| The model shown is the target model chambered for the 44 Russian cartridge. It was made in 1903. The 44 Russian was one of the most accurate pistol rounds in the late nineteenth century. However it did not fare well in the smokeless era becuase of a quirk of its dimensions. The Russian could hold 24 grains of black powder. Given the increased volume of cordite over black powder, when filled with smokeless powder, the Russian had its power much reduced. For this reason, the 44 Special was introduced in 1907 and the Russian became obsolete. |
| Colt produced its first swing out cyclinder revolver in 1889. For the next 10 years, it produced a succession of similar models for the civilian and military market, culminating in the outstanding New Service model of 1898. The model shown is a 1895 Army revolver, chambered for 41 Long Colt. It is the civilian model, sold in 1907 and has British proof marks. The grips are made from hard rubber and show the 'rampant colt' trademark, typical for civilian issue firearms. |
| The Colt SAA is perhaps the most recognisable of any firearm. Featured in countless westerns, you might think that it was the only pistol sold in the old west. In fact the Colt was expensive, beyond the means of most people, and dozens of other manufacturers jostled for market share with Colt. The Colt was rugged and well made and had the distinction of having been adopted by the US Cavalry in its 7.5 inch barrel and 45 Colt configuration. The model in my collection is a 5.5 inch civilian model sold in 1906. It is chambered for 44 Russian. It has about 80 percent of its original blue on the barrel and about 50 percent of its colour case hardening on the frame and hammer. |
| This was the first self loading pistol produced by Colt, after a design by John M Browning. Chambered for the 38 rimless smokeless cartidge, the 38 ACP, it could discharge seven shots in about a second. Only 3,500 Colt 1900s were produced. A handful were bought by the US Navy and issued to the Marine Corps. These can be distinguished by their Kingfisher miltary blue and the US government markings. The pistol shown is a civilian model made in 1902. Its hammer still shows vivid colour case hardening and its 'rear site safety' is in original unaltered form. |
| The first automatic pistol adopted by the US Army in 1911. This Browning design was adopted after grueling tests in which the competing pistols were stressed to the point of destruction. They clearly got in right as the 1911 stayed in service until 1985, when it was replaced by the Berretta 92F. However the Colt 1911 is still used by some US Special Forces. The model shown is a Great War example. It was issued to the newly formed RAF in 1921 and is stamped 'RAF'. Colt records show that this gun was delivered to the British government on 14th November 1918, which no doubt accounts for its as new condition - it missed the end of the war by a few days. It is chambered for the British 455 auto pistol cartidge. |
| Colt's first attempt at a pocket automatic pistol. Chambered for the 38 ACP cartridge and with an exposed hammer. The example shown was manufactured in 1915 and was the personal property of Lieutenant Devenish of the 7th Batallion, East Surrey Regiment. Lt Devenish saw service on the Western Front at Loos, where he was seriously wounded. He survived the war, military records showing him commanding a cadet batallion in 1918. The magazine is not the original magazine. It is from a 1902 Miltary Model. This is slightly longer than the 1903's standard magazine and can accommodate eight cartridges over the 1903's seven. This extra firepower was undoubtedly the reason why Devenish replaced the original magazine. This is quite often seen on pistols of this vintage. |
| Under pressure from Colt's London agency and its redoubtable manager, Count von Oppen, Colt started producing a double action army revolver in 1878. In Europe it was virtually impossible to market a 'single action' revolver to either the civilian or military market. Double action was what was required but Colt had never produced a DA revolver because it thought that there was little market for one in the United States. Finally the worm turned and the London agency received the first pistols off the production line in Brtitish 450 and 476 calibres. The gun in my collection was shipped in February 1887 to Germany through the London agency. It is chambered for 44 Russian, which the German military had just adopted as its standard catridge. Unfortunately few sales resulted and Colt made fewer than 700 model 78s in 44 Russian. |
| This New Service is the target model chambered for the British service cartrdige 455 Eley. It is virtually identical the the 44 Russian model, the main difference being that the rear site is not adjustable, as British shooting regulations did not permit it. The example shown was sold in June 1914 from the Army & Navy Stores in the Strand. I have a copy of the sales ledger records in my collection. |
| An example of an early military contract M1894 revolver. This gun was inspected by Rinaldo A. Carr (RAC) and has all the correct sub inspector stamps. It was delivered to the US Army in late 1895. It is chambered for 38 Long Colt. Weapons such as this were used by the US Army during the Spanish American War of 1898. During the US occupation of the Philippines (in many ways similar to the occupation of Iraq) US forces found the 38 Long Colt ineffective against the Moro tribesmen who were fighting for their independence. This experience lead directly to the US Government adopting the 45 ACP in 1905 and later the Colt 1911, shown below. |
