(Courtesy of Heritage Auctions) When Sam Colt invented the first American revolver that worked when it was supposed to, one of the keys to its success was that its single-action, cap-and-ball mechanism had only four moving parts. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winners. Colt Frontier M1878; Colt #3 Rimfire; Colt Root; Military. Information Line:1-731-885-0700, Product prices and availability subject to change without notice. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. State Agency: With the hammer strike being made harder so the double action trigger pull also became harder, necessitating the longer trigger modification. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. When I described the problem he asked me to send in the revolver for assessment, but his unofficial take over the phone after describing the problem was that it could be fixed for under $200 and the cost of return shipping. It is with us today and it remains true that not much of anything is quicker or easier to get into action than a double action revolver. Keep in mind almost all M1877 revolvers were proofed for black powder, not modern smokeless powder. North Dakota Game & Fish Department, State Agency: California Department of Fish & Wildlife, State Agency: The Model 1878 used the same barrel, ejector parts, and a very similar cylinder to the Single Action Army revolver. Colt addressed this in 1878 with the release of the Double Action Frontier Model of 1878. Colt 1878 Frontier DA Revolver Fat Size . The Colt Frontier Model of 1878 represented a major departure in design philosophy from that firmly established by Colonel Colt when he started the Colt Patent Firearms Company. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. After Colt's patent expired in 1857, other manufacturers began producing double action revolvers. The Colt M1878 was made in a large range of calibers; .32-20, .38 Colt, .38-40, .41 Colt, .44-40, and .45 Colt, for the American market and .450 Boxer. Standard grips were black checkered hard rubber but some early revolvers were produced with checkered walnut grips. This Thunderer left the factory in 1880. The holster appears to be unmarked. It was the largest double-action revolver manufactured by Colt until the introduction of the New Service nearly three decades later and snagging a piece like this for under $100 despite investing nearly 4 times that amount to bring it back to shooter grade is always something to write home about. The revolver was shipped on March 15, 1883 to Hartley & Graham in New York. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, State Agency: . Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: GUNS Magazine, GOM June 2023, PO Box 488, Escondido, CA 92033. . Although the Frontier never achieved the level of success of the Single Action Army, a variety of western notables, including Buffalo Bill Cody, Pawnee Bill Lilly and Rowdy Joe Lowe all owned and used Colt Double Action Frontier revolvers. Colt Replica (Italian, etc.) Contest void where prohibited by law. Pistols; Colt Single Action Revolvers - 1Gen; Colt Single Action Revolvers - 2Gen; Alaska Department of Fish & Game, State Agency: the same year this Lightning was made. This anonymous data helps us to better understand users' needs and customize the website accordingly. No purchase necessary. M1859-1863,M1874 Shaprs Rifles. Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . The Colt M1877 had been in production for almost a quarter of a century, and Colt was offering more advanced double-action revolvers when in 1900 the production numbers spiked for several years. The .45 Colt, 7" Model 1878 shown here is in the early 34,000 serial number range, which puts its manufacture in 1894. (I) Giveaway ends April 30, 2023. & Y. and Amoskeag) M1865 Springfield Musket. The holster shows great age and has clearly been with this revolver for a very long time, as the fit is perfect. No purchase necessary. They had strengthened mainsprings and longer triggers to give the user more leverage, resulting in larger trigger guards. Installed by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Colt were bringing into production their own lever action rifle the Colt Burgess of 1883 and were also introducing their Colt Lightning pump action rifles of 1884. The trigger guard was separate. As is typical of 19th century nickel finishes, this one has dulled and frosted with age and has a slightly milky tone to the finish. Sam Colt experimented with double action systems, but considered them to be unreliable. The M1878 went by the catalog name of Frontier Six-Shooter when chambered in 44 WCF. Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, State Agency: Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. During its production run from 1883 through 1905, some 51,210 DA Frontier Models were produced by Colt. During the mid to late 19th century, Hartley & Graham (previously Schuyler, Hartley & Graham) was probably the single largest retailer of Colt firearms, and their custom shop also produced a dazzling array of engraved and embellished Colt arms, often with fancy and carved ivory grips. The Model 1878 was considered a more robust and reliable design than the Model 1877. Some historians feel this boils down to one key thing how the U.S. Army waged war vs. how European armies waged war. Box 488, Escondido, CA 92033. The Rampant Colt logos remain crisp and clear and the checkering shows only minor wear and light handling marks. Women especially liked the M1877 for this very reason but many professional gunmen also relied on them. Having heard Erick say those words to me in the past, I suspected it was going to create a dent in my wallet and I would have been better off leaving the wallet in an alley. Fourteen years of complaints about the heavy and still somewhat fragile trigger system prompted the Army to demand a longer trigger for more leverage and a heavier mainspring to handle the harder primers of military-issued ammunition. Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, State Agency: It has a nickel-plated buckle and the billet has 7 holes on 1 centers for adjustment. Asking how much the shop wanted for it, the author was preparing to say Thanks, but no. When the answer came back at $75 out the door, we figured even if it could not be restored, it could be parted out for a decent profit and I bought it on the spot. This appears to be from the wear caused by the holster riding over the loops. Maybe someday I will find out if those six notches mean anything beyond the markings of a 9-year-old boy thinking he was Johnny Ringo back in the 1950s. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. The __qca cookie is associated with Quantcast. To understand the impact on the tobacco market, look at the numbers. for Colt Root Rifle, 36,.44, & 56 Caliber. Iowa Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, State Agency: The barrel was available in several different lengths. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. The standard finishes were blued or nickel-plated, with hard rubber grips. So a lifetime in the safe next to some of its peers manufactured by Colt, Smith & Wesson and Merwin Hulbert will be its fate. It is easy to see why the M1877 would be popular for concealment. Those revolvers went off to arm the Philippine Constabulary under Brigadier General Henry T. Allen during the Philippine Insurrection. It proved popular enough that Colts clientele clamored for a larger frame version and in 1878, William Mason, Colts factory manager and Charles Brinckerhoff Richards, Superintendent of Engineering developed a more robust design based on their first large framed effort, the Model 1873, better known as the Single Action Army (SAA) or Peacemaker. The M1878 'Frontier' DA Army would feature a larger-heavier frame to accommodate the more powerful .44-40 & .45 Colt ammunition. While the Colt Single-Action Army in .45 Colt was the weapon of choice for the U.S. Army, it was soundly rejected in London. Along with metallurgy they wernt too good with bore dimension and those .427 bullets might have rattled a bit. During his lifetime, Samuel Colt had repeatedly argued that double action revolvers were difficult to shoot due to their heavy trigger pulls and were unsafe when compared to single action models. It is commonly referred to, for some reason, as the Artillery Model. Theyre famous for having no matching numbers. No substitutions or transfers to third parties allowed. This Lightning shipped to Chicago in 1886. The Model 1878 had a larger frame than the Model 1877, which allowed it to fire larger and more powerful cartridges, such as the .45 Colt and .44-40. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if required) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. Pennsylvania Game Commission, State Agency: The Colt in question was not a family heirloom or a historical piece, but I considered refinishing it. GI#: 102257111. The first version was chambered in .38 Colt, an anemic cartridge compared to the heavy-hitting .45 Colt, but compared to most revolvers of the day it was a powerhouse. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, State Agency: A strut is added to connect the trigger movement to the hammer. In desperation, Oppen sent competitors revolvers across the Atlantic so the Colt designers could see what they were up against in the European market. Smokeless powder actually dates to the 1880s. The .45 Colt is my favorite cartridge. New Mexico Department of Game & Fish, State Agency: With these parts replaced, the old Colt was able to be brought back to life. The management at Colt didnt relish the idea of tooling up for an entirely new revolver design. This cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. No purchase necessary. Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, State Agency: To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. Purchase A PDF Download Of The GUNS Magazine February 2022 Issue Now! Out for sale is a Beautiful Colt 1st. With the revolver in Sals capable hands, he found part of the loading gate ratchet was worn away and the hand needed to be replaced. Finding an excellent example that hasnt been buffed, sanded, scrubbed, or refinished is very difficult. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Remington goes back even farther than Colt. Deployed military should use stateside address. To some, the sudden demand for an outdated design is puzzling until they connect the dots. British Land Pattern Pistol; M1807 Harper's Ferry Pistol; M1816 North Pistol; M1819 North Pistol; . Outlaw turned lawyer John Wesley Hardin decided two double-action revolvers were better than one. The hammer and trigger seemed to work fine and surprisingly, all the numbers matched. The double action revolver is not dramatically different in design than the single action revolver. Price: $35.00. The later M1877s were roll-stamped on the frame. Essentially a strut was added to connect the hammer and trigger to the design of the SAA. The two-piece, Rampant Colt hard rubber grips are in about fine condition overall. Associated taxes and fees are the responsibility of winners. The M1878 was designed by William Mason, Colt's factory manager and Charles Brinckerhoff Richards, Superintendent of Engineering. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. Use it to increase the security around your home, farm, cabin or even boat! Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: GUNS Magazine, GOM March 2022, P.O. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. It has everything as far as Im concerned, including versatility, history and performance. The M1877 appealed to another group as well. Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, State Agency: The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. Polish to period-correct high polish finish. Cimarron blends traditional and modern in their caliber offering as they come in .38 Special and the original .41 Colt. The lockwork was more closely related to their previous M1877 design but the parts were larger, making for a more robust handgun. We prepared some special black powder loads using Winchester brass, Pyrodex cartridge grade. Metallurgy was hit or miss during the 19th century. 12 gauge double-barreled shotgun - A double-barreled shotgun used for self-defence and hunting (most probably a Charles Parker 1878 model). Yes, they did win a government contract for their new single-action revolver, but even it was a leap forward from their previous open-top designs. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: Jul 10, 2004 #1. Deployed military should use stateside address. Buy a colt 1878 online. for the Colt Double Action Lightning M1877 - .38 & .41, MP1206 Cylinder Lock Bolt (repro.) If they made better weapons to use it wed be speaking french maybe,,,,,,,, nah. The other .45 Colt used in the Philippines was the original SAA cavalry model shortened from 7.5 inches to 5.5 inches. Deployed military should use stateside address. It is often referred to as the "Frontier" or the "Double Action Army" revolver. These are known as the "Philippine" or "Alaskan" models. For British military use double action revolvers such as the Webley New Model Express No. Contest open to U.S. residents only. document.write(theDate.getFullYear()) The Colt M1878 was a double action revolver manufactured by Colt's Manufacturing Company from 1878 to 1907. He has worked in the firearms industry his entire adult life as a Gunsmith, Ballistician, Consultant, Salesman, Author, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1989. The original lanyard loop is present in the butt of the revolver and swivels and pivots appropriately. The M1877 was Colts first double-action, so there was a steep learning curve for their engineering department. The End. His travels have taken him to Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan and a number of other countries. Huge numbers of these old revolvers were melted down in the 1940s for the World War 2 effort, many more were given to children to play with as the ammunition became something of a rarity in the 20th century (our cynical side believes this may be the origin of the notches on the grip panel). Quantserve sets the mc cookie to anonymously track user behaviour on the website. Minnesota Deptartment of Natural Resources, State Agency: The designers worked hard to keep the style elements of the popular Colt Single-Action Army. . Nitre blue screws, base pin, trigger and hammer. A lot of choice in barrel lengths was also provided with the M1878 being made with 3, 3" or 4 . While the Frontier enjoyed reasonable success, the M1877 'Lightnings' were produced in three-times the quantity and would remain in production 4 years after the last of the DA Army pistols left the assembly . There were 280 , 1878's in all caliber's . The Colt Revolving Belt Pistol or Navy Pistol, sometimes erroneously referred to as "Colt Revolving Belt Pistol of Naval Caliber" or "of Navy Caliber" (Naval is heavy gun and Navy Size Caliber was termed later for another Colt model), is a cap and ball revolver that was designed by Samuel Colt between 1847 and 1850. US M1878 Haversack without "US" Stencil. Maryland Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: Screws repaired. . Georgia Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: It was designed by William Mason who was one of the designers of the iconic single action "Peacemaker". This was Colts way of indicating the caliber of the gun was .44-40. Early Style, Full Checkered With No Rampant Colt. Standard grips were black checkered hard rubber. 5 which was being made around the same time proved to be reliable and tended to be favored for officers wanting a double action revolver whilst the Colt Single Action Army was a revolver of choice for those favoring the single action. 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