While the Colt Single Action Army (SAA), which celebrated its 150th birthday in 2023, is still being made by the company that first brought it into existence, the popularity of the design and its connection with martial and frontier history has created a vibrant market for derivatives, many of which are produced in Italy. Cimarron Firearms imports more than a few SAA variants from Italy (more than 100, by our count), one of which harkens back to the early days of the military Colt. This review takes a closer look at the U.S. Cavalry Model Henry Nettleton, a martially marked variant of Cimarron’s Model P, the company’s trade name for its Single Action Army clones.
In keeping with the construction and appearance of the earliest generations of the military Single Action Army, the Cimarron is built on a traditional color-casehardened frame mated to a 7½" blued barrel. A blued, six-round, fluted cylinder sits within the frame, and the gun is, of course, chambered for .45 Colt. The trigger guard, trigger, backstrap and ejector-rod housing are also blued, and the hammer, complete with a checkered spur, is casehardened. A set of smooth walnut stocks completes the classic martial appearance.
On this particular model, the key features are the various markings included to enhance its historical appeal. Original Nettleton-marked Colts are some of the most collectible of U.S. martial arms, as U.S. Principal Sub-Inspector Henry Nettleton examined some of the earliest Colt SAAs to see military service. As such, the Cimarron reproduction of these early guns includes the appropriate “H.N.” stamp on the backstrap, cylinder, hammer and just forward of the trigger guard on the underside of the revolver. Additionally, the flowing, cursive initials of “HN” bounded within an oval border are stamped at the bottom of both stock panels. One further period-appropriate mark is the inclusion of the Colt patent dates located on the left side of the frame, just below the cylinder.
This being a modern-day, Italian-made replica, there are some additional markings, such as the CIP proof stamped on the cylinder, the necessary “.45 cal.” caliber designation and, of course, the top of the barrel includes the address for Cimarron Firearms rather than Colt. Those small out-of-place elements aside, from an appearance standpoint, the Cimarron Henry Nettleton certainly checks all the boxes for any historical arms enthusiast.
Unlike many Single Action Army clones that employ modern transfer-bar systems, the Cimarron Henry Nettleton model features a fixed firing pin (l.) that requires one chamber to remain empty for safe carry. On the rear, right side of the frame, a hinged loading gate (r.) must be opened to insert fresh rounds or remove spent cartridge cases.
In terms of construction and utility, most of what you’d expect to find on an original Colt is here. Starting at the top of the gun, the Cimarron is outfitted with a period-appropriate SAA front sight blade with a “quarter-moon” appearance. The rear sight only appears once the hammer is cocked, revealing a long V-shaped groove in the topstrap.
Unlike many SAA reproductions, Cimarron chose to retain the original appearance and construction of the Colt hammer. This, in particular, means the inclusion of a fixed firing pin, prominently seen when the hammer is cocked. The fixed firing pin led to the old adage of “load one, skip one,” in which those who carried a loaded Colt would have five rounds, with the hammer resting on the empty sixth chamber. Thumbing the hammer back provides the classic sound of a Single Action Army; operating the action slowly provides four distinct clicks. The first is an archaic “safety” notch, which proved to be temperamental and untrustworthy, leading to the five-round carry method. The second click allows the cylinder to spin freely, enabling owners to load and unload the revolver. The third and fourth clicks happen nearly in unison, bringing the revolver to full cock.
On the right side of the frame is the color-casehardened loading gate. With the hammer in its half-cock position, loading the revolver requires simply hinging the gate open, rotating the cylinder until an empty chamber appears and inserting a fresh round. Unloading requires the use of the ejector rod housed at the bottom-right of the barrel. The period-appropriate, round ejector-rod lever is pressed from the front to drive the ejector rod through the front of a chamber until it contacts the inside of a spent case. A slight push will drive the case from the chamber.
True to the original Single Action Army, the sights consist of a rounded, fixed front blade (l.) and a receiver groove at the rear viewable only when the single-action hammer is cocked. From the factory, the Henry Nettleton is equipped with a prominent and historically incorrect (r.) cylinder base pin screw, but Cimarron also includes a period-appropriate replacement (arrow).
The Cimarron’s trigger is conventional for a Colt SAA clone, but that’s by no means a denigration of the design. These guns have crisp, clean triggers that make shooting a joy, thanks largely due to the single-action mechanism. Our sample gun’s trigger broke with an average pull weight of 3 lbs., 9 ozs., and across 10 pulls, it never varied more than a few ounces. Thumbing the hammer back into position takes little effort, too, and that’s largely thanks to the improved springs included in this particular reproduction.
One element of the Cimarron we found curious was the arrangement of the cylinder base pin screw. Our test sample arrived with its base pin screw in the correct location for these early 1st Gen Colts, at the front of the frame, but the screw itself protruded prominently from the frame and had a knurled texture. Communication with Cimarron indicated that these screws are included with the guns when they come in from Italy, but the company does include a period-correct flush screw with each gun that’s much more aesthetically pleasing. The one benefit to retaining the protruding screw is that it makes removing the cylinder base pin somewhat easier for cleaning.
The range experience with the Cimarron Henry Nettleton was somewhat diminished by the lack of readily available .45 Colt ammunition. A somewhat meager, but sufficient, quantity was finally obtained, largely thanks to Fiocchi, which is one of a scant few makers currently producing quantities of .45 Colt. Given the dearth of ammo, most of the range shooting was limited to accuracy testing and chronographing, but such work aside, some rounds were left over for casual plinking, and that’s where the Cimarron really shines. Few will buy a Single Action Army clone for anything other than the pure enjoyment of shooting one of the iconic American firearm designs, and the Cimarron fully provides that. The plow-handle grip allows the gun to roll in the hand, which softens recoil, and the gun feels well-balanced and easy to control, particularly with such a clean trigger pull.
Original Henry Nettleton-marked Colts are highly prized and exceedingly valuable. A pristine example sold at Rock Island Auction for more than $100,000 in 2018. Considering that the Cimarron clone can be purchased for right around $700 and can be fired without any of the baggage or cost associated with shooting an original, highly collectible arm, it’s certainly a great deal for the historical firearm enthusiast.
