Help ID Old Colt DA 38 Revolver

R

rballi

New member
I have an old Nickel Colt (I think) Revolver that I need help ID'ing or verifying. It's a 6" barrel, smooth walnut grips, fixed sights, with a lanyard on the butt. The butt is stamped U.S. Army Model 1901 No. 109XXX. The last 4 digits match a number on the crane, frame, and flat cylinder release latch. The patent info, etc are very faint. The base of the barrel says Colt DA 38. There is NOT a Rampant Colt on the gun. The rear left of the frame has R.A.C. on it as well as on the cylinder. The front sight is a 1/2 moon, there is a strain? screw on the grip frame, and the walnut grips have an 'H 2' stamped on them. The cylinder turns counter clockwise and has long skinny cylinder stops with an extra notch in front of them.

So, what is it? Is it a US Army 1901? Colt 1889 or 1892? New Navy Army? Did it come in Nickel origianally? Caliber, 38 Colt? Approximate value?

Thanks in advance.
 
Most likely it is a Colt Army Navy. It would help if you could read the patent dates from the barrel. the model of course is the 1901 as stamped on the heel. It was probably originally designed for the 38 in BLACK POWDER so get it full checked out before you shoot it with any new ammo.

It was refinished at some time. That is why the stampings are faint. They've been polished away before it was chromed. Sounds like all the paarts are the original ones though.

I have an old 1917 in similar shape. Someone chromed it. For pricing info, watch the auctions and GunsAmerica for what folks are asking these days.
 
The dual bolt stop notches are the tip-off. This is the 1901 Army. Sort of a forerunner to the New Service. Not a whole lot of collector interest unless in truly fine condition.
 
Saxon Pig:

You may hate me like a Norman for saying this, but that isn't a forerunner to the New Service, which was introduced in 1897. The Army and Navy revolvers of the type described evolved into the Army Special (1908), then into the re-named Official Police in 1926. All classic Colt reference books have this info, and I'm amazed to see people on the forums so baffled by them.

The cartridge is the .38 Long Colt, not the later .38 Special. It used 18 grains of black powder; the Special originally used 21 grains, although smokeless was soon substituted. Long Colt ammo can be fired in Specials.
You can see Charlton Heston with one of these guns in "55 Days at Peking", by the way.

I had a pal in high school who had one that had been handed down in his family. BEWARE: the chambers are bored clean through with no "step" and will accept a .357 Magnum round. DO NOT fire a .357 in these guns!

Lone Star
 
RBALLI-

Yep, that's it! Couldn't download your upper photo, but the lower link worked fine. Someone has indeed presumably had it nickled. Same basic gun that Teddy Roosevelt took up San Juan Hill!

By the way, I read your posts on the S&W forum, where I can't join because they reportedly won't accept people using my network server. (Hey: I changed to Net Zero awhile back. Will they accept that? I know that AOL and one or two others don't work for them for some reason...)

Thanks for showing us this fine old bit of history. By the way, I think the Navy versions had Navy butt markings and were used until they got enough M1911's. The Marine version of these guns had a rounded butt, as did their style of the M1909 .45. I've read that some ships had these guns until after WWI, probably to let ground troops be equipped first with M1911's. I don't think the Navy ever issued the M1917 .45's...

Lone Star
 
Thanks for all the replies.

OK, now an ammo question. I have read/heard that you can shoot 38 Colt ammo in 38 Special guns. Can you shoot low velocity 38 Special ammo in a 38 Colt gun? For example if I get a hand load to about 750fps?
 
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