Original Item: Only One Available. The romance around Colt "Cowboy" Revolvers never ceases to amaze us. This is a fine example of the Model 1878 "Frontier Six Shooter" Double Action Revolver, in the popular .44-40 Winchester chambering. This model was manufactured by Colt's Manufacturing Company from 1878 to 1907, and is often referred to as the "Frontier" or the "Double Action Army" revolver. A total of 51,210 Model 1878 revolvers were manufactured from 1878 to 1907, including 4,600 for the US Ordnance Department. These are known as the "Philippine" or "Alaskan" models.

This revolver is in very good condition, showing a lovely light worn look. Close examination shows that it was almost certainly refinished at some point. which resulted in light wear to the markings on the barrel and frame. The Colt "Pony" logo on the left side of the frame next to the grips is not a deep marking, and was unfortunately completely worn away. The grips also look to have been replaced by period originals, which are in fantastic shape. After that it looks to have seen additional use, which has worn areas of the reblued finish to a gray oxidized patina.

It is marked on the bottom of the grip with serial number 40672, indicating it was made in 1898. The rea of the cylinder is marked with shortened serial number 672, which is a bit faint. It is also marked with assembly number 66 on the back of the loading gate. It is in lovely condition, sure to delight any "Old West" Americana collector.

This example has a "gunfighter length" 4 3/4 inch barrel, which shows no signs of alteration. The Colt two line address marking (correct for a 4 3/4" barrel) on the top of the barrel is still fully legible:

COLT'S PT. F. A. MFG. Co.
HARTFORD. CT. U.S.A.

It also still bears the mostly clear roll stamped marking on the left side of the barrel, with some wear near the front:

COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER

Previous versions of these had the marking etched, but those markings quickly wore away. The later roll stamped markings are much more durable. This indicates chambering for .44-40 Winchester Center Fire cartridges, as it does on examples of the Single Action Army. There is also a 44 stamped on the bottom of the barrel, confirming the chambering, which we have checked with a real cartridge as well. This was a very popular cartridge for revolvers and rifles of the time, and this way the owner would only need bring one type of ammunition. While some may question why colt made guns chambered for a competitor's cartridge, having a repeating rifle and revolver that took the same ammunition was a big selling point.

Overall condition is very good, with most markings well retained, and a great lightly worn look. The bore is in very good condition, with a partly bright finish and clear lands and grooves. There is some light fouling and oxidation, as to be expected on a black powder cartridge revolver, and there also is a bit of wear. We tested the functionality in both double and single action, and it cycles well, though it can be finicky at times in single action. The cylinder can have trouble indexing, and the lockup is loose due to wear, so occasionally the cylinder move when the trigger is pulled. Given the amount of use and wear this revolver probably saw, this is not surprising. The ejector is present and fully functional.

A very nice example of an early design Colt Double Action Cartridge Revolver in the very popular .44-40 caliber! An ANTIQUE made in 1898, in lovely condition and ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1898
Caliber: .44-40 Winchester
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 4 3/4 inches
Overall Length: 9 3/4 inches
Action: Double Action Army
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

More on the Colt M-1878 Double Action Revolver:

Samuel Colt experimented with double-action revolver systems, but he considered them to be unreliable. After Colt's patent expired in 1857, other manufacturers began producing double-action revolvers, but Colt's Manufacturing did not manufacture its own double-action revolver until 1877, twenty years after the patent had expired.

The M1878 was designed by William Mason, Colt's factory manager and Charles Brinckerhoff Richards, Superintendent of Engineering. It was similar in design to the Colt Model 1877. The Model 1878 had a larger frame, and is therefore sometimes referred to as the "large frame" double-action revolver, while the Model 1877 is likewise referred to as the "small frame" double-action revolver. The Model 1878 was considered a more robust and reliable design than the Model 1877.

The design of the Model 1878 was based on the Model 1877, which in turn was based heavily on the design of the earlier Colt Single Action Army revolver. The double-action revolver is not dramatically different in design than the single-action revolver. A strut is added to connect the trigger movement to the hammer. The top of the trigger slips beyond the strut so that the hammer will stay in full cock if it is pulled back manually.

The Model 1878 had a larger frame than the Model 1877, which allowed it to fire larger and more powerful cartridges, such as the .45 Colt and .44-40 and used the same barrel, ejector parts, and a very similar cylinder to the Single Action Army revolver. At one time, the factory modified Model 1878 cylinders for use in single-action revolvers in an attempt to use up spare parts.