Original U.S. Colt Model 1878 "Frontier" .45cal Revolver Made in 1881 with 5" Barrel and Modified Grip - Serial 5639

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, as well as some very interesting modifications. The barrel was probably originally 7 1/2" long, however it has been shortened to a "gunfighter friendly" 5", and had a new brass front sight installed. Even more interesting is that the standard "birds head" grip was reshaped into a flat bottom type without a lanyard loop. Removing the grips shows that the rear "point" was added on, along with additional weight relieved steel, definitely not something an average gunsmith could pull off! We assume the owner wanted a better grip on the revolver, and found the standard grip to be insufficient due to the smaller size.

It is marked on the bottom of the grip with serial number 5639, indicating it was made in 1881. There is also marking 639 on the loading gate. The original factory address marking is still visible on the top of the barrel:

COLT'S PT. F. A. MFG Co HARTFORD. CT. U.S.A.

The frame shows wear from use and cleaning, and now is pretty much bright steel, with some areas of light staining. There are not any markings on the frame, as is correct for this era of manufacture. The left side of the trigger guard is marked 45 CAL, for the legendary .45 "Long" Colt cartridge. The grip frame has been fitted with some beautiful custom walnut grip frames, which show a good amount of use, so we believe they were fitted when this revolver was still in active service. They show some wear around the bottom, but no cracks or other major damage.

The revolver functions well in both double and single action, with accurate indexing and a strong dry fire. We did notice some wobble in the lockup at full cock in single action mode, while double action works well, with just a bit of stiffness. The ejector rod is present and works great, and the cylinder arbor pin can be pulled out when the locking mechanism is pressed in to allow cylinder removal. We checked the bore, and it is still in very good condition, showing a bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There is some wear and evidence of past fouling, now removed, but overall it is still in great shape for a "Frontier" era black powder revolver.

A lovely period modified example of a Colt double action revolver, with loads of patina! Ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1881
Caliber: .45 "Long" Colt
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 5 inches
Overall Length: 10 inches
Action: Single / Double Action
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.