Colt double action revolver history books

The jerry kuhnhausen book the colt double action revolver. More importantly, the police training of the prewwii era emphasized onehanded single action as the default technique. The patina makes you wish that guns could talk and tell their stories. Still in business today, the colts manufacturing company went on to produce the colt single action army handgun, also known as the colt. Samuel colt was born in hartford, connecticut on july 19, 1814. With a single action revolver, the trigger only serves to release the hammer. Pearl harts merwin hulbert double action pocket revolver.

The barrel was 6 inches and the gun was usually fitted with fancy checkered walnut grips and a high polish blued finish. How common were double action revolvers in the post civil war. From page 106 of robert bests book, a study of colt s new army and navy pattern double action revolvers 1889 to 1908, 2004, reads the following. Handguns of world war ii, the secondary pistols and revolvers charles pate colt s double action revolver model of 1878 don wilkerson. Both guns utilized some of colt s original designs. Colts double action revolver, model of 1878 wilkerson, don on. Colt 1873 single action army revolver a brief history. As with wilkersons other colt books, this one also covers each caliber which was offered as well as barrel lengths. Why all defensive revolvers should be double action only. Iirc colt s 1851 revolver was introduced in england as the adams double action.

The colt single action revolver won the west by being the gun of choice on the american. Jun 30, 2009 colt antique single action army revolver. This book cuts through and dispels all myths about these superb revolver actions. Jul 22, 2015 colt 1873 single action army revolver bangor, maine american history is full of iconic firearms with many to name from the kentucky rifle, to the m16ar15 family, but one. Colt considered that the double action revolver was unreliable and when we consider the early double action revolvers that were made by a number of manufacturers that was often true. Colt firearms reference books colt automatic pistol. Results were excellent, as good as i am able to produce with any. This shot show 2019, colt showcased their latest and greatest revolver for everydaycarry, the new king cobra chambered for. A shop manual, volumes 1 and 2 by jerry kuhnhausen 2 book set. Colt 175 years the history of americas premier gunmaker by dennis adler. Kathy hoyt colt s manufacturing co inc historical research po box 1868 hartford ct.

In the back of the book is a complete listing of all colt serial numbers by model and year. This was colt s first medium frame double action target revolver and the first of a series of officers model target colt s. At that time colt started using letters as a prefix or suffix in the serial number. Volume ii covers colt s mark iii series double action revolvers j models, and also colt s v and aa model double action revolvers. The m1877 was the first successful usmade double action cartridge revolver. As a result of their shared history, the colt revolver and the american west will forever. When you consider that samuel colt invented the first practical revolver in 1835 his first patent, and that the colt s patent firearms manufacturing co. Colt double action revolver s by don wilkerson the book of colt firearms by r. The model 1878 saw action on americas frontier and throughout the world until production ceased in 1905. Colt s manufacturing company firearms, handguns, pistols, rifles, revolvers. Colts big model 1898 a doubleaction hit historynet. Jerrys been living in idaho where he spends much of his time writing and publishing gunsmithing books. He has written 24 shop manuals and is an nra life member. Colt new service revolvers bob murphy colts new service revolver tim mullin a study of colts new army and navy pattern double action revolvers 18891908 bob best u.

A shop manual, volume one for the older style action guns, or the colt double action revolver. In 1877 colt introduced their first doubleaction revolvers. Colt single action army revolvers 1st generation general. Of these three, only the colt python was a radically new design, even though it could trace its ancestry back to the army special, a popular. As this book was going to press, a memorandum was located in the national archives by mr. Most likely, the colt double action revolver of 1877 was a response to the introduction of the webley bulldog pistol in 1872, which was already being imported into the u. Description of the colts doubleaction revolver, caliber. The model 1878 colt was a double action that saw limited action in the wild west this revolver is often regarded as the black sheep of old colts. I own a good number of colt revolvers and do not hoard them or keep them as collectors items. The british seem to have had more success with the likes of tranter, adams and webley amongst others all managing to make solid reliable double action revolvers. Orders now ship within 24 hours of purchase excluding firearms. Major sections of the book cover history and development, physical. Wild bills colt navy, and wes hardins 1876 colt double action. A history of the colt revolver from 1836 to 1940 by.

The colt initally was more popular over there for two reasons. Top 3 concealable wheelguns revolvers reign supreme ideally, to pick the best revolver for your daily carry or backup, youd want to do a lot. Some time in the late 1500s, a lid was added to the flash pan design. Aug 01, 2011 as everyone knows, all modern solidframe, singleaction. The result was an uglylooking, birds headgripped colt with a european look and feel that drew complaints from veteran gun handlers on the frontier. Colt manufactured its first double action model from 1877 through 1909, turning out over 166,000 of them. This is a colt commando that was produced during wwii in. With its onepiece frame, handfitting grip, sidemounted ejector rod and characteristic clickclickclickclick, the colt saa defined an era of american history. Colt us army 1903 double action revolver used gun inv 228049. Kathy hoyt colt s manufacturing co inc historical research. Clear colt wikipedia page 60 items found page 1 1 2 next. Colts king cobra is making a comeback featuring a stainless steel barrel and a heavy duty frame, the first model king cobra in. Here is the complete story of colts first large frame double action revolver, the model of. Details about the colt double action revolvers a shop manual vol.

There s loads of history associated with these revolvers on multiple revisions throughout their service. Colts double action revolver, model of 1878 abebooks. The webley was a double action pistol with a two inch barrel, the original version of which held 5 rounds of. Originally called the new double action selfcocking central fire six shot revolver, the. This revolver was designed as the double action version of colts famed. The colt single action revolver won the west by being the gun of choice on the. One, the adams hadnt started widespread production yet. Working colts model 1877 doubleaction revolvers gun tests. A study of colt new army and navy pattern double action.

In this coffee table book, richardson lays out 100 examples of the colt. Jul 29, 2019 for those of you more familiar with ruger double action revolvers, the sixshot colt king cobra revolver weighs in at a grand total of 1 oz more than the fiveshot sp101. This revolver was designed as the double action version of colts famed single action army revolver and shared much of its history. If multiple models appear for your serial number simply match the date with the appropriate model, as certain vintage firearms can share serial numbers between different models. Its stamped with the numbers, and in the same font, size, and depth as the numbers. In 1836, connecticutborn gun manufacturer samuel colt 181462 received a u. Colt revolvers new service for sale guns international. This is a sheriffs model which does not have an ejector. They were manufactured through the turn of the century.

The 1877 is a handsome firearm and looks very much like the colt single action army. Enter the serial number, without spaces or dashes, to search the database. Here is the complete story of colts first large frame double action revolver, the model of 1878. Colts manufacturing company firearms, handguns, pistols, rifles, revolvers. Identity and date of manufacture of colt revolvers the. Click the titles in bold below to order your favorite colt books from the. To expose or protect the powder, the lid had to be moved manually. A study of colt s new army and navy pattern double action revolvers 18891908 bob best u. The m1877 was designed by one of the inventors of the m1873 colt single action army, william mason, as colt s first attempt at manufacturing a double action revolver. Fitzgerald, later a vocal proponent of double action, advised in 1920 in the colt s police revolver handbook that double action shooting should be reserved for targets no more than 15 to 25 feet away.

The colt agent was a small double action revolver with a shortened grip frame for better concealment. Here is the complete story of colt s first large frame double action revolver, the model of 1878. Python, detective special, official police, diamondback, agent, first model trooper, police. Dec 21, 2015 and finally, what undoubtedly became the most elegant double action. The new colt is a shooters gun and perhaps the best revolver colt has ever manufactured. The revolver was designed in 1876 by a well known colt employee, william mason. These books can be bought from brownells, midway usa, or direct from the publisher, heritage gun books. The colt double action revolvers a shop manual vol. Colt is launching the colt night cobra, a sleek and compact revolver for concealedcarry based on their updated cobra frame. A history of the colt revolver and other arms made by colt s patent fire arms manufacturing company from 1836 to 1940 and other arms made by colt s patent fire by charles haven and frank belden published by crown william morrow bonanza books.

This was the only hand held pistol until the colt revolver was invented. The finish and grips show very little wear or damage. But the guns accuracy was such that in his pioneer 1954 book colt firearms, jim serven, the. In rapid double action fire, no revolver handles as well as the colt python. The revolver of the american west by jeffrey richardson. When sam colt invented the first american revolver that worked when it was supposed to, this revolver is often regarded as the black sheep of old colts. Colt model 1892 us army da revolver unaltered 1 of 7 known. Wilson colt firearms by serven for factory letters contact. The only really detailed gunsmithing and repair manual on these colt revolvers ever printed. These smallercaliber guns paved the way for the biggest cartridge revolver that colt ever madethe. The 1877 colt double action revolver unblinking eye.

The first doubleaction revolver that the colt factory produced after sam colts death was the 1877 lightning. Major sections of the book cover history and development, physical characteristics, and an indepth study of each of the calibers with complete production figures for both standard and engraved revolvers. In the mid1960s, federal law demanded that all firearms have a unique serial number. In the last few posts, we have been studying single action revolvers, such as the paterson revolver, the colt dragoon and the peacemaker. Colt double action revolvers modern local deals, national for. Marked colt 1903 double action, 6 barrel, 6 shot serial number. Accuracy testing demands that the revolver be fired from a solid benchrest at 25 yards. The colt m1878 is a doubleaction revolver that was manufactured by colts manufacturing. Colts double action revolver model of 1878 1998 by don wilkerson relates the history and development of this first true bigbore da.

As with wilkersons other colt books, this one also covers each caliber which was offered as well as barrel lengths, total production figures and serial numbers. Colt revamped the lightning into a largerframed, sixshot, double action revolver that utilized the same barrel, ejector housing and cylinder as the widely popular colt single action army model. Southern style, guns, history, american, weapons, historia, shotguns, history books, rifles. Guns magazine colt da revolvers and semiautos guns. Explains the theory, goes through bench checks, disassembly, parts repairreplacement and reassembly. Samuel colt experimented with double action revolver systems, but he considered them to be unreliable.

The 1877 pistols were built on a medium frame, and used a small birdsheadshaped grip. As a result of their shared history, the colt revolver and the american west will. It the book to have if you have interest in 1895 colt revolvers. Trooper iii, trooper v, official police iii, metropolitan, peacekeeper, lawman, and king cobra. Colt s early revolvers were single action, in which the cylinder revolved as the hammer was cocked manually, and they used percussion caps. The flintlock mechanism was designed to push back the lid and spark a flint at the same time. Colts double action revolver model of 1878 by wilkerson, don. Emmett daltons engraved colt artillery model single action army revolver.

Colt double action revolvers modern local deals, national. After colt s patent expired in 1857, other manufacturers began producing double action revolvers, but colt s manufacturing did not manufacture its own double action revolver until 1877, twenty years after the patent had expired. The model 1878 colt was a double action that saw limited. Practical double action revolvers, in which the hammer is cocked and the cylinder revolves as the trigger is pulled, were. Colts first doubleaction revolver was their model of 1877, a sixshot, rodejector pistol capable of both double and singeaction operation. This revolver was designed as the double action version of colt s famed single action army revolver and shared much of its history. Colt s first attempt at a double action revolver to compete with the european manufacturers was the colt model 1877, which earned lasting notoriety for its overly complex, expensive and fragile trigger mechanism, which in addition to failing frequently, also had a terrible trigger pull unless given the attentions of a competent gunsmith. Guns of famous and lesserknown historical figures of the.