HISTORY

In 1889 Colt jumped-started the new age of revolvers with their New Army/New Navy models. These established the template for the modern double-action revolver was we know it today, with the ability to be fired either double or single action and a swing-out cylinder with it’s own ejector.

Many claim that the swing-out cylinder is Colt’s invention, but this is patently untrue. Some Belgian gun makers were making swing-out cylinder double action revolvers as early as the 1860s, but Colt can certainly be credited for refining this into the revolver we recognize today.

The Navy was quick to adopt Colt’s new revolver, and the Army followed shortly after. Yes, these were the Colt .38s that famously failed to stop charging warriors in the Philippines. This lead to the rapid development of the New Service in larger calibers, though it is unclear that this had the desired effect. These native warriors were hard to stop with a .30-40 Krag rifle, so adding a few hundredths of an inch to pistol bullet was unlikely to have had a significant effect.

Colt continued to develop this revolver, giving a new year/model designation to each upgrade, resulting in one gun with a bewildering variety of model names.

Colt introduced the Army Special in 1908, with an improved mechanism based on the New Service and New pocket models, and it was an instant success with both law enforcement and civilians. This new models was stoutly made and able to handle more powerful cartridges like the .32-20, .38 Special and .41 Colt Long.

This model formed the basis for every medium-framed Colt up to the Python. So few changes were made during this period that some parts from a 1908 Army would function in a Python made nearly a century later.

The Army Special could be had with a blue or nickel finish, with barrels ranging from 4-6 inches. The original grips were hard black rubber, but these were changed to checkered walnut in 1923.

The Army never officially adopted the Army Special. There are some indications that some were purchased as ‘second standard’ revolvers, but I have been unable to verify this. In 1927 Colt changed the name to the Official Police, and it remained popular with law enforcement well into the 1980s.

These are a quite robust revolver; Colt claimed they could fire .38-44 loads, and this claim is to some degree substantiated by the introduction of .357 Magnum models based on the same frame.

CONTEXT

It’s important to judge these guns as artifacts of the period in which they were introduced. 19th Century Americans were slow to embrace double-action triggers on service pistols, though they were common on pocket revolvers, and both Colt and Smith & Wesson had double action service revolvers. In 1908 the orthodoxy for police agencies was that these guns were treated as single-actions, with double-action reserved for point-blank emergency use. It is not surprising then that these guns are at their best when used as such. Any fair review should take this into account.

The New Service revolver was notorious for a heavy double-action trigger pull. The famous Fitz cutting away the front of the trigger guard was not as reckless or dangerous as it seems today; there’s very little likelihood that this trigger can be pulled by anything but a fair amount of deliberate effort! The single-action pull isn’t light either, but there is no creep and very little over-travel.

There were early pioneers of double-action gunfighting, but it was not uncommon for some police departments to treat their revolvers as primarily single actions as late as the 1950s.

REVIEW

Our specific review gun is a 6″ barreled example in .38 Special, manufactured in 1911. Little is left of the original blue finish; there is an overall uniform patina and no evidence of rust or pitting. The timing is excellent, but there is some slight endplay and sideplay in the cylinder. Nothing unsafe, mind you, or even close to it. Certainly not out of the ordinary for a well-used gun of this vintage.

Grips are of the correct type for it’s year of manufacture; no way to tell if they are original to this gun. The bore and forcing cone are excellent; the gun appears to have been well maintained.

The trigger pull is… well, let’s not mince words here. It’s bloody heavy. Heavy enough that a modern trigger gauge couldn’t measure it, placing it at something over 12 lbs. On the other hand it’s glass-smooth, with no stacking, so while it is heavy it’s not difficult to achieve accuracy. This single action pull is also heavy; I’d put it at around 6 lbs., but it has no take-up or creep, and very little over-travel.

The fixed sights are typical for it’s era, that is to say awful. A narrow half-round front sight, and a narrow groove milled into the top of the frame above the hammer. Not easy to pick up quickly, and not very precise; the front sight almost completely fills the rear aperture. The good news is they shoot dead-on to point of aim at 7 yards, and a six-o’clock hold gives good results at 25 yards.

The grip works well for my rather large hand and the gun balances nicely. I was shooting some peppy (but not +P) loads, and while recoil was easily manageable, I found that if I wasn’t paying attention my hand would slide upwards on the grip. I expect that this is owed to the lack of significant re-curve in the back-strap of the grip frame. Once I realized it was an issue it was easy to counter. Your results may vary, of course, depending on your hand.

So, accuracy…

A funny moment in conjunction with that last target. Since I am now a member and have been qualified I can now shoot as rapidly as I like, and on that last target I did. A fellow from another lane saw what I was shooting and did a double take. “You’re shooting a revolver?!” He’d been sure it was a semi-auto. I’m no Jerry Mikulec, but I do alright…

SUMMARY

This is my second Army Special, and that fact alone is revealing; I like these guns. Within their limitations they shoot well and hold up to heavy use. You’d pay twice as much, or more, for a comparable revolver new… though you’d definitely get better sights! Parts are not a problem owing to the longevity of the design, nor are aftermarket grips.

