The Colt Single Action Army (also known as the SAAModel PPeacemaker, or M1873) is a single-action revolver handgun. It was designed in 1872 for the U.S. government service revolver trials of 1872 by Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company (today known as Colt's Manufacturing Company) and was adopted as the standard-issued pistol of the US Army in 1873 until 1892.