Original Item: Only One Available. The Colt Model 1894 revolver is an important piece of history in the evolution of the modern handgun. This revolver is sometimes called the D.A. 38 for a good reason: they are marked COLT. D.A. 38 on the side of the barrel, as they are a double action revolver chambered for the .38 Long Colt cartridge. There are many similar models of this handgun made by Colt: the Model 1892, 1894, 1895, 1896 and later the Model 1901 and 1903, which represent incremental improvements in the design. The U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army primarily used these models, though there were civilian models as well.

This type of double action revolver represents a significant step in the evolution of the revolver, as it was Colt's first swing out cylinder revolver. It was both double and single action, it utilized the spring-loaded ejector rod, and the later models could fire the new (at the time) smokeless powder cartridges. All of these features appealed to the armed forces. The earlier D.A. 38 guns, such as the 1894, were designed to fire black powder cartridges only.

The New Army & Navy model is unique to Colt in that the cylinder rotates counter-clockwise, and the frame's side plate is on the right side. This unfortunately tended to force the cylinder out of alignment with the frame over time, and this was exacerbated by relatively weak lockwork used to "time", or match individual chambers to the barrel. In later Colt revolvers the cylinder rotation is clockwise and the side plate is on the left side of the frame. Also these Colt's have extremely complex actions that get out of order or break easily.

This is a lovely and very interesting Army issue example, with military inspectors cartouches on the metal components, as well as on the lovely walnut grips. Commercial models had plastic or gutta percha grips that were checkered. The serial number marked on the bottom of the grip frame is 6696, indicating original production in 1892. There were several different contracts for this revolver, and this one looks to be from a very early contract, originally made before the army used the "MODEL 1894" designation, however it is marked as such on the bottom of the grip. This is due to the Army Ordnance department reconditioning and modifying the older revolvers to meet the new specifications as the design evolved. You can see a similar example made in 1893 with a factory letter here at a Rock Island Auction past sale: New Army Revolver.

One major change brought about for the "MODEL 1901" was the addition of a lanyard ring to the bottom of the grip, and at this time revolvers would have the model designation on the bottom of the grip changed. This example however looks to have had the lanyard ring installed and the last arsenal upgrade done in 1904, by which time they had stopped changing the markings on the bottom of the grip. With loads of markings and a long service history, this is definitely a revolver that could tell some tales!

The rear of the cylinder cylinder, frame under the cylinder crane, the cylinder crane itself, and the cylinder release are all marked with the full serial 6696. Very early production D.A. 38 revolvers had the serial numbers on these parts, however later when the numbers got longer, they started using assembly numbers instead for a time. Later, after it was found that the butt frame serial number wore off easily, they started using shortened serial numbers for the assembly markings.

The barrel on this example is marked with 6696 as well, but this marking looks to have been added after a barrel swap at arsenal. The top of the barrel is still marked with the original manufacture and patent information, which have dates that would not be possible on an 1892 manufactured revolver:

This revolver is stamped with the 1895 patent date, granted for improvements to the revolver. It is stamped on the grip on the frame, on the back of the cylinder, and faintly under the barrel with the initials R.A.C., for Rinaldo A. Carr, a civilian employee of the War Department who was the sub-inspector on these revolvers.

The bottom of the grip frame is correctly stamped:

We have checked the font and style of the markings, and these are definitely original. The bottoms of both grip scales are marked with K.S.M., and there is a K.S.M. on the left scale in a circle under a 1904 date. This is the stamp of Kelley S. Morse, who worked for the Army ordnance department 1893-1915, during which time he inspected various different arms, including gatling guns. His inspection marks have been seen on many other 38 Double Action revolvers, and with the 1904 date, it indicates that the revolver was serviced at that point, and was brought up to the latest specifications for the "New Army". At this time most likely the barrel was replaced with one in stock, and it was numbered to match the frame.

Condition of the revolver is very good, with lots of the original blued finish still present on the revolver. There are no signs of major rust or other damage, just some peppering in areas, though we do believe that the revolver was most likely refinished as part of its last arsenal service in 1904. The bore is in great shape, with a bright finish and clear lands and grooves, showing just a bit of wear. The cylinder swings out to the left correctly, with a functional cartridge extractor. We did not notice any issues cycling the revolver in both single and double action. The grips are in very good shape, with a great walnut color, and some wear around the bottom as is expected.

A lovely example of a U.S. martial revolver that may very well have seen service in the Spanish American War with great markings and lots of research potential. Ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1892
Caliber:  .38 Long Colt
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 6 inches
Overall Length: 11 1/2 inches
Action: Double / Single
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver