Colt DA-41 Thunderer Facts & Fiction

[The Rustler]

I am a bit of a Colt history nut and just came on board with the HighRoad
So I wanted to join in on some of the old dicussions out there involving the Colt DA-41 Thunderer and DA-38 Lightning, Models 1877 and 1889 both of which were double actions revolvers, hence DA for double action, just in case you didn't know.

I have three with serial numbers ranging from 9967 & 11479 & 20361 all of which have seen service. One in particular (20361) which was manufactured in early 1892 has been authenticated by Colt Arms, and was found to be one of twenty in an order that shipped to Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co. out of Chicago, Ill, who later in 1924 would become known as The ACE Hardward Co. also in Chicago, Ill. and now known as a national label.

20361 along with its sisters in sucession were bought by the Chicgo Police Department and used for who knows what, but I hope it was for Law enforcement. Because 1892 was pretty shakey time for the old Chicago police.

The other two revolvers (9967 & 11479) served with the US Navy there at Chicago shipyards in the Lake Michigan testing area.

They are all in excellent firing condition, but very hard to get ammo for!
So if you no anyone that has .41/c dies and some brass please ask hime to drop me a line.

In the meantime, I hope I provided a small part of history on at least these Colt DA-41's and it does pay to invest in the now $105.00 dollars to get Colt Arms to authenticate any gun you have that your not sure about.

Thanks for visiting and have a Merry Christmas!

 

[Old Fuff]

The model 1877 was made until 1908, and later production were shipped in boxes that had an end label that stated: FOR BLACK POWDER ONLY: Do not use with smokeless powder ammunition. This applied to revolvers chambered in both .38 and .41 Long Colt.

Also they have a very complicated internal system. Break a part and you will find that most gunsmiths won't work on them. Repairs, when possible are usually expensive.

Use care.

 

[Ron James]

You going to leave the Rainmaker out?

 

[Jim K]

The .32 caliber Rainmaker is so rare (only about 200 made) that it is left out of most discussions on the Model 1877, but Fuff's comments would apply even more to such a valuable gun.

It is of interest that the nicknames "Lightning", "Thunderer", and "Rainmaker", as well as "Model 1877" were not used by Colt. The first two nicknames were invented as advertising hype by Mecham, the Colt St. Louis distributor. I have not been able to trace the origin of "Rainmaker", though it seems to be of more recent vintage.

Fuff's warning on the fragility of the action should be heeded. While I have taken a chance and fired some of mine, I strongly recommend against it. It is not only a matter of the powder used, it is a matter of having an irreplacable part break, a hammer notch shear, or a spring snap.

The Model 1889 (also not a Colt term) was an entirely different gun, Colt's first swing out cylinder model. While it too, and its immediate successors, was prone to parts breakage, it is a better gun than the Model 1877.

Jim