What Shoots Best In Colt New Service 1917

Adopted by the The states military just two years earlier the 1911 semi-automatic pistol changed the world of service sidearms forever, the Colt New Service revolver in .45 Long Colt remained standard upshot until the end of the 2nd World State of war. Here are the very rare US Navy and USMC versions.

When talking about the Filly 1909 revolver it is essential to mention its precursor, the Colt 1892 in .38 Long Colt caliber that fought with the United states armed services in the Philippine War betwixt 1898 and 1902. During this bloody disharmonize Us officials were given the opportunity to recognize the low stopping ability of the .38 Long Colt cartridge, in particular when Uncle Sam's troops found themselves fighting against the Moros Juramentados, the implacable Filipino Islamic warriors who carried out suicide attacks, often nether the influence of drugs. Although hit at brusque range by several bullets fired from .38 Long Filly revolvers, the Moros often managed to impale several soldiers and officers with their krisses and barongs before collapsing dead. The disastrous Philippine feel was decisive in disarming the United states of america armed services to utilise a more powerful pistol quotient and this led to the designing and adoption of the .45 ACP and the Colt 1911.

Colt New Service: the revolver that lived twice

The simplest solution to the problem of the 38 Long Colt poor stopping ability was actually at paw. Already on the market place at that place were reliable and accurate double action, large-caliber revolvers, so in 1909 the General Staff decided to prefer the Colt New Service revolver in .45 Long Colt caliber, renaming information technology Model 1909 precisely.

The New Service 1909 revolver has the stardom of beingness the sidearm with the shortest operational life in the history of the Us ground forces, since already in 1911 – only 2 years after its adoption – in officers' holsters it was replaced (or rather complemented by) the legendary Filly 1911 semi-automatic pistol in. 45 ACP.

Revolver Colt 1909 US Navy — Left side view of the Colt 1909 US Navy revolver with a 5 ½" long, .45 quotient butt.

Colt New Service 1909 USMC version, left side view — The same view of the USMC version, easily recognizable by the checkered grips and the rounded profile butt.

Withal in 1917, when the Usa was preparing to intervene in Europe against the Austro-Hungarian army, the shortage of semi-automated 1911s led the US General Staff to re-enlist the "New Service" revolver, renamed as the Model 1917 and chambered in caliber .45 ACP this time. The cylinder of the Model 1917 had therefore to be loaded using "half moon" clips that held the bottom of the rimless cartridges. Actually, it was possible to fire the .45 ACP fifty-fifty without the half-moon clips, but in this case the spent brass had to be pushed out of the cylinder bedchamber with an improvised tool. The Filly 1917 Model remained with the US military for a long time: in the Second World War information technology was issued to tank drivers and artillerymen, and was also used in the Vietnam State of war.

The Colt New Service 1909 revolver in the Us Navy and USMC versions

Barrel of the Colt New Service 1909

The perfectly roll-stamped markings on the butt. Finish is fantabulous for a gun intended for military utilize.

The Filly New Service is an impressively sized revolver featuring a 5 ½" barrel and a six-round cylinder, with a weight (unloaded) of over 38.viii oz / 1100 grams. Trigger is double action, with the firing pin riveted to the hammer. Sight are typical of early-20 century revolvers, with a notch rear sight machined into the frame, inspired by the "Peacemaker", and a fixed Partridge-type front sight. The grip is of the "square barrel" variety with walnut grips without checkering and the usual oval-shaped lanyard ring. The Colt serial number is on the rear of the cylinder latch and on the frame, near the cylinder crane. The number was too marked in pencil on the inside of the grips. The left-swinging cylinder has six chambers and is opened past pulling back the archetype bell-shaped latch that shows the serial number on its rear face.

Trigger of the Colt New Service revolver — The Colt New Service revolver features a SA/DA trigger. The firing pin is integral to the hammer.

The Colt New Service revolver's look is certainly deterrent. The front sight is fixed, with a Patridge profile.

Frame of the Colt New Service 1909 revolver — The Colt serial number on the frame, side by side to the cylinder crane. Each revolver had a 2d series number on the grip.

The six-chamber cylinder opened of the Colt New Service 1909 — The half-dozen-chamber cylinder opened. Note the serial number on the rear of the release. The number was also marked in pencil on the inside of the grips.

The ballast mark is stamped on the butt of the "Usa Navy" version.

A grand 1909 .45 caliber Long Colt revolvers were too acquired past the United states of america Navy. They are easily recognizable by the anchor marking in a higher place the USN (United States Navy) roll-stamped on the frame, on the butt. On the latter we also detect the navy series number, in our example 484. Information technology is a rather scarce variant, which we were lucky plenty to photograph some fourth dimension agone in a gun shop. Considering of their minor numbers, the 1909 U.s.a. Navy revolvers are considered a rarity. In the USA an original instance in good status tin sell for around 4000 euro.

Even more than rare and sought later by collectors is the USMC (U.s.a. Marine Corps) version which was ordered in 1300 pieces with serial numbers betwixt 23101 and 26300. The version requested past the Marines features a slightly round profile barrel, checkered walnut grips and instead of the anchor the butt is coil-stamped "USMC" in two lines. in the US an original example in good condition tin can be worth upward to 10,000 USD (8800 Euro).

The butt of the Marine version features the USMC marking. The lanyard band is oval-shaped.

With the retirement of the New Service model, the United states army definitively abandoned the venerable .45 Long Colt quotient and the revolver concept in favor of the .45 ACP and semi-automatic pistol. The Colt 1909 model is certainly an excellent example of a product manufactured for the armed services, but that doesn't mean that information technology's washed on the inexpensive. The cease on both models is in fact very neat, and after 110 years not everyone would expect in such a good shape.

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