The original grips were hard black rubber, but these were changed to checkered walnut in 1923. The Army Special could be had with a blue or nickel finish, with barrels ranging from 4-6 inches.

So few changes were made during this period that some parts from a 1908 Army would function in a Python made nearly a century later. This model formed the basis for every medium-framed Colt up to the Python. This new models was stoutly made and able to handle more powerful cartridges like the. 30-40 Krag rifle, so adding a few hundredths of an inch to pistol bullet was unlikely to have had a significant effect.Ĭolt continued to develop this revolver, giving a new year/model designation to each upgrade, resulting in one gun with a bewildering variety of model names.Ĭolt introduced the Army Special in 1908, with an improved mechanism based on the New Service and New pocket models, and it was an instant success with both law enforcement and civilians. These native warriors were hard to stop with a. This lead to the rapid development of the New Service in larger calibers, though it is unclear that this had the desired effect. 38s that famously failed to stop charging warriors in the Philippines. The Navy was quick to adopt Colt’s new revolver, and the Army followed shortly after. Some Belgian gun makers were making swing-out cylinder double action revolvers as early as the 1860s, but Colt can certainly be credited for refining this into the revolver we recognize today. Many claim that the swing-out cylinder is Colt’s invention, but this is patently untrue.

These established the template for the modern double-action revolver was we know it today, with the ability to be fired either double or single action and a swing-out cylinder with it’s own ejector. In 1889 Colt jumped-started the new age of revolvers with their New Army/New Navy models.

Colt new service revolver frame size