EAA’s Bounty Hunter Single Action 45 Colt

This a new European American Armory ‘Bounty Hunter’ with a 4 1/2″ barrel, in 45 Colt. For basically what is a $400 revolver, these are very well finished with nice bluing and bright case colors. The photo does not do it justice.

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These guns take their lineage from the old Hawes ‘Western Marshall’ series of revolvers. Hawes contracted them out to JP Sauer & Sohn. They were essentially Colt copies built on a slightly larger frame capable of handling the 44 Magnum.  I owned several in the 70’s-80’s, in 44 Mag & 45 Colt; they had smooth actions, good triggers and they all shot precisely to the sights- by no means a given with fixed-sight revolvers, by any manufacturer. They have a comfortable grip frame similar to the Single Action Army, but with lots of room for the knuckle of the middle finger. I prefer it to any Ruger except the Bisley.

Weihrauch GmbH of Germany acquired manufacturing rights for these revolvers and procured a license from Ruger to include a transfer bar mechanism. European American Armory imports these updated Western Marshals as the ‘Bounty Hunter’. Otherwise, the internals are basic SAA and they load & eject on half-cock like God and Sam Colt intended. The downside to the transfer bar is that the fine trigger was sacrificed. This one had a long, gritty pull of  about seven pounds.

I shot the gun with my two most used 45 Colt reloads*; a 250 grain RNFP factory duplication load and my ‘Linebaugh Load’, a 255 grain SWC over enough HS6 for about 1075 fps. The Bounty Hunter liked them all and the smooth grip handles recoil like a champ. Like earlier versions I’ve owned, it shot precisely to the sights. If it shoots this well with a downright awful trigger, I believe it will shine with a little work.

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EAA Bounty Hunter 45 Colt Six rounds of Missouri Bullet’s 250 grain RNFP over 7.1 grains of W231, standing unsupported from 25 yards.

Feeling encouraged, I banged off 12 rounds from 50 yards; six of the RNFP factory duplication load (vertical hash marks) and six of the warm 255 SWC’s (horizontal). I’d left my glasses at the house, so there are no braggin’ groups; but the revolver shoots where it looks to useful distances.

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EAA Bounty Hunter 45 Colt Excellent 50 Yard Sight Regulation, Right Out if the Box!

We have also discovered this revolver really likes the old Lee 452-255-RF, as cast by Ed at Maplewood Bullets, over 8.5 grains of Universal. Once around the cylinder at 85 yards.

Positive Aspects

The Bounty Hunter has a transfer bar and may be carried fully loaded. My single actions do double duty as carry guns so to me, this is a big plus.

The 45 Colt version uses the same frame and cylinder dimensions as the 44 Magnum version so it is strong enough for moderately-hot 45 Colt loads*.

The revolver is timed perfectly. After considerable dry firing (during the trigger work) and another 100 or so reloads, the cylinder has no wear line.

The forcing cone is deep and perfectly executed.

The bore is very will finished and has good strong rifling. It collected no leading that wasn’t easily removed by a couple of passes with a dry brush.

Barrel to cylinder gap was just under 0.004” and the cylinder lockup is snug.

The finish of all internal parts was excellent.

Assembly and disassembly of the Bounty Hunter is straight-forward, with the internals being Colt in all aspects except the obvious ones.

It’s firing pin is easily replaced.

Cylinder throats are 0.454” and so uniform I could not read a thousandth of an inch disparity between them.

Trigger pull aside, the Bounty Hunter exudes the hallmarks of fine machining and careful fitting. Weihrauch knows how to build a good revolver and more importantly, they are making a concerted effort to do just that. These are noticeably better than the JP Sauers that preceded them.

Negative Aspects

The EAA/Weihrauch transfer-bar system is said to be less robust than Ruger’s. To me it appears durable enough. This transfer bar pivots on the trigger extension via an easily replaceable pin, which you could make yourself in a pinch. If there is a weak link it is probably that trigger extension. Time will tell on that. 

