Colt Single Action Army was discontinued in 1999, as was the 4.75" variant, which was reintroduced in 2002. Manufacturing of the Colt Cowboy was discontinued in 2003. Colt engraved less than one percent of its first generation production of the Single Action Army revolver, which makes these engraved models extremely rare and valuable with collectors. Engraved pieces were often ordered by or for famous people of the day, including lawmen, heads of state, and captains of industry. This tradition began with the founder, Samuel Colt, who regularly gave such examples away as a means of publicity for Colt. Colt employed a number of engravers,
Revolver more massive, they use a spring-wound mechanism to index the cylinder. Revolver cannons use a motor-driven revolver-like mechanism to fire. A Six Gun is a revolver that holds six cartridges. The cylinder in a six gun is often called a 'wheel', and the six gun is itself often called a 'wheel gun'. Although a "Six Gun" can refer to any six-chambered revolver, it is typically a reference to the Colt Single Action Army, or its modern look-alikes such as the Ruger Vaquero and Beretta Stampede. Until the 1970s, when older-design revolvers such as Colt Single Action Armys and Ruger Blackhawks