Colt New Service Proof Marks?

[Tascosa Joe]

I was looking at a real nice late Colt New Service in .45 Colt.  It has 300K+ SN, tapered 5" barrel , and hard plastic medallion grips.  It has a couple of marks I have not seen before and do not know where to go to research them.  There is a small L above the SN on the frame and an X below the SN.  The X looks like the british crossed saber proof mark.  On the left side of the frame in front of the hammer, is a small mark that looks like the Heinz catsup label, aka the 28th Div Patch (Bloody Bucket) aka Keystone with a small W within the emblem.  Could these be Lend-Lease marks.

Thanks

[St. George]

Good, clear photos are needed.

Put some chalk in the marks, so they'll stand out.

Is there a lanyard loop, and what finish does it have - high-polish, or brushed blue?

Scouts Out!

[Tascosa Joe]

I has the lanyard loop and high polish.  It also has the late Rampant Colt, i.e. no stylized C surrounding the Colt logo.  The pistol is not mine, it is for sale locally and I have not made up my mind to spend the money.  They are asking 1K for it, which around the DFW area seems to be normal price particularly for the high condition.

[St. George]

If it hasn't been reblued, the high polish would indicate a Commercial New Service built between 1920 - 1928, or later.

Were it a 'Lend-Lease' piece - it'd've been marked by the London Proofhouse, and that would be noticeable.

The 'L' and 'X' are Colt Inspector's stamps - the 'L' indicating that the piece was not 'targeted' but merely assembled with high hopes that were often dashed.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[St. George]

Here's a bit more - from an earlier 'Note'...

*******

St. George's Notes XXXV - The Colt New Service...

One thing about folks in the Old West - they weren't afraid of innovation and new things, when it came to firearms.

One of the 'new things' was the Colt 'New Service' revolver that came about in November, 1898 - though you'll see 'Aug. 5, 1884' on the barrel.

That refers to the Carl J. Ehbets patent covering the swingout cylinder.

Standard barrel length is 7 1/2", though 4 1/2" and 5 1/2" are common as are lanyard loops.

It's a large-frame double action, built for large-caliber ammunition, and is 'legal in NCOWS.

Here's a synopsis:

Old Model - 1898-1909 - standard frame - #0 - 21,000

Target Model - 1900-1909

1909 Transition Model - standard and Target - #21,000 - 23,000

Improved Model, standard and Target - 1909-1917 - #23,000-143,000

1909 U.S. Military/1914 British Military - 1914-1917 - #65,000-139,000

1917 U.S. Army - 1917-1919 - #150,000-305,000

Improved Model - standard and Target - 1919-1928 - #303,000-328,000

Late Model - standard and Target - 1928 - End of Production - #328,000 - 356,914

(Sutherland - 'The Book of Colt Firearms'; Graham, Kopec and Moore - 'A Study of the Colt Single Action Army'; Serven - 'Colt Firearms')

This is a 'large' revolver - like the old Model 1878 - and it's doubtful if many saw a lot of holster use as opposed to saddlebag use, since the need to repel attackers was less prevalent by their time of introduction, though activities remained 'sudden' along the Mexican Border.

It was a powerful piece - chambered in .476 Eley, 455 Eley, .450 Eley, .45 Colt, .44-40, .44 Russian and .38-40.

A look at the 'Blue Book' and on the various auction sites will show prices all over the range - so condition is paramount.

If it's parkerized - it's a WWII-refinished piece - if it's 'brush blue - it's a WWI piece, since the military's demands weren't as stringent as those of the civilian purchaser's and a non-reflective surface was pretty desireable.

Other finishes were Colt's commercial blue in use at the time, with a few in nickel, and those early blued guns are quite beautiful, featuring fire-blued screws, hammer and trigger.

Regrettably - that wasn't always a truly durable finish and could be prone to flaking - ala' that od the various .38 D.A. Models 1892, '94, '96, '01 and '03 - resulting in Government refinishes and upgrades.

Though double-action - it has a long, hard trigger pull - and that's with a fitted action, so the hand span needed leaves smaller-sized shooters at a disadvantage, unless it's thumb-cocked.

Do you need one?

Hard to say - but the Old Model was used during the waning days of the Frontier, and the Model 1909 saw active service before we selected the M1911,  and it carried on long after as a powerful revolver for an outdoorsman's use.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Mine is #73xxx, in .455, made in 1915 & within the British military 1914 series. Without military markings, it seems to have been a private purchase in Canada by a WW I officer and is in virtually unused condition.