Ruger’s transfer-bars break too and are often so poorly fitted that firing pin protrusion falls well under the 0.050”-0.055” industry standard. The little spring-driven plungers that operate the bolt, cylinder pawl etc. have also been known to fail. This is not an indictment of New Model Rugers; rather an observation that they usually need tuned and occasionally require parts replacement. I keep a few spare Ruger parts on hand and I’ll accumulate a few spares for the Bounty Hunter, as well.

The Bounty Hunter’s hammer is pig ugly. Fortunately it is also of carbon steel, so you can cold blue it and avoid negative attention. I do this with all my Ruger SA’s too, incidentally.

The Bounty Hunter’s trigger guard is flat on the bottom and has a hole for a trigger-lock in it. A mold line is evident around its interior. The trigger guard and the ejector housing are made of a non-ferrous alloy (perhaps aluminum) anodized or painted to insure the inevitable scratches will shine like a diamond in a goat’s rear end. The ejector housing was well finished externally, but had a horribly finished race with a slot at the rear that captured the ejector button on every stroke.

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Geez Helmut, could you have screwed this up any worse? These deficiencies were corrected*- but they serve as a reminder the Bounty Hunter is a ‘price point’ cowboy gun.

Trigger Work*

I was beginning to suspect Weihrauch’s license to use Ruger’s basic transfer-bar mechanism included a rider, requiring the former to have triggers just as lousy as the latter. 

The Bounty Hunter had a ‘positive’ factory sear engagement with a deep full-cock notch. When you pulled the trigger, you could actually see the hammer cam back before the sear released. This, coupled with the ‘spring over spring’ design of the bolt/sear spring, made for a trigger that spoiled a near-perfect single action revolver. This was corrected by stoning the notch to a neutral angle, reducing the sear engagement just enough to eliminate creep and resetting the sear return leg of the spring to a more amenable tension. The end result is a zero-creep 3 ¾ pound trigger that does not push off or release with a sharp rap on the backstrap. If it loses another quarter pound as the parts mate and burnish, it will be all you could ask for in a transfer-bar equipped SA revolver.

One thing I won’t do on a transfer-bar revolver, is lighten the main (hammer) spring. To do so is to invite misfires. This one has sufficient firing pin protrusion and it lights every primer, leaving a good deep dent. This is one of those things you simply do not ‘fix’. 

Summary

The Bounty Hunter is a robust, well made revolver. It’s also a tad bit porkier than than the Colt Single Action and its direct copies. While its aluminum components detract from its aesthetics, you get something in return- a transfer-bar single-action that operates like a Colt, is comparable in strength to the original Vaquero and weighs about an ounce less that the New Vaquero in identical barrel lengths. It’s a useful and interesting altternative, even if a little work is required to perfect it.

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*Voids Warranty/Scares Bliss-Ninnys. Ask me if I care.

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16 Comments

  1. J H

    March 5, 2016

    One thing to remember, which I found out the hard way: The base pin must be fully seated to the rear, and the base pin release fully returned to its locked position, or the base pin will walk forward due to recoil. This causes the transfer bar to fail to rise sufficiently (and consequent failure to fire), and fouls rotation of the cylinder.

    • Sarge author

      March 6, 2016

      Thank you for the comment John. I’ve read about this elsewhere though mine has never moved under what would be considered Ruger level two loads.

  2. Edward Pate

    March 25, 2016

    I bought one last year and after only firing about 50 rounds or so of 38 and 357 through it I started to observe malfunctions. Got it home and a part of the hand spring fell out. Took it apart and indeed it was broken, the hand itself appears to be improperly machined as well. Ordered replacement parts and after two or three assemblies and disassemblies I just cannot get the gun to cock properly. I’ll probably have to just take it to a gunsmith as I don’t want all the hassle of shipping it back. Otherwise it seems like a nice gun, perhaps just is just a lemon. Any pointers would be helpful, this is my first foray into the SAA world but lots of gun experience otherwise.

  3. William Shelton

    December 14, 2016

    To: Whom it may concern, I was wondering if anyone can tell me a little about the Bounty Hunter Colt 45. My youngest of three is 14 and he is really into the six gun, he has several guns at this point been shooting since he was four as well as his brother and sister. So I’ve been looking to purchase him a cowboy action revolver for Christmas that won’t break the bank, I came across this revolver at a pawn shop, I usually do a lot of research before purchasing a gun that I have little or no knowledge about. However I got a deal I couldn’t pass up, I know that usually means Run but I have more than enough knowledge about guns to look at the natural functions and this one is in really good shape. But I do not have the knowledge on EAA so if anyone could respond and help me out it would be really appreciated. Again Thanks!

