Colt New Service....DA revolver

[daboyleroy]

Manufactured from the late 19th century up through World War II, the Colt New Service was a large-frame double-action revolver chambered in 11 different cartridges. The Colt New Service Revolver was intended to replace the Colt 38, as shooters, lawmen, and, especially the Army, wanted something heavier. Colt added a bar of steel between the hammer and the frame in the new revolver—known as the “Colt Positive Lock”—in order to prevent unwanted discharges. In 1909, the Army and Navy adopted the revolver in its original form, and after a small change in the grip profile, the Marine Corps adopted it as well. In total, 356,000 New Service revolvers were made between 1898 and 1943, with the majority having gone to the U.S. military. For more on Colt's New Service Revolver, watch this "I Have This Old Gun" segment from a recent episode of American Rifleman TV.









Above from

https://www.americanrifleman.org/ar...wsletter&utm_medium=insider&utm_campaign=0718

 

[4v50 Gary]

Today we don't have the craftsmen to assemble them.

 

[midland man]

Today we don't have the craftsmen to assemble them.

sadly that's true!

 

[TTv2]

Today we don't have the craftsmen to assemble them.

I don't see why why'd want them to as the Ruger Redhawk is pretty much the same size and weight as the Colt New Service, but the Redhawk is a stronger gun with a better DA trigger.

The New Service was a great revolver at the time, but it's time has come and gone. Still cool, would love to own one for the history they hold.

 

[AlexanderA]

I had an M1909 Colt, as well as an M1917 Colt and an M1917 Smith & Wesson. Owned them for about 10 years. Big clunky revolvers with horrible ergonomics. When I went through a phase of downsizing my collection, I sold them all. I don't regret that decision.

 

[TTv2]

I had an M1909 Colt, as well as an M1917 Colt and an M1917 Smith & Wesson. Owned them for about 10 years. Big clunky revolvers with horrible ergonomics. When I went through a phase of downsizing my collection, I sold them all. I don't regret that decision.

Sights too.

 

[AlexanderA]

Why is this in the Black Powder forum?

 

[daboyleroy]

Why is this in the Black Powder forum?

Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Co.
Produced
1898–1946
No. built
356,000+

Specifications
Cartridge
.45 Colt, .455 Webley, .476 Enfield, .45 ACP, .44-40, .44 Special, .44 Russian, .38-40, .38 Special, .357 Magnum

Note. the name .44-40 (shorthand for .44 caliber and the standard load at the time of 40 grains (2.6 g) of black powder),

 

[mdrisc85]

Had a British contract New Service in .455 caliber some years back. Unwisely sold it off during the ammo crisis for lack of available cartridges and so pay off some school loans. Wish i had it back, great revolver- you don't realize how large they actually are until you hold one and compare it with Colt's Police models. Currently looking for one in .38 Special but it will likely be awhile...

 

[.455_Hunter]

My Grandfather carried a Colt 1917 for his sidearm as a WWI machine gunner. I have a 1917 and a 1908 .38-40. One of my grail guns is a 1909 in good shooting condition- a gun that I view as a pinnacle of US sidearm development and one that I would confidently carry into combat today.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

My neighbor gave me a 1909 Cold Army with a holster. I bought a box of Remington ammo & the extractor wasn't cut right & would not extract all of the empties. I looked close at the extractor & it had not been messed with. I sold the gun when I needed the funds only to find out later that these guns took a special round with a larger rim to ensure positive extraction. The ammo is probably rarer than the guns.

 

[whughett]

Why is this in the Black Powder forum?

Same reason we kick around the 45C cartridge, its roots are in the black powder era and folks here still load it that way, as is its revolvers and rifles were.
Someone fortunate enough to own early ones are better off shooting the pieces, if they are shot, with period correct ammo.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I have two New Service revolvers. The one at the top is chambered for 45 Colt and it was made in 1906, the one at the bottom is chambered for 44-40 and it was made in 1907. The trigger guard profile of this pair is the early version, the trigger guard meets the rest of the frame with a hard line. Take a look at a Colt Model 1917 some time and you will see the trigger guard shape has been blended into the frame. The revolver in the third photo of the first post has the blended trigger guard.






These revolvers are monsters. Look how the 45 dwarfs an N frame Smith and Wesson Triple Lock.

Specifications
Cartridge
.45 Colt, .455 Webley, .476 Enfield, .45 ACP, .44-40, .44 Special, .44 Russian, .38-40, .38 Special, .357 Magnum

Note. the name .44-40 (shorthand for .44 caliber and the standard load at the time of 40 grains (2.6 g) of black powder),

I have to say, this post does not belong in the Black Powder section of this forum. One could say the same for 45 Colt, 44 Russian, and even 38 Special, as they all started out as Black Powder cartridges. Around 1900 Colt began stamping a VP in an upside down triangle on the left front side of the trigger guard of their revolvers. This stood for Verified Proof, and meant the gun had been proofed for Smokeless Powder. The great majority of New Service revolvers carried this mark.






