possibly egregious Colt SAA question

[Streetstar]

Bird's Head grip frames on short barrelled SAA's are cool, Uberti makes 'em, Ruger made 'em for a short while

Colt.............. does not make them -- they fit the 3.5" storekeeper or sheriff's model with the familiar plowhandle grip we all know and love (or somewhat love)

Does any 'smith out there goof around with re-shaping the Colt grip frame to the Bird's head configuration , or perhaps graft on a Lightning replacement part somehow?

Here's the blasphemous part ..... has anyone ever grafted a Uberti grip frame onto a Colt if nobody else does the mod?

[gak]

I can't answer who's done what (I imagine someone has!), but my choice over the Lightning design would be the USFA Birdshead or better yet its new(ish) Double Eagle grip, which appears to be a slightly differently shaped BH grip than even the standard birdshead. The Double Eagle of course includes a larger triggerguard than its standard Birdshead, which in turn is the same as the plowhandle SAA's triggerguard.. I guess then again one could just buy the USFA Double Eagle or Birdshead model and be many $ ahead (unless you've already got an "amortized" Colt in your inventory)...but it is an interesting question.

[klhill]

Maybe not as a standard offering but Colt does make the SAA with birdshead grip through the their Custom Shop.

[kimwcook]

Alan Harton could make whatever you wanted. His metal work is just unbelieveable.

[Streetstar]

Thanks guys -- i didnt know the custom shop would do that

I was just on USFA's website not more than a month or 2 ago -- that little birdshead pistol was not on there then -- its very very nice, but at $1350, the jump to a Colt may not be that much further - i'll have to check and see first though -- the Custom Shop may send me into sticker shock

Always thought their Rodeo and Rodeo 2 was the best deal in town , and i know what everyone says about their high quality , but a lot of their case hardened guns are priced higher than Colts

[Booger Bill]

I own a cimmeron thunderer with the grip frame of the old colt lighting and 1878 frontier. In the past I owned both. Now I want to say about 25 years ago I well remember seeing a factory custom colt at the old pasadena gun show, a about 3 1/2" colt single action army on display with that same grip and it WASNT rounded like EMF`s on top but looked the same configueration as this cimmeron thunderer I own. It also had the same shortened ejector rod houseing, was nickle with fire blued screws and ivory grips. I remember it being the prettiest colt sa I ever seen. It was like this cimmeron doc holiday. Mine is just like it but blue with both the 45 colt and acp clinders.

http://cimarron-firearms.com/Specialty/ ... lliday.htm

[gak]

Love that Cimarron!
Here's the USFA Double Eagle.
http://www.usfirearms.com/cat/double-eagle.asp

[Booger Bill]

I love that low bisley hammer on the USFA. Here is my cimmeron thunderer. My ideal configueration would be a colt built "Doc Holiday" with the bisley hammer. I have had this one many years and only remember trying it out one day when I bought it. I am going to dig it out and work with it again now! Gad! I see they are asking almost $700 for mine with the extra clyinder now! Maybe I should move some of this stuff.

[WyoShooter]

I love that low bisley hammer on the USFA. Here is my cimmeron thunderer. My ideal configueration would be a colt built "Doc Holiday" with the bisley hammer. I have had this one many years and only remember trying it out one day when I bought it. I am going to dig it out and work with it again now! Gad! I see they are asking almost $700 for mine with the extra clyinder now! Maybe I should move some of this stuff.

I have the same gun in a .38 Special with one cylinder. I really like it and is a great shooter. Not sure what kind of wood the grips are made of but they sure are purdy.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

EMF offers this stainless version and it can be ordered with the Bisley hammer.



I have one to go with a Uberti parts gun I had started building before they or USFA came out with them.

Here is the parts gun with the bisley hammer and before it got a thunderer grip frame.
I started this parts gun project a few years back because I too like that thunderer grip with the bisley hammer. The hard part was making a bisley hammer fit that grip. I actually had to use the top half of the bisley and weld it tto the bottom have of an SAA hammer.


Both of these guns are getting black Micarta grips shaped and checkered like this British bulldog.

Once that is done they will get some engraving and the Uberti will then be plated to match the EMF.