    • Sarge author

      December 14, 2016

      William- the whole purpose of the article you commented on, was to tell you more than a little about the Bounty Hunter 45 Colt. Apparently we were unsuccessful in that effort.

  4. J j Fletcher

    February 3, 2017

    Thank You for a really good article on the Bounty Hunter. Was wondering: When you mentioned ‘moderately hot’ 45 colt loads, do you think Buffalo Bore, CorBon, or any of the 32,000 cup maximum loads in 45 colt would be safe in this particular revolver? I’ve read from several sources that the Ruger Blackhawk in 45 colt has about 80% the cylinder strength of the Super Blackhawk’s 44 magnum cylinder. So I was wondering if the Bounty Hunter had the same or maybe even more cylinder strength than the Blackhawks. Thank You for any response and I fully realize that the responsibility of shooting and reloading falls squarely on my back. Thank You again. J. John Fletcher, MMT, MAT

    • Mike Reid

      July 14, 2017

      I suggest you take a gander at John Linebaugh’s writings on the Smith and Wesson 25-5 Colt 45 and see the loads listed therein showing the potential loads doable in the Colt 45 with middle of the pack pressure loads. Cheers.

  5. K. Clarke

    January 8, 2018

    The transfer bar on my Bounty Hunter rises up only enough to cover the lower half of the firing pin and so sometimes it puts a nice dent in the primers and sometimes it doesn’t. What’s up with that? Is it possible to get a different hammer and remove the transfer bar?

  6. Tom Pelle

    November 6, 2018

    Great review of the Bounty Hunter. Refreshing to see a review that does not condemn this revolver outright, viewing it through the lens of Cowboy Action gaming.

    I have the .22 LR/.22 WMR version, and I am seriously considering buying another in .357 Magnum. One problem I noticed is that the screw that retains the ejector housing at the muscle end is very short, with maybe only 1-1/2 threads engaging the tapped hole in the barrel. As it kept unscrewing itself under the mighty recoil of the .22 LR I finally applied a tiny drop of blue Loctite. I have noted as well the propensity of the ejector housing capturing the ejector rod on every stroke (unless you purposely short stroke it). Can you please elaborate on what mosifications you made to correct this?

  7. Tom Pelle

    November 6, 2018

    Sorry. “muscle” should read “muzzle”. Stupid autocorrect!

  8. Casey Gunnels

    February 1, 2020

    Recently bought a Bounty Hunter in .44 Mag. Great shooting sixgun but the trigger is definitely heavy. I’m also getting a pretty good pinch on my trigger finger with every shot. Is there a fix for that, possibly trimming a bit off the bottom of the trigger and reshaping it?

  9. Daniel

    November 23, 2022

    This is a very nice article, loaded with useful information. I am taking a possession of a 770080 BH (4.75 barrel, case hardened, 44 Rem Mag) on Saturday (it’s on the way to my FFL as we speak). I am totally intrigued by this revolver, and picked it over Pietta, and Uberti. What I like: “porkiness” (Italian clones feel too light to me), modern caliber, overall looks of the SAA. What I don’t like: in one word …esthetics mentioned in the article. I have five revolvers beside this newcomer, and I absolutely detest aluminum! So much so that I promptly replaced aluminum pieces on my Single Six, with steel coming off of Blackhawk. And this brings me to the question…….what parts of the EAA Bounty Hunter can be replaced with Hawes Western Marshal, or J.P. Sauer? I would like to replace the grip frame with brass (off of Western Marshal), and the ejector housing off of anything. Weihrauch sells the identical model of the Bounty Hunter in Europe as WSA, but with brass parts I’m interested in. I went so far as to call Weihrauch on the phone (I am German, living in the States for over 30 years). They were nice on the phone, but the short answer is NO, they would not sell me the grip frame in brass! “Because Bounty Hunter is supplied to the States with aluminum grip frame”. It’s a stupid reason. So,…..where, and what parts do I need to source to accomplish this? Numrich has the brass trigger guard for the Western Marshal in stock (no backstrap). Changing the thickness/width of the piece is not a problem, as long as the screw holes align. I understand that this is a cheap revolver, but I would still like to “personalize it”. If nothing else, I can send the pieces to a shop, and have them gold plated. I asked a “nice” gentleman at Weihrauch (who wouldn’t let me talk to the owner) what exactly is the material the grip frame is made of, and can it be plated. He dodged the answer, “protecting the trade secret”. I was born less than 50 miles from their headquarters and lived there till I was 25, and now I am an “American Outsider”. No wonder they say in the States “you can tell German, but you can’t tell them much”.

