West German Single Action Army-inspired Revolvers in the United States

After the Second World War, the proliferation of western movies and television shows in the United States drove substantial demand for revolvers styled after the Colt Single Action Army. While domestic companies such as Ruger, Great Western, and Colt themselves provided products to fulfil this demand, there were market opportunities for imported revolvers as well. Today, Italy dominates the U.S. consumer market for imported historical replica firearms, but at one time West Germany—with its still-recovering post-war economy—was a substantial source of inexpensive single-action revolvers. Despite their prevalence, very little has been published on these revolvers. To date, five West German firearms companies have been identified as producing these revolvers for the U.S. consumer market. Prior to the Gun Control Act of 1968, there were limited product marking requirements, which, combined with these revolvers being imported under a wide range of brands, can make identification challenging. This article provides an overview of the broader post-Second World War U.S. market for Colt Single Action replicas, provides a summary of each of the five key West German manufacturers, and presents a straightforward identification schema allowing the reader to differentiate between common makes and models.