Colt Single Action Army
Produced by Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company
The Colt Single Action Army (also known as the SAA, Model P, Peacemaker, M1873, or Frontier) is a single-action revolver handgun. It was designed for the U.S. government service revolver trials of 1872 by Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company (today known as Colt's Manufacturing Company) and was adopted as the standard-issued revolver of the U.S. Army from 1873 to 1892. The Colt SAA has been offered in over 30 different calibers and various barrel lengths. Its overall appearance has remained consistent since 1873. Colt has cancelled its production twice, but renewed it due to popular demand. The revolver was dubbed the "Peacemaker", and is a famous piece of Americana and the American Wild West era, due to its popularity with ranchers, lawmen, and outlaws alike. Today, it is mainly bought as memorabilia by collectors and re-enactors. Its design has influenced the production of numerous other models from other companies. The original length of the barrel, issued to the U.S. Cavalry, was 7+1⁄2 inches (19 cm), with an overall length of 13 inches (33 cm).