| There is a curious story to this Colt Navy. It was part of a shipment of 3,000 Colt's revolvers to Tsar Alexander II of Russia. Unfortunately the guns were shipped through the German port of Bremen and were promptly impounded as 'contraband'. Despite pulling all the strings he could at Berlin, Sam Colt was unable to get the guns released. Some were issued to the navy, and stamped 'KM' for Kreigs Marine, and the remainder had their finish removed so that they were 'in the white' and were sold at auction. The pistol in my collection is one of those that were cleaned and sold at auction. The gun is in near mint condition and may be unfired. Its finish was expertly removed so that all its edges remain sharp and lettering, patent stamps and roll dies remain distinct. The cylinder scene is in 100% condition and even the finely engraved Ormsby signature has survived. The story is that the gun was 'liberated' from a German museum in 1945 and brought to England at that time. |
| The first large calibre military pistol made by Colt for metallic cartridges. Unlike the various conversion pistols made by Colt since 1868 and the expiry of the Rollin White patent, this gun designed to be a breech loading catridge revolver and used the 44 Henry rimfire round. About 7,000 of these revolvers were produced, contemporaneously with the Richards and Richards Mason conversions. They ceased production when the 1873 Single Action Army (see below) started to come off the production line. The gun shown is a post 1000 serial number example, with Army sized ivory grips, brass trigger guard and 1871-1872 patent dates, typical of this stage of production. |
| The Bisley model was a target configuration of the Colt SAA intoduced by Colt in the 1890s. It was named after the shooting ranges at Bisley in Surrey. Although rather awkward looking, the Bisley hump backed grips are very comfortable and do not require the shooter to resposition his hand after the shot, as the SAA very often did. The model shown is a 1902 Bisley chambered for 38 Long Colt. Its foresight has been professionally altered. |
| The double action model of 1877 represents Colt's first attempt attempt at a double action revolver. That is to say, a revolver that did not have to be cocked first to be fired. Such revolvers were common in the Europe of the time. Count von Oppen, the general manager of Colt's London agency, had been urging Colt to produce a double action revolver for the European market. To make the point, he even solicited approval to stock Webley's Birmingham made revolver in his Pall Mall shop, so that he would not have to turn away customers who insisted on a double action pistoll. In 1877 the London agency was the first to receive the new pistol. Von Oppen was not impressed and told the parent company that the calibres were wrong (38 and 41 were too small for military application) and the mechanism was too delicate. In this von Oppen was surely right as most examples of this revolver are found today with faulty lock work. The guns shown are in 38 and 41 calibre. The nickle plated gun is an very early 1878 example, sold through the Fleet Street gunmaker, T Baker and shows London proof marks. It may have been refinished early in its life as so many London guns were, as a significant proportion suffered corrosion on the transit from Hartford. The blued gun is in 41 calibre and was made in 1899. |
| The Colt SAA shown here was shipped to the Shelton-Payne Arms Company in El Paso, Texas, in January 1913. It is chambered for 41 Colt and appears to have had little if any use. The revolver has virtually all of its original finish remaining. The vivid case colours on the hammer and frame look much as they would have done when the gun left the factory 93 years ago. One curious concidence. In 1916 Lientenant George S Patton purchased an engraved Colt Single Action army from the Shelton- Payne Arms Company, before he joined General Pershing's punitive expedition to Mexico after Pancho Villa had raided Columbus New Mexico. During the Italian Campaign in 1943, General Patton carried this Colt to enhance his flamboyant reputation. |
| Contemporaneously with the Open Top, Colt produced a series of cartridge revolvers which were conversions from percussion revolvers. The gun shown here is a Richard's Conversion which was made from obsolete percussion parts on hand in the factory. Such guns were far cheaper than the Colt Peacemaker or the S&W model 3 range of revolvers saw substantial service in the real old west. In the 1870s and 1880s it would be far more likely to see a cowboy with a Richards conversion stuck in his belt than the Colt Peacemaker. This gun featured in the western, 'The Outlaw Josie Wales'. Unfortunately this is a complete anachronism as the Richards conversion wouldn't be produced a few years after the end of the Civil War. But who cares? It's still a great movie! The second two photos show the great Dan George trying to get the drop on Josey Wales but failing, of course. |
| This is the target flat top version of the Bisley revolver. Note that the frame is also blued rather than colour case hardened. This gun is quite rare as it is chambered for 44 Russian. It was shipped to Pittsburgh in early 1899. This particular revolver used to be in the collection of the late head of Interpol in France. |
| Commonly called the 'Roots revover' after Elisha K Root who was superintendent of the Colt manufactory at the time, this revolver is the first solid frame design by Colt's. This particular example is in unturned, mint condition and has come out of the Harry Knode and Al Barns collections. |
