I shot my 1878 Colt Double Action yesterday

[Wyatt Burp]

This 1878 Colt D.A. .45 Colt was made in 1900. I never shot it before but tried some lighter cowboy loads with it. Just ten shots single action at fifteen yards. Next time I'll try double action. Nothing really impressive yet but real fun. Years ago I used to shoot an 1879 version in cowboy shoots with my black powder handloads with good results, but single action only. I have a lot of respect for this gun, considered by many as the bastid step brother to the Colt SAA.

[bigbossman]

Is that a keyhole, or two bullets impacting close together?

[Wyatt Burp]

Is that a keyhole, or two bullets impacting close together?

No, the 2nd five shot group where I aimed to the left put two shots together in those two holes then the 5th hit far to the right obscured by the guns trigger guard in the picture.

[pitfighter]

Great stuff - how fun!

Nothing like shooting old guns for fun!

Love it!

[DaveInOroValley]

Are you saying that those 50 yard gunfights in the movies were not real?

Fact, most gunfights occurred at usually a few feet vs. a few yards.

[Wheellock]

I'm with you on the step child status. I'm surprised Colt sold so many SAA after double actions became available. Are there any historic sources for people's preferences?

[SilveradoColt21]

A Colt is always loads of fun IMO, just can't beat it

[smle-man]

I'm with you on the step child status. I'm surprised Colt sold so many SAA after double actions became available. Are there any historic sources for people's preferences?

Marketing worked, even back then.

[Mike Armstrong]

RE: the relative popularity of 1878 Colt DAs vs SAs, keep in mind that the SA began to be marketed 1873 and the DA five years later. In those five years the SAA was "marketed" partly by being the main sidearm of the US Army, and the DA didn't get that status until 1902, and then as a short-term stopgap measure until better handguns could be adopted. The only other military that adopted the rod-ejector DA in any numbers was the British Empire around the time of the Boer War and that was only few thousand revolvers.

And in 1898, some REAL competition to the 1878 came along. From Colt itself: the New Service Model DA with swing-out cylinder, one-push ejection, and an improved DA action that was more easily repaired and manufactured. It was made in many calibers for many militaries and LEAs worldwide to a tune of about 1/3 million between 1898 and 1942, and was an issue sidearm of the US military in WWI and WWII and many others, especially British Commonwealth nations.

The 1878 just wasn't in the right place at the right time; it wasn't as rugged and simple a mechanism as the SAA, and you could empty it faster but not load it faster! It also seems to have inherited some of the bias against Colt DAs that was started by the 1877 "Lightning" DAs which were a cranky and delicate mechanism, especially when compared with the SAA, although the heavier and stronger parts of the 1878 probably cured some of that.

All that said, I'd love to have one, especially in .44 WCF! I could perform a "shoot-off" with my 1913 New Service!

[Wyatt Burp]

RE: the relative popularity of 1878 Colt DAs vs SAs, keep in mind that the SA began to be marketed 1873 and the DA five years later. In those five years the SAA was "marketed" partly by being the main sidearm of the US Army, and the DA didn't get that status until 1902, and then as a short-term stopgap measure until better handguns could be adopted. The only other military that adopted the rod-ejector DA in any numbers was the British Empire around the time of the Boer War and that was only few thousand revolvers.

And in 1898, some REAL competition to the 1878 came along. From Colt itself: the New Service Model DA with swing-out cylinder, one-push ejection, and an improved DA action that was more easily repaired and manufactured. It was made in many calibers for many militaries and LEAs worldwide to a tune of about 1/3 million between 1898 and 1942, and was an issue sidearm of the US military in WWI and WWII and many others, especially British Commonwealth nations.

The 1878 just wasn't in the right place at the right time; it wasn't as rugged and simple a mechanism as the SAA, and you could empty it faster but not load it faster! It also seems to have inherited some of the bias against Colt DAs that was started by the 1877 "Lightning" DAs which were a cranky and delicate mechanism, especially when compared with the SAA, although the heavier and stronger parts of the 1878 probably cured some of that.

All that said, I'd love to have one, especially in .44 WCF! I could perform a "shoot-off" with my 1913 New Service!

[Sutcliffe]