M14 Forum

TheTinMan · September 29th, 2011, 11:42 AM

Just picked up this 1959 Model 357 with a 6" barrel yesterday:

It's 1960 Officers Model Match (.22LR) cousin I got in July was lonely:

Then there's the 1937 Officers Model 38 which shoots like a dream:

And the Model 1917 (delivered to the U.S. Army in June of 1918) which started my insanity:

Is my situation hopeless?

Seventh Fleet · September 29th, 2011, 12:00 PM

No you're perfectly normal it's the folks who don't love and appreciate fine firearms that have the snakes in their head and I'm not talking about Pythons either.

I have a few fine old Colts, a 6" Army Special in 32-20, a Colt Officers Model Match 6" .38 Spl and an unfired Colt 6" .22 Frontier SA revolver. I'd love to have a 1917 Colt military like yours, to go with my S&W 1917 military.

7th

Whatsinaname181 · September 29th, 2011, 12:19 PM

you could knock the hair off a woodpeckers arse at 100 yards with that pistol lol

DaveH · September 29th, 2011, 01:25 PM

They are gorgeous, and of course marked with the magic word- Colt.

tmuenster · September 29th, 2011, 01:38 PM

Thanks a lot, pal. Just when I thought I had all the firearms I needed, you go and post pics of some revolvers I had not even considered. It is a sickness and I am starting to feel ill. :)

Very nice set of revolvers you have there.

Lennyo3034 · September 29th, 2011, 01:46 PM

This is not going to help you get over your addiction:

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubb...99#Post2802899

TheTinMan · September 29th, 2011, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lennyo3034

This is not going to help you get over your addiction:

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubb...99#Post2802899

Actually, I'm OK with Colt revolvers right now. If I came across a pre-WWII Officers Model Target for a reasonable price (not bloody likely) I'd snatch it up, but I'm not excited about post 1960 Colts. The snake-name guns are pretty but the prices are CRAZY.

OTOH my itch to build an AR-15 still hasn't been scratched...

Butch O'Hare · September 29th, 2011, 02:13 PM

To answer your question: No, it's not a problem, it's a great collection!

TheTinMan · September 29th, 2011, 04:40 PM

Oh no! I just discovered that Colt made a special target version of it's New Service revolver from 1931 to 1941 in .45 ACP.

I don't need a S&W Model 25, I NEED a Colt Shooting Master!!!

bmcgilvray · October 3rd, 2011, 05:58 PM

Love old classic Colts and maintain a stable of good, bad, and ugly shooters.

Here's a Model 1909 New Service that I acquired from the owner whose father bought it from the San Antonio arsenal in 1920 for $5. He bought a total of 5 of these, 4 for arming night-watchmen at his company and 1 for himself. He also bought 500 rounds of military .45 Colt ammunition for one cent each. My friend was 13 at the time and pretty well appropriated the revolver, shooting up most of the ammo.

The top photo was enlarged from this photo. Can you tell it was a partly cloudy day? The quality of the blue finish on this revolver beats any Python ever made for clarity and depth. The pre-World War I Colt products had the finest blue finish of all.

Butt markings

Barrel markings

bmcgilvray · October 3rd, 2011, 06:06 PM

Here's an Army Special from 1925. Most of these were produced in .38 Special. The Army Special was renamed the Official Police in 1927. This one is a bit different in that it's chambered for the .41 Long Colt.

It's my latest Colt. I've had it just about a year now. I saw a nickel plated 4-inch Army Special .41 Long Colt in a pawn shop 35 years ago and it intrigued me. I watched that revolver for most of a year, thinking about getting it and then one day it was gone. Finally scratched the itch.

It groups quite nicely with factory ammunition a fact that belies the .41 Long Colt's reputation for mediocre accuracy.

TheTinMan · October 3rd, 2011, 08:08 PM

Went shooting yesterday and the Model 357 exceeded my expectations. The single-action trigger is FANTASTIC! The double-action trigger is almost as good as a tuned Smith & Wesson. Oh, and it's accurate.

Might have to start buying .38 caliber bullets in bigger lots - that was just plain FUN!

bmcgilvray - That is one beautiful old New Service. I hadn't seen a close up of the "dancing colt" from that era before and I love it.

M14E2 · October 4th, 2011, 09:02 AM

Well , might as well keep the pony's prancing!

My 1960 Python #96XX

1954 .357

1917 .45 when I got it for $325

today

1918 New Service in .455 Eley , rough on the outside but nice on the inside

Got autos?

Mk.IV Ser.70 custom

1960 & 1965 National Matches

Commanders

Match Target .22

Even a 1908 Pocket .25

bmcgilvray · October 4th, 2011, 12:39 PM

M14E2; you're sure keeping the ponies prancing with that lot. I like 'em all! That M1917 with the Jay Scott grips looks exactly like a New Service .38-40 I once had that had the exact same grips installed. Let it get away like a fool and have regretted it ever since. Just looking at yours is painful.

Don't have time for a lot of photos but here's a 1957 Officer's Model Match that's a sho'-'nuff shooter for me.

Here's both ends of the Colt line-up in the first decade of the 20th Century, the gargantuan Model 1909 shown with a teeny Colt New Pocket .32 Long Colt Transition from 1905.

A recent photo of a Gold Cup I purchased new in about 1982. The pistol dates from 1979. I had it out just the other day with some 230 grain FMJ roundnose handloaded with Unique.

M14E2 · October 4th, 2011, 12:48 PM

A 1909 is on the top of my Colt list. Never realized they were polished and blued to the standards yours shows.