Sheriff's Model

The Colt Sheriff’s Model is a compact variant of the Single Action Army revolver without an ejector rod, characterized by a shortened barrel—typically 3 or 3.5 inches—and the absence of the ejector housing and rod that is standard on most Single Action Army configurations. This distinctive configuration, sometimes also referred to as the “Storekeeper’s Model,” was produced during the original black powder era of Single Action Army production and has been reintroduced periodically in Colt’s modern production history.

The absence of an ejector rod reflects the functional compromise inherent in the design—removing the ejector housing reduces the overall length and weight of the revolver, making it more compact and easier to conceal or carry in a coat pocket, but requires the shooter to manually push spent cases out of the cylinder chambers using an external tool, a cartridge, or some improvised means. For lawmen, merchants, and civilians who wanted a very compact revolver for close-range personal protection rather than a primary duty weapon, this trade-off was acceptable—the compactness and concealability gains outweighed the slower unloading for occasional self-defense use.

The Sheriff’s Model occupies an interesting historical niche that reflects the practical realities of frontier life. Not everyone who needed a defensive firearm in the American West required the full capability of a standard-issue cavalry revolver; shopkeepers, travelers, and town-dwellers who needed occasional protection without the conspicuousness of a full-size hip-holstered revolver were served by compact configurations like the Sheriff’s Model.

Modern Colt Sheriff’s Model production, available in both single and dual-cylinder configurations, is popular with Cowboy Action Shooting competitors in categories favoring compact revolvers and with collectors who want the complete spectrum of Single Action Army variants.