In 1955 Colt re-introduced its famous 1873 Single Action Army revolver. It was a welcomed reprise of “The Gun That Won The West” and Colt has never looked back, still manufacturing the legendary Peacemaker since 1873 – with a brief hiatus caused by the demands of WWII that kept the Single Action out of the lineup until 1955.
Over the decades there have been many variations of the Peacemaker but never a BB cartridge loading CO2 model, that is until Colt and Umarex teamed up to build an authentic .177 caliber Single Action in 2015. The gun is accurate in almost every detail, right down to the Colt patent dates and Rampant Colt emblem on the left side of frame. When I first saw this air pistol last year I was not only amazed at the engineering that had gone into making this all-metal six-shooter, but how all of the famous Colt features had been incorporated right down to the loading gate, ejector housing, hammer, trigger guard, and grip contours. It’s as close to the real deal as you can get without loading .45 Colt cartridges.
At about 33 ounces it’s a little lighter than a .45 Caliber 5-1/2 inch barrel length Colt Peacemaker, but the Colt Umarex SAA has the same looks except for the addition of a manual safety discretely hidden under the fame and just forward of the trigger guard. The nickel version is a dandy of a gun that will open up whole new avenues for Cowboy Action Shooters to practice quick draw and shooting from the hip, pistol handling and target shooting at close range without the expense or cleanup of black powder or smokeless powder .45 Colt rounds or wax bullets. Dimensionally, the BB gun is dead on. The rebounding hammer feels different, lighter, as there is no actual Colt-style mainspring and the hammer sits slightly back from the frame at rest. Cocking the gun follows normal single action operation by rotating the cylinder to the next chamber. There is a CO2 capsule stored inside the grip to power the .177 pellet downrange at an average of 410 feet per second. Unlike some of the BB cartridges in use, the Colt models load the BB or pellet into the base of the cartridge where the primer would usually go. The brass BB and silver pellet cartridges authentic, though not .45 Colt in size, more like a .32-20 Winchester round, which Single Actions were chambered for beginning in 1884. The gun fits any SAA holster, and even has to be oiled and cleaned (moderately after every 1,000 rounds) with an available Umarex cleaning kit.
Raising the bar
The new nickel finished SAA pellet model comes fitted with black panel grips and a Colt Peacemaker Rampant Colt inset emblem. In all respects other than what comes out of the recessed .45 Colt muzzle, the pellet model looks identical to the .177 caliber BB models, which is to say very much like a nickel plated smokeless powder frame Colt Single Action Army revolver design. The 1892 smokeless powder frame design introduced the transverse cylinder latch under the barrel to release the cylinder pin for disassembly.
Skinning the no-smoke wagon
This is one sharp looking revolver and with the 5-1/2 inch barrel it fits any Colt SAA holster from hand tooled belt holsters to shoulder rigs. Just as in the Old West, holsters were a matter of choice or more often what was available at the gun shop or local saddlery. To test the new pellet model Umarex Colt Peacemaker I dropped it into a one-off copy of a famous fringed holster pictured in the book Packing Iron. The copy of the holster was handmade by Javier Garcia of .45Maker (801-628-7219). To do a few Cowboy Action shooting drills with the pellet gun I set up silhouette targets at the SASS (Single Action Shooting Society) pistol distance of 10 yards and fired Duelist style, which is one handed. A CO2 pellet gun with a rifled barrel is definitely good out to 10 yards. I also set up a few tin cans to do some Old West target shooting!
Ammo choice was RWS Meisterkugeln, a traditional 4.5mm wad cutter target grade pellet. Purchasing at least a dozen extra cartridges is a good idea for faster reloading. Pellet cartridges run around $10 for a set of six.
Taking my best gunfighter stance I did a quick draw for the first six shots just to see where I was hitting on the silhouette target. I put six pellets into the center of the target. Going to aimed shots six rounds grouped in the 10 and X rings at 1.75 inches. I repeated this a few more times with average six round groups measuring under 2-inches. Then I went after the tin cans, knocking them down in order and “kicking the cans”around the top of an old whiskey barrel (see the accompanying video gun test).
You can also practice drawing, re-holstering, and a little fancy gun handling with the Umarex Colt Peacemaker and shoot to your heart’s content for just pennies. The nickel finished, rifled barrel six-shooter has a suggested retail of just $179.99. For more information visit umarexusa.com.
by Dennis Adler