CAW (Craft Apple Works) 2nd Generation Colt SAA HW

Post by shazhib

Guys,
Here is a small review of CAW Colt SAA.
In a past, number of modelgun maker made SAA model, one from CAW is known as the best one in terms of shape or detail. I know there was Rampant Classic (made by Rokken), that was very expensive, the company no longer exist, I would say CAW the best from that respect.
CAW used to be a company selling custom parts or wooden stock, become a one of modelgun maker. They also release 51 Navy, 61 Nave or other good ones, SAA is one of high selling popular model. I heard a presient of
Tanaka and CAW having a good relation, that's why CAW sometime reproduce a model used sold by Tanaka (i.e. 98kar, Type 100).
Currently, there are several SAA made from:
- CAW
- Hartford (HWF)
- Marushin
- Hudson
- Kokusai
OK, here is some photo.
Start with regular left side view.

And right side

Markings on barrel

Markings on body

Barrel on right side

Rampant on cylinder, good detail

Mulberry's real size 45colt. You can screw off a top (bullet) and load onto SAA.

Or, as I did, machine out a cylinder insert, you can load as is.

Rampant on a hammer as well

An original rounds come with the gun can load 3 caps, it makes quite a "bang". I did a fire with magnasium, please see the photo here
http://mp40modelguns.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?t=1740
Small updates for optional parts
Wooden 2 piece grip

Silver hammer

Hammer Spring
Photo not shown, but CAW offers weaker hammer spring set for FD or preserving HW body from crack as an original spring is exceptionally strong for HW modelgun.
Additional photos for those who likes SAA in longer barrel.




And it's original box


Thanks,
S

Post by kickback

Great review mate,and great pictures of that muzzle flash......were gonna have to have a chat on how you removed the cylinder inserts ..well done, keep them comming.


Kickback

Post by Claymore

Great looking model, i do like peacemakers yet do not have one in my collection so this looks like a model i should get especially as it takes 3 caps. suprisingly we can buy peacemakers as any replica gun that is of a model made before 1870 is considered by our government as not a realistic imitation firearm (go figure) any way i think that puts the peacemaker in the can have bracket and after seeing these pics it puts it in my must have bracket.
Cheers shazhib

Post by shazhib

claymore,

"suprisingly we can buy peacemakers as any replica gun that is of a model made before 1870 is considered by our government as not a realistic imitation firearm"

Is that for real or modelgun? If you are into that much on peacemaker, I should be doing a small review on Hartford and CMC/Tanaka as well so that you can see which one you really like.


One more thing.

Speaking of SAA in HW material, there are lot of people try to "blue" it.
Here is some interesting sites:

http://nanchan-atelier.com/index.html

http://www.shikoku.ne.jp/hotta-wk/index.html

S

Post by Claymore

Its for replica guns only cos a peacemaker just does not resemble a real gun does it? not complaining though.

Those are fantastic looking guns on those sites must take a lot of time effort and skill to get them to look like that

Post by shazhib

OK, then, that will applys to 51 Navy and 61 Navy as well right (don't know how much you are attracted to those guns).....actually, I got 61 Navy just recently, may upload the photo.

Yes, it is very time consuming and delicate work to get these guns done. I heard billions of story people tried, but end up having not satisfactory result. One of most difficult point is to sand a surface without making the edge dull/round. Also, chemical reaction is alway be very moody, the finish could differ by temparature or mixture of the blue.

Those guns are sold almost the double the price of gun, I found it would be rather cheap considering all the work and time you need to get this done.

S

Post by Spencerman

I love the look of your peacemaker Shazhib. I have three myself, all metal, but the one thing that really does annoy me is that cylinder insert. I love the look that you have on yours and would love to know what tools you used and how you got such a neat job, as I would like to do this to my MGC one. Maybe you would be kind enough to drop me a pm? I would love to see comparisons with other models as I like the fact that this one takes the real look carts, and that it still does with the 'bullet' removed if left unmodified. This is the sort of info that this forum is invaluable for providing. One of mine, the gold coloured Marushin version (I think it is) isnt in .45, it is in .44 magnum (short ones for that too, the old kind). If I had known this I probably wouldnt have bought it, but it came with two dummy .45 rounds, like as if I am going to be able to use those for anything! I would like to drill out the cylinder to make it larger to accept .45 carts, but they have split the metal, so it would be a right pig to try and do, not impossible if you really wanted to, but my tools are somewhat limited, so I dont want to try, not just yet anyway. Just out of interest what size metric drill piece would be the equivalent of .45? I also found that this one is just awful on the action, as the .44 cartridges rub on the gun and jam up the cylinder. I had to grind about half of the cylinder spacer away, thus making the cylinder looser but a little prone to misaline if you were fanning. Slow firing seems ok. The only plus side is that it does have the correct 4 clicks as you cock it, spelling out the word colt apparently. If I could sort out the barrel, then I would remove the gold and have a nice silver one, or maybe reblue it, I dont know, but I find that the plastic silver versions do seem to look just that, plastic, although I know that one of the manufacturers did make a shiny chrome version, but just how good this actually looks I dont know.

