Barrel Lengths

[StrawHat]

I am aware that COlts offered the Model P in 3 "factory" lengths and a variety of non factory lengths.  I am also aware that the military chopped a bunch of 7 1/2" barrel back to 5 1/2".  What I do not know... (yeah, volumes but I mean about this topic)...is

1)  When did Colts start offering the different lengths? 

2)  When did the military rework the longer barreled revolvers?

3)  Was the 7 1/2" barrel the standard for the first bunch of years?  I would suspect so as I believe the Model P was primarily a military contract and only a small % made it to civilian sales.

4)  What are the good books to get on the subject?

Please, correct any misinformation I have.  To me it is a fascinating subject.

[Tascosa Joe]

St George will have much better detailed information than I do but here goes........
In general Colt built only 7 1/2 barrels until about 1882.  The earliest production short barrel I know of was the prototype for the .44 Rimfire in 1878.
The military reworked the pistols during the Phillipiene troubles about 1900-1904. 
I have no clue when Colt begain offering guns with different than standard length.
Books:  James Servens Book, The Peacemaker and Its Rivals, by Parsons.  R.L. Wilson wrote one of the better books, once again I am not sure about the title.
I use David M. Brown's 36 Calibers of Colt alot because it has a pretty good chronology of changes.

[St. George]

Standard barrel length for early Colts was 7 1/2" - soon followed after the filling of the initial military contracts by 5 1/2" and 4 3/4" for civilian sales.

The best 'serious' Colt references I've found are:

'A Study of the Colt Single Action Revolver' - Graham, Kopec and Moore
'Colt Cavalry and Artillery Revolvers - A Continuing Study' - Kopec and Fenn
'Colt Cavalry, Artillery and Militia Revolvers' (1873-1903) - Cochran
'Colt Peacemaker Encyclopedia' - Cochran

And in answer to your question - yes, there 'are' more - a taking up a couple of feet on my reference shelves worth, but these will really help.

Parson's and Serven's books were written well before the Colt archives were seriously researched, and Wilson copied Sutherland's work - later publishing the same later in time, under his own name - and they're worth reading, but the serious research would be done well after those were published.

A thumbnail:

In 1895, the Government called in the Cavalry model revolver for refurbishment when the 5 1/2" barrel was adopted.

This refurbished weapon was to be the 'standard' - with new grips, new barrels and a full reinspection and refinish.

This means that the bulk of those older 7 1/2" Colts that fought the Indian Wars are most generally found with shorter barrels than they'd originally started out with, and with mixed serial numbers - the only series whose numbers were retained being the rebuilds of 1895-1896.

These shortend revolvers got the collector's nickname 'Artillery Colt' from the fact that a few of the Light Artillery units of the Spanish-American war were so outfitted, but the reality was that the 5 1/2" Colt was the Government standard-issue revolver of the time frame.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

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[Danny Bear Claw]

The name of the R. L. Wilson book is "Colt.  An American Legend".  Excelent book.  Contains the list of serial#'s/dates of manufacture along with pictures of Colts owned by many famous and infamous individuals.  There is a picture of Doc Holiday's gun in there.  Interesting, in that it is a 7.5 inch barrel plain jane Colt SAA.

[Hangtown Frye]

One of the interesting details one can glean from Wilson's book is that many of the famous "Gunfighters" seem to have had at least one Colt SAA with the full 7½" barrel, and martial markings (i.e. the "US" stamp).  Jesse James, "Doc" Holiday and Johnny Ringo being the foremost that I can recall off-hand (photo's of the purported revolvers showing said markings, or in the case of Johnny Ringo's revolver, the serial number).  I take this bit of information to conclude that a lot of guys were packing "stolen" government property that had been more than likely purchased off of a deserter at some point. Such goings-on weren't really considered theft by most folks in those days, as it was only taking from the government, which while they could result in criminal charges were otherwise ignored by the general populace.

Per barrel lengths, off the top of my head, my recollection is that Colt started offering shorter barrels in 1877 and 1878 for the 5½" and 4-5/8ths" lengths respectively.  And also, Colt began it's run of rimfires in 1875, and the .44-40's in 1878.

Cheers,

Gordon

[Abilene]

...Per barrel lengths, off the top of my head, my recollection is that Colt started offering shorter barrels in 1877 and 1878 for the 5½" and 4-5/8ths" lengths respectively....

Not to be too picky, but Rugers are 4 5/8", Colts are 4 3/4".   

[Hangtown Frye]

Not to be too picky, but Rugers are 4 5/8", Colts are 4 3/4".   

Well, I just measured my 1st Gen Colt and it's at 4-11/16ths", right in between 4-5/8ths" and 4-3/4rs", so there it is.   

Cheers,

Gordon

[Fox Creek Kid]

One of the interesting details one can glean from Wilson's book is that many of the famous "Gunfighters" seem to have had at least one Colt SAA with the full 7½" barrel, and martial markings (i.e. the "US" stamp).  Jesse James, "Doc" Holiday and Johnny Ringo being the foremost that I can recall off-hand (photo's of the purported revolvers showing said markings, or in the case of Johnny Ringo's revolver, the serial number)...

Johnny Ringo's SAA was #222 and it was NOT military issue.


OP, Colt first offered 4.75" barrels in 1875, but these were in British calibers and for export to Engand.

[Hangtown Frye]

Johnny Ringo's SAA was #222 and it was NOT military issue.

I am under the impression that US Martial numbers begin with #201.  St. George?

Cheers,

Gordon

[St. George]

Martial serial numbers begin with 177 - 'but' in the first 1000 revolvers, there were civilian models interspersed.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[StrawHat]

Martial serial numbers begin with 177 - 'but' in the first 1000 revolvers, there were civilian models interspersed.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

So there were civilian sales right from the start?  That contradicts what I had previously "known".  I was under the impression the Model P was to be contacted to the military alone.  Thank you for the info!  I can't imagine many made it to civilian hands, at least not legitimately.

[St. George]

Out of the first 1000 on the military contract - 15 were civilian.

It goes on from there.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Hangtown Frye]

Since I was going by serial number on Johnny Ringo's Colt, I'll stand corrected.  However, I'd sure like to see a good photo of the left side, just to be sure!

Cheers!

Gordon