USFA Bisley Models

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

Greetings All,
Are there any among us here who own Bisley model USFA's.  Just curious.  Originally designed by Colt as target pistols, are they appreciably more accurate, to your mind, than the basic SAA?
Just Wondering,
CJF

[Buckaroo Lou]

Since I do not have one to shoot I cannot attest as to whether or not they are more accurate. I only wish I had purchased one back when USFA was still in business. Now they are out of my price range and I can only look and drool. 

[Coffinmaker]

  Capt. John 

I'm no real help with your original question except:  In my years of Smything, the only difference I ever found, between a standard SAA and a Bisley was the Grips and Springs.  Same same cylinders and barrels.  Ruger Bisley (not true Bisley) were more problematic.  Consistently bad cylinder throats.

Play Safe Out There

[Dave T]

I do not now and have never owned a USFA Bisley but years ago when I was into CAS I owned an original. If memory serves it was a 5-1/2" 45 Colt made in the 1890s. I found the Bisley grip shape so unconventional and uncomfortable any accuracy potential was lost in my inability to hold it consistently.

YMMV,
Dave

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

It was always my impression that the reconfigured grip was designed to reduce recoil. 
I, too, own an original Colt Bisley, 5 & 1/2" in 38-40, circa 1900.  Needless to say, I have never fired it.  Just wondering it that redesigned grip did, in fact, reduce recoil to the extent that one could consider it a "target pistol" (as Colt designed and marketed it as such).

As an aside: THe Bisley Colt was Pancho Villa's sidearm of choice.

[Professor Marvel]

It was always my impression that the reconfigured grip was designed to reduce recoil. 
I, too, own an original Colt Bisley, 5 & 1/2" in 38-40, circa 1900.  Needless to say, I have never fired it.  Just wondering it that redesigned grip did, in fact, reduce recoil to the extent that one could consider it a "target pistol" (as Colt designed and marketed it as such).

As an aside: THe Bisley Colt was Pancho Villa's sidearm of choice.

The Bisley was introduced to cater to British target shooters, who preferred a somewhat peculiar one handed, bent elbow stance, and a desire to reduce not recoil, but to reduce the roll back into the hand.

From forgotten weapons
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Named for the famous British shooting competition range, the Colt Bisley was the target version of the 1873 Single Action Army revolver. Colt first offered a flat-top model of the SAA from 1890 until 1895, and dropped it to introduce a specialized Bisley model in 1894. The Bisley had a redesigned trigger, hammer, and grip frame. The regular SAA grip was designed to let the gun roll in the hand under recoil, to bring the hammer under the thumb for recocking. This was not ideal for target shooting, where one would prefer to maintain the exact same grip throughout a course of fire. The Bisley grip design eliminated the rolling of the gun, and the hammer was widened and lowered to allow easy recocking from that firing grip.
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Hope this helps
Prof mumbles

[Gun K1n6]

The Bisley frame /grip does allow better
purchase on the revolver. And the Bisley hammer by design is able to be cocked much easier than a SAA revolver with a conventional frame. Both aspects of manufacture designed to enhance target shooting in Bisley England in the early 1900's.

[Dave T]

Well no, I would have to respectfully disagree with that. I owned a Colt Bisley at the same time that I owned several 1st Gen SAAs.

The Bisley frame, back strap, and trigger guard do not allow better purchase for me. It is much harder to hold onto as the middle and ring fingers are forced upward while the little finger is forced forward by the radical curve of the lower extension of the trigger guard. Very awkward, at least to me.

I will concede the lowered hammer spur is easier to cock, which it needs to be because of the odd grip angle. The only advantage I see to the Bisley is that the more rounded curve of the back strap keeps the gun from recoiling upward as much, provided only light target loads are fired. The one I had was chambered in 45 Colt and full power loads were brutal.

YMMV,
Dave