...Don't know what I was thinking...
I’m going with not enough coffee!
Kevin
...Don't know what I was thinking...
Let me add a history lesson. Colt developed the revolver and manufactured them in Patterson, NJ. The early Colts were not as good as later models, and Colt went bankrupt. A quantity of these early "Patterson" Colts were purchased by the Texas Navy. Texas couldn't afford a navy, so the navy was disbanded and the Colts issued to the Texas Rangers.
The Rangers were having a hard time with the Comanche, who fought mounted. If you dismounted to fight, the Comanche would ride off to attack somewhere else. To fight them, the Rangers had to fight mounted -- with single shot muzzle loaders. The Comanche, on the other hand, would hold a bow and a half-dozen arrows in the left hand, and shoot them one after the other as they charged. So the Texas Rangers carried more guns. and still more guns.
When the 5-shot Patterson Colts were issued, Captain John Coffee Hays had a brilliant insight -- "This isn't a gun! This is FIVE guns, and you can hold all five in one hand. Please, Sir, can I have another?" Rangers with two 5-shot Patterson Colts started whipping the Comanche regularly.
Texas was admitted to the Union in December, 1845, and that meant we were going to have a war with Mexico, so the "Army of Anticipation" was sent to patrol the Rio Grande. The Texas Rangers were taken into the US Army as state troops -- and the Army was glad to get them. The Rangers demanded revolvers, so Captain Samuel Walker was sent east to negotiate with Samuel Colt. Together, they designed a revolver for the Texas Rangers.
Did I mention Walker was a Texan? The "Walker Colt" was ginormous! SIX shots, .45 caliber (although called .44), 9-inch barrel, and huge chambers. The "Walker Colt" was the most powerful production revolver until the .44 Magnum came along about 110 years later. And each Ranger was issued TWO!
The US Army took note, and from then on, our cavalry fought with pistols, and the saber fell out of use. But over time, the revolvers shrank -- the "Walker Colt" was too much of a good thing.
So when you question why the SAA was such a big gun, with such a long barrel, measure it against the "Walker Colt."
FYI- It's Colt Paterson, and was made in Paterson, NJ.
Argh! The dreaded spelling flame!Paterson (pay-tuhr-sohn), not Patterson (pat-tuhr-sohn).
35W
And Colt offered them in that length. In 1873, that was the only barrel length offered.I'm going out on a limb and saying it's because the Calvary ordered them with that length.
And Colt offered them in that length. In 1873, that was the only barrel length offered.
Got hellishly worse for the Southerners when the Spencer eight shot sort of lever action began to be issued. Especially with Blakeshee Quick loads for rapid reloads.
-kBob
Paterson (pay-tuhr-sohn), not Patterson (pat-tuhr-sohn).
The first civilian sales of about 500 guns were in late 1873. The gun was so popular that soldiers would steal or "lose" them and sell them to civilians -- it only made sense to allow civilians to buy them directly from Colt.Vern, when did Colts start offering the 1873 to civilian sales? I believe the Gov’t controlled it or forbade civilian sales at first.
Kevin
Except that all branches were issued the 7 1/2" model. The 5 1/2" barrel was the result of re-issue of the SAA during the Philippines campaigns, and was not intended for any particular branch. Just like everybody got the 7 1/2" barrel the first time around, on the re-issue, everybody got the 5 1/2" model.On the other hand, my figuring was that if the infantry officer or artilleryman needed his revolver, it might be more likely at self-defense distances, and thus the short barrel would be handier.
Except that all branches were issued the 7 1/2" model. The 5 1/2" barrel was the result of re-issue of the SAA during the Philippines campaigns, and was not intended for any particular branch. Just like everybody got the 7 1/2" barrel the first time around, on the re-issue, everybody got the 5 1/2" model.