    • Daniel

      January 22, 2024

      Decided to make an update to my comment above. I have this .44Mag Bounty Hunter for over a year now, and I couldn’t be happier with it. In short,…it’s a TANK. It handles the heaviest (fastes) loads in .44Mag with ease. Shoots to the point of aim and hitting soda cans at 25 yards is boringly predictable. Out of the box, its trigger and lock work feel disappointing. Innards feel like they are filled with gravel. Trigger pull is atrociously heavy (7+lb). But,…….it locks up tight, it’s timed to perfection (over 300 rounds later, there is no drag line on the cylinder!), and it looks great (except the grip frame that is). So I went to work. Trigger was easy. A little careful honing, and after assembly it was down to 4lb. After about 100 rounds it was down to 3.5lb, but I also replaced the main spring (Colt) in spite of the advice in the article. No ignition problems, and a VERY light, crisp trigger pull.

      Grip frame was a different story. If the casting marks on the ZAMAK made parts don’t bother you, leave it alone, but…..the finish on that material wears off as you look at it! I don’t know what the finish is, but I saw watercolors wearing better. I tried to repaint it with baked Appliance Epoxy (produces a finish very similar to H&K original paint job). It didn’t last. I tried to strip everything and cold blue it (shockingly enough the material takes the blue, but produces dull, ugly finish). I tried to replace the whole grip frame with brass from 1860 Army, and I made it fit, but…..since Bounty hunter has the transfer bar, its trigger sits further forward in the trigger guard (space needed to lift the transfer bar). It worked but left inadequate room for my trigger finger. 1860 Army trigger guard is almost perfectly round, and the Bounty Hunter’s trigger guard is oval for the reason stated above. Then I decided to take a set of files to the grip frame, erase all casting marks, and polish the ZAMAK grip frame. The result was VERY pleasing to say the least! I finished it off with 000 steel wool, and it looks like S&W stainless steel finish. Before the original finish of the grip frame wore off (while I was doing the trigger job) I took the advice from the article and blued the hammer. It made the revolver look way better, however….now I had to strip the blue off the hammer (to match the grip frame) and ended up with a very good looking “two tone” cowboy shooter! Grip frame material (ZAMAK) does not tarnish quickly, but it loses its luster in a month or so. I wipe it down (as I treat all my weapons) with Birchwood-Casey silicone cloth, and it restores the luster right away.

      Bottom line…..this is a fantastic SAA style six-gun, and I can wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s not for everyone though. If the trigger work/grip frame refinishing needs to be contracted to a gunsmith, the cost might not justify the purchase, but if one knows his way around SAA type handguns, this thing is a bargain, and I’ll put it up against ANY Ruger or similar.

      • Sarge author

        January 29, 2024

        Fine work Daniel! I toyed with the idea of fitting an 1860 grip frame.

        • Daniel

          February 12, 2024

          I tried every possible way to get rid of the ZAMAK grip frame and go with brass. 1860 grip frame looks beautiful on it, but the trigger sits too forward in the trigger guard which leaves inadequate room for the trigger finger. I don’t have fat fingers, but with 1860 frame on the gun, I have to make conscious effort to insert my finger in the right place. Bottom line is,…..I hardly ever give up on a project, and I am looking for a brass frame off of some other six-gun that came equipped with transfer bar from the factory. Haven’t found any yet. If someone that reads this knows of a SAA type revolver with transfer bar and a brass grip frame, I’d appreciate a heads up.

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