ammunition, colt, antiqueI own a colt single action army made around 1890. The gun is in almost pristine condition. I was given the gun by my grandfather. I know it has not been shot in at least 40 years. How do I tell if it is safe to fire? Secondly, if I were to fire it, where would I find ammunition as I’m not sure what ammunition would be acceptable. The gun is a .44-40, but I don’t know if a modern cartridge would have higher pressures than would be acceptable in a gun that old.
Your best bet would be to take the gun to a local gunsmith, specifically find one that deals with restoration of older firearms. They should be able to tell you if the gun itself is in “firing condition”. I personally wouldn’t fire it, just because I wouldn’t want to have something happen to such a beauty, but that’s more of a personal preference. You will want to have them check the interior of the barrel for anything that could cause it to rupture while firing, as well as check the trigger mechanism to ensure proper action.
As far as ammo goes, a good gunsmith should know someone with the appropriate ammo for the gun, or even make the rounds themself. They will most likely be prettttty pricey.
Definitely have it checked by a gunsmith.
With respect to the ammo, most of the major manufacturers make .44-40 cowboy loads. These are lower power loads that will not exceed the original blackpowder pressures on the original SAA’s. The original in .45 Colt was a blackpowder revolver and I know that there were .44-40 rounds in blackpowder at that time. Here is a link to a typical source:
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/winchester-cowboy-loads-44-40-225-gr-lfn-50-rds.aspx?a=758835
But honestly, if it is indeed in pristine shape, it would be a VERY valuable pistol. Shooting it could harm the value. I’d have it appraised first, then decide whether to shoot it. Some original Colt SAA have sold for over $10,000 and most of these are in shooting condition, but have not been recently shot.
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