Original Item: Only One Available. The romance around Colt "Cowboy" Revolvers never ceases to amaze us. This is a fine example of the Model 1878 "Frontier Six Shooter" Double Action Revolver, in the popular .44-40 Winchester chambering. This model was manufactured by Colt's Manufacturing Company from 1878 to 1907, and is often referred to as the "Frontier" or the "Double Action Army" revolver. A total of 51,210 Model 1878 revolvers were manufactured from 1878 to 1907, including 4,600 for the US Ordnance Department. These are known as the "Philippine" or "Alaskan" models.

This revolver is in great shape, and was most likely originally blued, and then later refinished in nickel plate during its working life. The original hard rubber Colt grips clearly show the "Prancing Pony" logo, and are in great condition, with virtually all of the original checkered texture still present. They have faded to brown a bit, as is correct, a process that takes decades. As this is relatively early production, there is no Colt logo stamped into the frame, which began in the early 1890s. It is marked on the bottom of the grip with serial number 8233, indicating it was made in 1882. The rear of the cylinder is marked 233, indicating that it has not been swapped out over the years.

This example has a full length long 7 1/2 inch barrel, which has not been cut down to "gunfighter" length, something we do not see often. The refinishing has unfortunately completely removed the "FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER" etching this revolver on the left side of the barrel when it was first made. However, it still has the 44.C.F. marking on the trigger guard, and a faint 44 stamped on the bottom of the barrel. This indicates chambering for .44-40 Winchester Center Fire cartridges. This was a very popular cartridge for revolvers and rifles of the time, and this way the owner would only need bring one type of ammunition. While some may question why colt made guns chambered for a competitor's cartridge, having a repeating rifle and revolver that took the same ammunition was a big selling point.

The Colt address marking on the top of the barrel is a bit worn, but still fully legible:

The condition is very good, with the nickel plating well retained, though the revolver definitely had suffered some oxidation prior to the refinish. The bore is in very good condition, with a partly bright finish and clear lands and grooves. There is some light fouling and oxidation, as to be expected on a black powder cartridge revolver.

We tested the functionality in both double and single action, and it cycles well, without any of the usual finicky behavior we usually see. The cylinder indexes properly, with a firm lockup, and the dry fire is crisp. Please note that the mainspring is fairly strong, so some effort is needed to cycle it in double action. The ejector works great, with no sticking.

A lovely example of an early design Colt Double Action Cartridge Revolver in the very popular .44-40 caliber! An ANTIQUE made in 1882, in lovely condition and ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1886
Caliber: .44-40 Winchester
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 7 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 12 1/2 inches
Action: Double Action Army
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

More on the Colt M-1878 Double Action Revolver:

Samuel Colt experimented with double-action revolver systems, but he considered them to be unreliable. After Colt's patent expired in 1857, other manufacturers began producing double-action revolvers, but Colt's Manufacturing did not manufacture its own double-action revolver until 1877, twenty years after the patent had expired.

The M1878 was designed by William Mason, Colt's factory manager and Charles Brinckerhoff Richards, Superintendent of Engineering. It was similar in design to the Colt Model 1877. The Model 1878 had a larger frame, and is therefore sometimes referred to as the "large frame" double-action revolver, while the Model 1877 is likewise referred to as the "small frame" double-action revolver. The Model 1878 was considered a more robust and reliable design than the Model 1877.

The design of the Model 1878 was based on the Model 1877, which in turn was based heavily on the design of the earlier Colt Single Action Army revolver. The double-action revolver is not dramatically different in design than the single-action revolver. A strut is added to connect the trigger movement to the hammer. The top of the trigger slips beyond the strut so that the hammer will stay in full cock if it is pulled back manually.

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 and used the same barrel, ejector parts, and a very similar cylinder to the Single Action Army revolver. At one time, the factory modified Model 1878 cylinders for use in single-action revolvers in an attempt to use up spare parts.