: 1897 – Caliber: .45 Colt – Original finish, Smokeless Frame variation

This Colt Single Action Army Peacemaker Smokeless Frame, manufactured in 1897 and chambered in .45 Colt, retains its original finish and excellent overall originality. Produced during Colt's important transition toward stronger frames, it represents one of the most desirable late nineteenth-century variations of the famous Peacemaker.

History

The Colt Single Action Army, better known as the Peacemaker in .45 Colt and the Frontier Six Shooter in .44-40 Winchester, is one of the most iconic revolvers in American firearms history. Introduced in 1873 by Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company, it quickly earned a reputation for strength, reliability and simplicity. Adopted by the United States Army, it became synonymous with the American Frontier, serving soldiers, lawmen, settlers and civilians alike.

Beginning in 1892, Colt introduced significant improvements to prepare the revolver for the emerging smokeless powder era. Known today as the Smokeless Frame, this variation features the transverse cylinder base-pin latch replacing the earlier frame screw found on Black Powder Frame revolvers. The stronger frame represented an important engineering improvement, although Colt officially recommended smokeless powder ammunition only for revolvers manufactured after 1900. These transition-model Smokeless Frame revolvers remain highly desirable among Colt collectors.

Our Revolver

This Colt Single Action Army Smokeless Frame remains in its original finish. The metal surfaces display an attractive, even gun metal patina, resulting from the natural aging of the original blue finish. Only a few minor storage marks are visible on the barrel, consistent with careful preservation over more than a century. Factory markings are correct for a revolver manufactured in 1897. The two-line barrel address remains clearly legible, as do the two-line patent markings on the left side of the frame, markings that are frequently worn on well-used examples. Serial number 173XXX confirms an all-matching revolver manufactured in 1897. The original hard-rubber grips have aged to an attractive dark brown color and remain in excellent condition with an excellent fit to the frame.

Mechanically, the revolver remains in excellent condition. It retains the four distinct Colt clicks, crisp hammer cocking, precise timing, strong hammer fall and a tight barrel-to-cylinder gap. The 4¾-inch barrel, chambered in .45 Colt, features a bright satin bore with strong, well-defined rifling, reflecting its excellent state of preservation.

This 1897 Colt Single Action Army Smokeless Frame is an attractive and authentic example of one of the most desirable transition variations of the legendary Peacemaker.

The revolver is accompanied by its official French National Proof House (Saint-Étienne) Category D classification certificate.