Despite the ultra-optimistic Gunbroker sellers, if you shop around you can probably find a gun in this condition for $275- $400. Nicer guns are liable to run more, and top-end collector pieces with letter, box etc. will probably put you into four-digit prices.

For an affordable fun shooter with some character you could do a lot worse. If the price is right and the gun is sound I can’t think of a single reason not to pick one up, and I doubt you’ll be disappointed if you do.

I ‘Fitzed’ the first Army Special I bought- in fact I bought it for that purpose. Of course a buddy of mine back east fell in love with it, so… Anyway, not going to do that to this one. An idea that does intrigue me is to get a .41 Colt Long barrel and ream the chambers for .41 Special. Might make a fun and interesting gun…

Michael Tinker Pearce, 13 February 2020

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The gun hobby- or more properly hobbies- take in a lot of territory. Muzzle-loading, long-range rifle, cowboy action shooting, antiques, three-gun competition, collecting… there is a screw for every nut, and with the advent of the internet we can all find like-minded souls to share these interests with… and people that simply can’t resist telling that your particular interest is stupid. There is a technical term for these individuals.

We call them ‘assholes.’

As unfair as this is to that useful and worthy aperture, it is appropriate. Shit comes out of both of them. In the one case it’s a necessary function of biology. In the other it’s a function of disrespect, insecurity and a desire to feel superior.

Meet Brandon Wallace from Outlaw Innovations. I don’t know Brandon, but seems like a nice guy with some real talent. Among these talents is gun-spinning.

See more

Gun-spinning is a uniquely American art form, with roots reaching back 150 years into a romanticized and colorful period of American history. It’s akin to juggling or, more appropriately, sword-dancing. It bears as much resemblance to a martial pursuit as those arts, but it is in the realm of firearms interests. It requires safety, practice and dedication. It may not be your thing, but it is a complex and impressive art worthy of respect, and deserves to be judged as what it is- a performance.

Brandon posted the video you see above to a Facebook group for revolver enthusiasts, and there was some interest… but there were also some assholes who just had to make themselves heard. One particular fellow said, and I am paraphrasing here, “When I draw my revolver it’s to get a good sight-picture and put rounds center-mass as quickly as possible, not to do some stupid shit with it.”

OK, the dude’s entitled to his opinion. I think it’s a stupid opinion, but I’m entitled to mine too. What I question is why he felt it was necessary to publicly express that opinion, particularly in social media. What purpose was served by this blatant show of disrespect and contempt?

If this were an isolated incident I’d be more inclined to shrug it off, but I see it all the time on social media, online forums etc. I seldom see it in person; maybe it’s less fun when faced with the immediate prospect of being punched in the nose.

“You have a Taurus? You’re stupid to trust your life to that!”

“You haven’t done force on force training, then your opinion is useless.”

“You don’t have the (flavor-of-the-month-Tacti-cool-thing)? Hard to take you seriously…”

“That fantastic plastic crap sucks. I like REAL guns!”

“You carry a .38? Real men carry calibers that begin with Four.”

“You’re real-life experience means nothing! I’ve been to classes!“

It goes on and on, and it never stops being boring, hurtful, pointless and divisive. I wish it was hard to fathom the motivation for this behavior, but it’s simple and obvious. They want you to know that they are better than you… and they want everyone else to know it too.

In a less enlightened age we might have attributed this to doubts about the size and quality of a certain male attribute, but in this more egalitarian age we have to acknowledge that women are as capable of being dicks as men are of having them.

This sad state of affairs is not limited to our community, of course. Whether you make jewelry, collect model trains or knit there’s always someone just aching for the chance to express their superiority by pointing out that they are better than you. But these communities are not under attack, facing the constant threat of having their rights limited, constrained or outright denied. The people in our community are. Nobody doing Crossfit, cosplay or quilting needs to worry that their pursuits will be outlawed. We do. In this day and age it would strongly serve our interests to hang together so that we do not hang separately. We need to be more inclusive and tolerant of our differences, not less. Don’t like ‘cowboy’ guns? Don’t like trick-shooting, Glocks, 1911s, revolvers? Then do what your mother taught you, and if you can’t say something nice keep your damn thoughts to yourself.

I know, I know… displaying respect and common courtesy is a lot to ask, especially when you subscribe to the pathetic notion that tearing down others makes you look better. It really doesn’t, but the argument that pointing out to others that you are an asshole is a public service is not sufficient to justify it.

Next time you feel the need to tear someone down to prop yourself up, keep your mouth shut, your fingers off the keyboard and consider what is wrong with you that you think this is the thing to do. Maybe a little honest self-examination will lead you to become a better person… someone that doesn’t need to be an asshole to feel better about themselves.

Check out Outlaw Innovations on Facebook; they do gunsmithing and some pretty darn nifty leather-work. Pretty good gun-spinner, too.

Michael Tinker Pearce, 11 February 2020

If you like what you see here, please consider clicking the link above and supporting me on Patreon.