Tag Archives: SAA

Colt Single Action Army BB gun: Part 4

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by Tom Gaylord

Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Colt Single Action Army BB revolver
The new Colt Single Action Army BB revolver is gorgeous!

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

This report covers:

  • It started as a conversation
  • Cartridges are the key
  • Use the same cartridges
  • The test
  • Ah-ha!
  • 25-foot test
  • Summary

It started as a conversation

A couple weeks ago, several readers had a discussion on the blog about shooting the Colt Single Action Army BB revolver with pellets. I didn’t read everything they said in detail, but the basic idea stayed with me for several days until I began to wonder, “Why not?” Back in 2013, I tested the Diana model 25 smoothbore pellet gun and discovered that it’s very accurate out to 10 meters — even though there’s no rifling to spin the pellet. Why wouldn’t this BB revolver also be accurate? read more

Colt Single Action Army BB gun: Part 3

Posted on by ↓ 154 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2

Colt Single Action Army BB revolver
The new Colt Single Action Army BB revolver is gorgeous!

This report covers:

• Tin cans?
• On to accuracy
• Umarex BBs
• Daisy BBs
• Crosman Copperhead BBs
• Hornady Black Diamond BBs
• Avanti Precision Ground Shot
• 4.4mm lead balls
• Summary

Tin cans?
Today, we’ll test the accuracy of the new Colt Single Action Army BB revolver. But before we get to that, there was a question from a blog reader named Claude about this revolver penetrating a steel food can. I said it couldn’t, but I secretly promised myself to test it first thing. Well, I was wrong. Steel food cans are thinner today, and this revolver can indeed pass through both sides! I shot the can at about 18 inches. read more

Colt Single Action Army BB gun: Part 2

Posted on by ↓ 86 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

Colt Single Action Army BB revolver
The new Colt Single Action Army BB revolver is gorgeous!

This report covers:

• The gun has a rear sight
• Kitchen-sink velocity test
• Daisy Premium Grade BBs
• Loading and unloading
• Umarex Precision Steel BBs
• Crosman Copperhead BBs
• Avanti Precision Ground Shot
• Lead balls
• Shot count

Well, it’s official. The Colt Single Action Army BB revolver I’m testing for you is a production model. The photos Pyramyd Air originally posted on their site were photos that Umarex sent them of a pre-production gun. All the blued guns will look like the one I’m testing. If you were concerned how your blued gun would look, it should look just like mine. By the time you read this blog, the images on Pyramyd Air’s site will have been updated. read more

The art of collecting airguns – Part 6

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by B.B. Pelletier

Happy New Year!

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

This report is being written to satisfy a promise to blog reader Kevin. Last Thursday, I took my new Ballard for its first shoot at the range. The experience parallels shooting a brand new pellet gun, so I think there’s something to be learned from my experience.


My Marlin Ballard turned out to be a special order factory-made rifle.

A very good friend gifted me the authoritative book on Ballard rifles by John Dutcher of Denver. Mr. Dutcher looked at the photos of my rifle and said that he thought it was a special order factory-made gun. I’d thought it was a Union Hill No. 9 rifle with some custom touches, but he knew that the rifle was more likely made purposely as a special order. John Lower of Denver had ordered many such rifles in the 1880s, because buying them in volume got him a better price. read more