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According to The 36 Calibers of the Colt Single Action Army by David Brown, only 44 Colt Single Action Revolvers were produced in .45 ACP.
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Historic, Rare and Well Documented .45 ACP First Generation Colt Single Action Army Revolver Shipped to and Carried by U.S. Marine Corps General Joseph Berry with Case, and Factory Letter - Serial no. 354516, 45 Long Colt cal., 4 3/4 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, hard rubber grips. This very fine example of the legendary Peacemaker is chambered in the iconic .45 LC caliber as well as accompanied with an extremely rare factory shipped .45 ACP cylinder. The revolver is made even rarer and more desirable by being shipped to and carried by a U.S. Marine Corps general. It is rare to encounter SAAs shipped to an individual. The included factory letter confirms the configuration: 4 3⁄4 inch barrel in .45 caliber and blue finish with the type of stocks not listed. The extra cylinder is referenced in the “remarks” notation: “Records indicate one extra cylinder for .45 Auto Cartridge. Work was processed on Colt Factory Order 11749/1.”The letter also confirms the revolver was shipped to J.H. Berry of Portland, Oregon, on April 15, 1932. This was a single gun shipment.
Joseph H. Berry was born in Los Angeles, California and attended the University of Arizona and Oregon State University. In 1929 he graduated with a degree in mining engineering, and in the early 1950s he received a master’s degree in education from OSU. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the USMC in 1929, was awarded the Bronze Star for valor while serving on Iwo Jima during World War II, and retired in 1954 as a brigadier general. From 1951 to 1954 he was a professor of naval science at OSU, and went on to serve in administrative roles at OSU until he retired in 1967. He died in 1981. In his accompanying 1980 dated letter, General Berry provided additional information related to his military service and the SAA he carried: “As I recall it the Colt and the extra cylinder cost me less than $30. My base pay as a 2nd lieutenant was $125 per month so you know that $30 was a sizable amount...In April ’31, I was assigned directly from the states into the Guardia Nacional de Nicaragua. During my stay there I carried the Colt whenever I was dressed and slept with it when I wasn’t. After that tour of duty my need for this type of weapon changed as I became an aviator briefly (5 years) then a staff officer and instructor in various schools. I served two years as an Aide to the Commandant of the Marine Corps and two years as the Secretary to the Commandant of the Marine Corps (two different men Holcomb and Gates) and got into World War II as a staff officer on the Fourth Marine Division staff for the Iwo Jima operation. For that I was awarded a medal which upon retirement permitted me to be promoted one grade to brigadier general on the retired list.”
This SAA was carried by General Berry when he was a 2nd lieutenant stationed in Nicaragua. United States occupation of Nicaragua lasted from 1912 to 1933 and was part of American intervention into Latin American countries during the Banana Wars. U.S. Marines arrived in the country in 1927 in the middle of a civil war that threatened American interests. Their mission was to train a native security force, the Guardia Nacional, so that the organization would one day be able to police their own country without American boots on the ground. During this little known period of American military history, nearly 4,000 Marines were in the country at the height of U.S. involvement in 1928 and 136 Marines died in the six year campaign in Nicaragua.
As confirmed in the factory letter the extra cylinder chambers in the .45 ACP, a round used by the U.S. Military for the Model 1911 and 1911A1 semi-automatic pistols. Based on research presented by author David Brown in “The 36 Calibers of the Colt Single Action Army,” Colt manufactured only 44 First Generation Single Action Army revolvers in .45 ACP. This chambering was first made available after World War I in 1924 on a special order basis. Per Brown, “Almost all made after 1924 were shipped to men in some branch of the Armed Forces. They could get all of the .45 Auto ammo they wanted but part of them wanted to shoot the Colt Single Action Army instead of Colt Automatic so they would order the Colt SAA made up in the .45 ACP.” In his letter General Berry confirmed Brown’s assessment: “Since .45 automatic ammunition was readily available for issue and use for practice it seemed advisable to get a spare cylinder in which it could be used. I retained the original to use the heavier ammunition when needed.” We have previously sold only a limited number of .45 ACP First Generation revolvers.
The barrel has the two-line address on top and “COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY .45” on the left side. The left side of the frame carries the two-line patent dates marking and a Rampant Colt. The left side of the trigger guard has the number “3” and the Colt factory triangle proof. Matching serial numbers appear on the frame, trigger guard, back strap, and both grip panels. The accompanying partitioned hardwood display case lined in green velvet and featuring a cartridge block containing 15 spent .45 ACP casings. The case lacks a compartment for the extra cylinder. Also included is the case key and a cleaning rod. CONDITION: Extremely fine as carried by a U.S. Marine, retaining 85% original blue finish showing holster type wear and thinning on the grip straps. The hammer and frame retain 75% original case colors. There is some very scattered light spotting/pitting associated with a tropical environment. The grips are excellent with overall crisp checkering. The .45 ACP cylinder is also very fine with high edge wear. The case is very fine. Mechanically excellent. A well cared for SAA that saw service with a Marine stationed in Nicaragua. Provenance: U.S. Marine Corps General Joseph Berry. Estimate: 20,000 - 35,000