Waifus with Raifus: The Colt M1873 Single Action Army Revolver

Credit: Mikael Jansson

     In 2000, fashion model (and later actress) Devon Aoki posed for a series of photographs shot by the renowned Swedish fashion and portrait photographer Mikael Jansson in Stockholm, Sweden. The results of the shoot later appeared in the November 2000 Dutch fashion magazine “Dutch”. In this particular shot from the series, Devon wields a Colt M1873 Peacemaker revolver. Given Sweden's strict laws and regulations on gun ownership, what she is holding is very likely a non-firing replica.

     More accurately called the Colt Single Action Army (Colt SAA), the Peacemaker entered U.S. Army service in 1873 until 1892 as the branch's standard issue revolver. Production ended in 1941 and many Colt SAA weapons served through the entirety of World War Two. The popularity of the Colt SAA saw production resumed between 1956 and 1974, again from 1976 to 1982, and for a third time in 1994 and ever since, the Colt SAA has continued to roll off the lines at Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company.

     The Colt SAA has been offered in nearly 30 different calibers (and numerous variants) during its life and even today, it can be had in at least 11 calibers. However, the most common ammunition for the Colt SAA for its initial service career was the .45 Colt round. The 11.43x33mmR (.45 Colt) is a rimmed, straight-walled, centerfire cartridge and was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1873 for use in the Colt SAA. Originally using 40 grains of black powder (later reduced to 34 grains), the round produced a muzzle velocity between 850 to 900 feet per second. Against a man-sized target, the effective range of the original round in the hands of a trained person was 69 to 91 meters. A skilled marksman could manage 114 to 137 meters of effective range. Of course, today, the .45 Colt ammunition sold in shops for current production Colt SAA models has a far higher grain count which produces a longer range.

     The Colt SAA is a single-action revolver (hence the SA in the name) which means to ready the revolver to fire, the operator needs to cock the hammer/striker first. Pulling the trigger initiates the “single action” of releasing the hammer/striker which then fires the bullet. Total ammunition capacity is 6 rounds in a metal cylinder. The usual barrel length of the Colt SAA is 7.5 inches but the replica looks to be the shorter, 5.5 inch barrel. Empty, the Colt SAA has a weight of about 2.3 pounds.