Oh, and I also belive that we could buy peacemakers for real in the UK as long as they are old enough to be classed as an antique, as antique guns do not need a licence here.
_________________

Post by shazhib

Spencerman,

I removed the cylinder insert using DREMEL like electric hand tool. It was bit hard and tiresome as I need to hold the tool on right and the cylinder on left rather than using a vice or something. To be honest, when I removed the 1st insert, I felt
"oh boy, I have 5 more to go".

Regarding the insert for metal model, usually the insert is thicker, will have more hard work to remove it. I've heard some stories about people tried to remove, but ruin 2 or 3 drill per cylinder, in most cases, people give up before comple all 6 chambers.

On top of that, let's say you successfully removed the insert, you want to
re-chamber it to .45, then, you need to have good and delicate work around an extracter, the other size or cylinder. If you just pass through a drill bit from the front to all the way back, don't know if the extractor part properly shaped. I know you want to have .45 real size metal pecaemaker, but to be honest, I do not recommend that much to do so.

Unfortunately, none of metal peacemaker (Marushin, CMC/Tanaka and Kokusai) having .45 real size cylinder. They are all around .41 size. The one having real size is CAW or Hudson (but both are HW though).

Sorry if my comment discourage you, but from my personal experience hearing about those things here, don't really hear somebody succeeded as the plan you have. I just don't want you to give an impression that making real size metal peacemaker is easy to have.

FYI, 1 inch (US) is approx. 2.54 cm.

If you need any further help, please feel free to post a comment here or PM me. I would be glad to share the story I heard in my country with all of you and tell what could be an outcome, before you may ruin you model.

As we cannot expect much of new model, VCR bills for UK mates, I feel what we can do now is how we can improve (or cherish) the model you've already have.

Regards,

S

Post by jim

Oh Shazhib I want this...this along with the Hudson SAAs are some of the models which HK shops won't bothered to stock up...

From the CAW website I can see that they'll release this again soon...the Civilian/Artillery/Cavalry are on the lists (so Sheriffs will left out this time)

One thing - I think SAA will only look good with wood grips - no black/white grips (are the white grips supposed to be made of ivory)?

Then - if people in Japan can remove the cylinder insert without being prosecuted - then why the makers still bothered to make the inserts (models currently available does not need a detonator behind the insert to strike the cap like the earlier Kokusai revolvers) - self-regulation maybe - in case the govt gone mad and change the law again?

Also in UK - if a live firearm (even pistols - as long as it is pre-1918) is in obsolete calibre (Section 1 Firearms I think) they can be kept at the owner's home...have the laws changed again?

Post by shazhib

Jim,

Seems like Sherif's is more and more difficult to get one from CAW (even in an auction).

Hudson also offered Sherif's on SAA, Sherif's adn Store Keeper's on SAA Bisley.

I think so too, I like wooden grip. White ones are usually be some kind of plastic to imitate ivory. I think importing of ivory basically no-no around the world. If you have some kind of registered and approved product, it could be very expensive.

Well, it is not explicitly can remove the insert. Some regulation for plastic modelgun is slightly loose, leaving lot of grey zone. I some offering at an auction selling plastic revolver with out cylinder insert under the name of "prop-version" (prop-version here is the one used in movie/TV. Of course, real gun is not allowed, those are usually be MGC made). Because of the greyness, no manufacturer want to accross "grey rubicon". It may give an excuse to police to arrest somebody from the manufacturer. As you said, it is more of a self regulation (metal model has a different story. If you have non cylinder insert metal revolver sold at the auction, police will happy to arrest you).

Therefore, mine is "in-house only" model. I have no intention to sell it at the auction.

I posted some optional parts for CAW SAA.

Regards,

S