First Impressions: Umarex Colt Peacemaker

A Pellet-firing Peacemaker! The West was a little less Wild thanks to the Colt Peacemaker. Mike Morton takes a look at the latest incarnation of this historic gun from Umarex

Umarex has produced several versions of the SAA, this incarnation features a striking nickel finish with gold cylinder, trigger and hammer, fake ivory grips and a ‘Colt Peacemaker’ inlay


Key Specs
Gun supplied by: John Rothery (Wholesale)
Manufacturer: Umarex
Model: Colt SAA .45 Gold Edition
Price: £220
Calibre: .177 (4.5mm)
Ammo Type: Pellets
Barrel Length: 7.5in
Total Length: 12.75in
Capacity: Six shots
Action: Single
Powerplant: 12g CO2 capsule


The Colt Single Action Army, nicknamed the Peacemaker, was adopted as the standard US military service revolver from 1873 until 1892, after which it continued to be used by the militia, ranchers, lawmen – and some outlaws.

To either load or unload the six cartridges, the hammer must first be drawn to half-cock, which unlocks the cylinder…

The SAA was available in standard barrel lengths of 4¾in, 5½in and 7½in, as depicted in the Umarex version seen here. The longer-barrelled SAA was designed for the cavalry, and Colt SAAs were carried by Lieutenant-Colonel George Custer’s men at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. That battle may have been a defeat for Custer, but Umarex’s Peacemaker, which fires pellets rather than BBs, is very much a victory.

Umarex has produced several versions of the SAA, with both long and shorter barrels, and this incarnation features a striking nickel finish with gold cylinder, trigger and hammer, along with fake ivory grips and a ‘Colt Peacemaker’ inlay. The blued version of the long-barrelled gun was reviewed in Airgun Shooter 96, and this latest offering is every bit as striking.

…After which you can swing open the loading gate and either extract your ‘spent’ cartridges or insert fresh ones

While the original Single Action Army was chambered in .45 Colt, a potent calibre which stacked up to 40 grains of black powder behind a lead bullet weighing up to 255 grains, the Umarex SAA has a more modest load of a 12g CO2 capsule and .177 pellets.

A pellet is inserted into the back of each of the six fake cartridges, after which they can be loaded into the cylinder. The controls mimic those of the original; being single-action, the hammer must be drawn back to full-cock before the gun can be fired, making it very accurate.

A hex key is fixed inside the left-hand grip where it can’t get lost – this is used to tension the screw and pierce the seal on the capsule

After all six shots have been fired, the hammer must be drawn back to half-cock, the loading gate swung open and the ‘empty’ cartridges extracted. If you depress the spring-loaded ejection rod, the cartridges will fly out the rear of the cylinder, just like the original.

In practice, you don’t really need to do this as the cartridges will just fall out if you tip the pistol on end. But I suspect you’ll find yourself ejecting them the official way anyway – because it’s such dang good fun!


This article originally appeared in the issue 109 of Airgun Shooter magazine. For more great content like this, subscribe today at our secure online store: www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

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Posted in Features, Reviews, Vintage

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