DITTO to what Coffinmaker just said.

The Colt SAA didn't become so prolific and popular because it was obsolete. It was the most advanced version of the single action revolvers introduced by Colt with the Walker back in the late 1840s. People who had grown up or spend their adult lives shooting and handling '51 Navy Colts or '60 Army Colts were easily converted to the SAA when they became common enough and individuals could afford them.

Modern shooters are enthralled with the idea of fast reloads. Most folks who packed a hand gun in the 1870s, '80s, '90s, and into the 20th Century weren't worried about prolonged firefights with drug traffic teams, outlaw bikers, or the walking dead. Their gunfights were over in a few rounds and if that were unlikely they carried another revolver. Merwin & Hulberts, like S&W break tops unload quickly but the M&H is just as slow to load as the SAA. Try it some time as I did.

My $.02 worth,
Dave

To all my friends here, may God bless you all and grant you a Merry Christmas!

  Forgot 

Why on earth would you think the Colt SAA obsolete??  Robust, reliable, accurate!!  The double action guns of the day were notoriously fragile and prone to breakage.  Of course breaking at the worst possible moment (Remember Murphy).

The only guns in general availability that made the SAA obsolete were Mauser Broomhandle, the Luger and of course, the Colt 1911.  More so the 1911.

  Well Heck 

There is a far simpler solution.  A couple actually.  First up is to fit a cartridge stop to the Carrier Block of an 1860 Henry replicant in .45 Colt.  Then shoot Cowboy 45 Special cases, duplicating the look and feel of 44 Henry Flat.  Include with that, Either an 1860 Richards/Mason Conversion, also in .45 and shoot Same same Cowboy 45 special cases in the pistol as well.  Could also substitute the 1871/72 Open Top.

Next up would be an 1866 Winchester Replicant in 44 Special.  Source a special Carrier Block from The Smith Shop for short cartridges and shoot 44 Russian cartridges.  Then go with a .44 Special/Russian Schofield and shoot same same cartridges.  Also might source an 18971/72 Open Top in .44

Then we get into real cartridge conversions but that is a whole nother thread.

LJW---Were the prices you quoted in 2020 from this guy? Wonder what his current price is? Were your quotes in US dollars? Imagine the price of shipping one over and back or having one purchased in Austria and shipped to the US wouldn't be cheap.

I believe, but cannot prove, that the biggest impediment would be the entire “cartridge gun import/export nonsense!
I ahve seen a number of “pre 1898” cartridge guns on auction sights coming from Britain or the EU but the
Import nonsense is so crazy I would fear for ever getting it, let alone the ulcer inducing paperwork….

Yhs
Prof mumbles