Colt New Service followed me home

G

GunsnRovers

New member
Picked up a nice 1916 Colt New Service earlier this month and finally got to take her home yesterday. Decent condition with Canadian proof marks. Was chambered in .455 Eley and after WWI was rechambered for .45LC. The only burning question both I and the seller have is what the "A.S.D.A." stamped on the left side of the frame could stand for.

The gun shoots very well, but the trigger is amazingly heavy in both double and single action. After shooting it side by side with my 1937 Brazilian contact S&W .45ACP, the Smith is light years ahead in terms of trigger pull. However, I find the Colt more accurate, even after the rechambering. I was concerned about the .455 barrel and my .45LC rounds.

The Colt trigger is smooth and consistant. Just heavy.

I'm glad to have both in my collection.
 
Don’t know what A.S.D.A. is, but it might be an importer’s mark.

Those guns were made with extra-heavy mainsprings to insure they would work in Western European mud during trench warfare. If you replace it with one made for a later-issue commercial model both trigger pulls will be improved. As a last resort the present spring could be thinned on the sides, but I wouldn’t do this until I knew where a replacement could be obtained. Try Numrich Parts Corp. in West Hurley, NY.
 
That's a neat find: it's exactly the kind of thing that I'd buy on running across it.

Now I'm going nuts wondering about the "A.S.D.A." stamping.
 
Congrats on your New Service. Big classy old revolver:)

On all old Colt DA actions that use a V-leaf mainspring, a trigger job is so easy as to be trivial. Thanks to the late Skeeter Skelton.

It's been 15 years since I did this myself, but you disassemble it just far enough to expose the mainspring. Insert a 1/8" metal pin into the V of the spring. Cock the hammer. The spring will deform slightly, reducing tension & pull.

I have done this trick on a Python & an old Trooper .357, and it worked like a champ. If the pull is not lightened enough, get a larger pin. You should not need a pin more than 1/4" in diameter, according to Skelton.

I would try this after you acquire a replacement spring, just to be safe.:)

As for me, I bought a M27 Commemorative, and it is a gem. I just finished the trigger job on it today, and it shoots as well as you expect from a 5" M27:D

The budget is tied up for a while, but I am still eyeing that Colt Shooting Master :)
 
My old friend Skeeter learned that trick from a Colt pistolsmith, but it shouldn't be used on older New Service models. They're springs are much harder, and trying to cold-form them around a punch or pin may result in a broken spring. The kind you can reshape have a sort of dog-leg "bump" in the top leaf toward the back. The older springs do not.

Never alter a spring from a older (pre-World War Two) Colt revolver unless you know where a replacement can be found if something goes wrong. A mistake may leave you with a useless bag of parts.
 
Thanks

Thanks.

I'm going to try to source a new spring before I touch anything.

I also want to see about getting some better grips. The aftermarket ones on there are OK, but not as nice as the gun deserves.

I'll post pics over on the FFF and The High Road sites later on when I get some time this coming weekend.

See you all on the web.
 
You might want to try cleaning the lockwork before altering any parts. Sometimes old hardened lubricant can be the culprit.
 
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