Original Item: Only One Available. The romance around Colt "Cowboy" Revolvers never ceases to amaze us. This is a nice "frontier worn" example of the Model 1878 Double Action Revolver. 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 also known as the "Philippine" or "Alaskan" models.

This revolver definitely shows quite a bit of history and use. However the original factory address marking is still mostly visible on the top of the barrel:

The frame shows significant wear and oxidation, which has unfortunately worn away the Colt "Prancing Pony" logo stamped into the frame. The left side of the barrel is marked 45 COLT, for the legendary .45 "Long" Colt cartridge. The original Factory installed brown "Gutta Percha" Colt grip are present, showing the Colt leaping Stallion logo. They are in very good condition, with a lot of the checkering still present, and no cracks or chunks missing. It is marked on the bottom of the grip with serial number 11433, indicating it was made in 1883. The lanyard loop next to this is still present and swivels correctly. There is also marking 142 on the loading gate.

This example has a full length 7 1/2 inch barrel, which has not been shortened. The bore still shows rifling in areas, however there is a lot of oxidation and pitting inside the barrel from long use on the frontier without proper cleaning. The frame of the revolver has overall peppered oxidation, and was probably reblued sometime during its long service life. The ejector rod looks to have been replaced, but is still fully functional. The cylinder arbor pin can be pulled out when the locking mechanism is pressed in, and the cylinder removed. The revolver functions, but in double action only. The internal mechanism is somewhat worn, so the indexing is slightly off.

A nice "frontier used" example of a Colt double action revolver, with loads of patina! Ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1883
Caliber: .45 "Long" Colt
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

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.