SAA “Plough Handle” is the 1851 Navy Colt Handle

[jski]

Apparently the famous “plough handles” of the Colt SAA are an exact copy of the 1851 Navy Colt handle. As a matter of fact, the SAA handle is the 1851 Navy Colt handle!

Colt Single Action army. Colt 51 navy grip swap

[Driftwood Johnson]

That is correct. The 1860 Army Colt had a grip about 1/4" longer than the 1851 Navy, but when William Mason designed the Single Action Army he decided to go with the earlier 1851 Navy grip.

This is a Colt Richards Conversion. It was built on the 1860 Army Colt Frame. Notice how long the grip is.






This is my old Uberti 1851 'Navy'. It is incorrect in that it has a brass frame, and the Navy was never chambered for 44 Caliber. But it is an accurate representation of the 1851 Navy grip.






A couple of 2nd Gen Colts. Notice the grips are the same as the Navy, but about 1/4" shorter than the 1860 grip of the Richards Conversion.

[jski]

Think of it this way: if it was good enough for Wild Bill, it’s good enough for any of us!

[RickB]

I read that Colt presented a SAA to actor Chuck Connors, and it was fitted with 1860 grip frame and grips, to better fit his big hands.

[bedbugbilly]

Huh!? You mean there are other revolvers besides a 1851 Navy????? :-)

[Bob Wright]

While on the subject of Single Action grip profiles, several years ago I set up some Ruger Blackhawks, plus one Vaquero. I had each one with a 4 5/8" barrel and a 7 1/2" barrel and having the Bisley grip frame, the Super Blackhawk grip frame, and the XR3-RED grip frame. These were in .45 Colt and I used mild target rounds as well as snortin' fire breathing loads. I fired these for fast Single Action shooting as well as long range shooting.

My preference for fast handling was the standard Blackhawk grip profile, the XR3-RED (I did not have an XR3 to set up) while the Super Blackhawk (Elmer Keith called it the Dragoon grip frame) was best for heavy loads. In my experience, the Bisley profile came in last. It whacked my knuckle severely, and pointed dreadfully in fast shooting. With my heaviest loads, the XR3-RED rotated so the point that the sharp edges of the cylinder frame dug into the web of my hand.

Frankly, in my handling of my guns, I can find only slight difference between the XR3 and the XR3-RED grips. Oh, I can feel the difference, but it seems to have no effect on my shooting. The only Blackhawk I have now with the XR3 frame is a New Model Flat Top .44 Special.

Some of my "test" set-ups:

Bisley 4 5/8":



"Super" Blackhawk, 4 5/8":



"Super"Blackhawk, 7 1/2":



All above .45 Colt.




Bob Wright

[Bill DeShivs]

Plow.

[bamaranger]

Just for the record, doors have handles (apparently plows have handles), but handguns have grips.

[Hawg]

Originally Posted by bamaranger

Just for the record, doors have handles (apparently plows have handles), but handguns have grips.

Single actions have plow handle grips.

[Bill DeShivs]

"To Correct and Serve."

[highpower3006]

Top to bottom in chronological order :
1848 First model Dragoon
1851 Navy
1860 Army
1873 Single Action Army



Easy to see the difference between the '60 Army and the '73 Army grip size.

[Jim Watson]

Just for the record, doors have handles (apparently plows have handles), but handguns have grips.

If you look at a factory letter, you will see that Colts have stocks.
As Jeff Cooper said, the grip is how your hand holds the stocks.

[4V50 Gary]

Baramaranger - jski started a new trend. You witnessed it here at TFL. It's a clip v. magazine thingy type of thing,.

[Jim Watson]

But not as much fun as calling an 1873 .45 'Long' Colt

[Bob Wright]

I believe it was Sam Colt himself who said "The plow handle grip fits every hand."

Bob Wright

[bedbugbilly]

If you have ever walked behind a single bottom one horse plow - then you will be well aware of the similarity . . . . and I know of very few guys who ever got out of plowing by using the excuse . . . "I can't plow Pa . . the handles don't fit my hands. :-) Just sayin' . . . . .for all of you city boys . . . . . .

[Hawg]

I've never walked behind one but I've handled quite a few of them. Maybe that's why Colt designed them that way so they would feel like something people were used to.