Just for the heck of it, I took the 45 apart once. I'll never do that again, it was confusing getting everything back together again correctly.

 

[Gordon]

Manufactured from the late 19th century up through World War II, the Colt New Service was a large-frame double-action revolver chambered in 11 different cartridges. The Colt New Service Revolver was intended to replace the Colt 38, as shooters, lawmen, and, especially the Army, wanted something heavier. Colt added a bar of steel between the hammer and the frame in the new revolver—known as the “Colt Positive Lock”—in order to prevent unwanted discharges. In 1909, the Army and Navy adopted the revolver in its original form, and after a small change in the grip profile, the Marine Corps adopted it as well. In total, 356,000 New Service revolvers were made between 1898 and 1943, with the majority having gone to the U.S. military. For more on Colt's New Service Revolver, watch this "I Have This Old Gun" segment from a recent episode of American Rifleman TV.

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Above from

https://www.americanrifleman.org/ar...wsletter&utm_medium=insider&utm_campaign=0718

I have half a dozen and these are not black powder fire arms like the earlier Colt DA were.

 

[792mauser]

I made the mistake of thinking I could use my black powder .45AR from my mk2 Webley in her. Alas no she gummed up kinda quick. Then came the cleaning.
Holy flying ashtrays batman!

After MANY YouTube videos and several days I had it back together.

 

[Gordon]

I made the mistake of thinking I could use my black powder .45AR from my mk2 Webley in her. Alas no she gummed up kinda quick. Then came the cleaning.
Holy flying ashtrays batman!

After MANY YouTube videos and several days I had it back together.

These guns do have the BP relief cup above the cylinder gap to alleviate BP fowling FWIW. Still a messy proposition.

 

[woodnbow]

Horrible ergonomics? Not if you have the hands for them... I wear xxxl gloves and with a Tyler grip on it my 1918 s&w is very comfortable.

 

[.455_Hunter]

The first time I took my newly purchased circa 1908 5.5" New Service in .38 WCF to the range, I set-up beside two dudes shooting a .40 cal Glock. Their full silhouette at 12 yards looked like it had received several bursts of 000 buck from a cylinder choke riot gun at 50 yards. I deployed my target at the same distance and loaded six rounds of Winchester 180 gr JSP. After cycling through the cylinder in single action fire, I pulled the target back with a nice 1.5" group centered on the bull. The two dudes were astonished that an over 100 year old gun could still shoot, let alone drop a grouping like that. Good times!

 

[PainlessWolf]

Good morning,
I have wanted one of these in 45LC for seemingly forever. I expect the day will come around. ;o)
regards,

 

[whughett]

The first time I took my newly purchased circa 1908 5.5" New Service in .38 WCF to the range, I set-up beside two dudes shooting a .40 cal Glock. Their full silhouette at 12 yards looked like it had received several bursts of 000 buck from a cylinder choke riot gun at 50 yards. I deployed my target at the same distance and loaded six rounds of Winchester 180 gr JSP. After cycling through the cylinder in single action fire, I pulled the target back with a nice 1.5" group centered on the bull. The two dudes were astonished that an over 100 year old gun could still shoot, let alone drop a grouping like that. Good times!

LOL, could of just been the Glock. I've had three of them and can't shoot either worth a crap. The same target at the same distance will have neat little groups from any of my CW era pistol repros. Ditto on my Colt 1911 Gold Cup. Then again seems auto loader pistols take a certain style of shooting to master.

 

[Sarge7402]

We're very fortunate today that the Colt SAA is as simple a weapon to make that there are plenty of them around. Mine's a clone in 38-40

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Horrible ergonomics? Not if you have the hands for them... I wear xxxl gloves and with a Tyler grip on it my 1918 s&w is very comfortable.

The Colt New Service dwarfs a S&W Model 1917. See my photo above of a New Service and a Triple Lock. The S&W Model 1917 uses the same frame as the Triple Lock.

These guns do have the BP relief cup above the cylinder gap to alleviate BP fowling FWIW. Still a messy proposition.

Oh heck, that doesn't mean they were meant to shoot Black Powder. This S&W has the cutout in the top strap and it was made well into the modern, Smokeless era.

 

[Gordon]

maybe because BP or "semi smokeless" was still being loaded and common up to WW1 ? and they knew modern tolerances and closed top straps might have problems in DA ? It was called a "fouling cup " after all.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

I only shoot Black Powder in this 2nd Gen Colt.

In my opinion, the 'fouling cup' is useless and completely unnecessary. It never fills up with fouling. What binds up a Black Powder revolver is fouling blasted out of the barrel/cylinder gap making its way onto the cylinder pin.






So, again in my opinion, the presence of the 'fouling cup' on a Colt New Service is not an indicator that it is meant to be shot with Black Powder.

 

[.455_Hunter]

We're very fortunate today that the Colt SAA is as simple a weapon to make that there are plenty of them around. Mine's a clone in 38-40

???