Colt New Service...

[Patrick Henry Brown]

BTW - I forgot to mention that there are two notches files across the backstrap. Not sure what they represent, but apparently there is some history in this old gun.

[Tascosa Joe]

I have looked in Servins book and The History of the Colt Revolver but did not find my answer.  I am looking at a .45 LC New Service built after 1928.  It has a straight untapered barrel.  Is this correct or has it been rebarreled?  The barrel is properly marked.  I thought the non tapered barrels were only on the Model 1909 and earlier guns.

[JimBob]

I have looked in Servins book and The History of the Colt Revolver but did not find my answer.  I am looking at a .45 LC New Service built after 1928.  It has a straight untapered barrel.  Is this correct or has it been rebarreled?  The barrel is properly marked.  I thought the non tapered barrels were only on the Model 1909 and earlier guns.

In R.L.Wilson's  The Book of Colt Firearms  the late models should have the tapered barrel,BUT,he notes many of the late features were introduced over a period of years in the late 20's-early 30's starting at serial no. aprox.325,000.If the finish on the barrel is consistent with the rest of the revolver it most likely is original.Colt's of this period often have features that don't meet the standard descriptions.My guess is if an older part was in the bin during assembly it got used.I have an Army Special that the serial number falls into the Official Police serial range by quite a bit.Around 1928 when a lot of the models changed or parts changed there is a lot of disparity in what is in the books and what actually was used at the time.

[Tascosa Joe]

JimBob
Thanks for the info.

[Tascosa Joe]

Monday I purchased a 44-40 New Service 308XXX.  4 in tapered barrel and it looks brand new.  After getting it home in a different light it may have been reblued.  If it was I paid too much, if it is original I got a decent deal.  The roll mark 2 line address on the barrel is a bit faint on the top line, all other markings on the pistol are crisp.  All in all I am pretty happy with it.  I wish I not such a dunce when it comes to pictures and posting of same as I would send a picture.

[MJN77]

I have three new service revolvers. A 44-40 made in 1905, a 38-40 made in 1923, and a 45 colt made in 1925. They are great old guns.

[St. George]

When buying - take along a 'good' flashlight, like the ones built by 'Surefire'.

Either that - or inspect the weapon in natural sunlight.

It's the best way to determine re-blueing and crispness of lettering.

The blued finish on early Colts is somewhat 'fragile' - for lack of a better term - but shows as a shade of 'blue', while modern blueing has a far, far, 'blacker' hue.

Gun show and gun shop lighting hides a multitude of sins.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[PJ Hardtack]

My Colt NS is marked '.455 Eley', a commercial model, 90-95% overall. The bluing wear is all on the backstrap, like most NS. Lovely gun!

As for the odd grip frame, that's easily solved with a grip adapter or a custom set of grips that fill in the frame to trigger guard gap, leaving the backstrap exposed. S&Ws benefit from the same.

Even with the adapter, I have difficulty single action cocking the gun, finding it much easier to fire DA with both hands or thumb cocking with the left thumb as per any single action revolver. It's an awe inspiring gun, but no more so than a SAA, a 1911 (or any .44), if you were looking down that big hole.