SAME BUT DIFFERENT

The Colt Single Action Army is arguably the most culturally significant firearm in the American story. The gun was, surprisingly, not made in what we could call significant numbers. It’s estimated that Colt’s production of the gun stands today at about a half-million (for reference, Glock has passed 20 million), certainly not a number that should allow it such deep meaning in the great American story considering just how many competitions it had in its time.

Even today, it has competition in the form of clones and copies, arguably more of those have been made than by the Colt company. Since real Colts are often not shot or are considered collector’s items, it’s prudent to examine two new guns and see how they stack up to the competition—and older SAAs from Colt itself.

DOES A COLT SHOOT BETTER THAN THE REST?

I’ll cut right to the chase when it comes to my personal experience with the SAA. I’ve