The Modern American Pistol and Revolver Part 3

The above models, we believe, represent the various models made at the Colt's armory at the time of writing, but there will be found in use many Colt's revolvers made up differently than those mentioned. There are thousands of the old model Army and Navy revolvers in existence to-day which load at the muzzle of the cylinder, also the .38 calibre. Many of these have been altered to breech-loaders, to shoot the central-fire cartridges, and are accurate and fine shooting arms. There are also in use, in the old and new models, Colt's revolvers with various lengths of barrels and odd calibres, to suit the whims and fancies of individuals requiring a revolver for a particular kind of work; revolvers in single action of various calibres, without a trigger, and fired by drawing back the hammer with the thumb, and releasing it as well as by pressing back the hammer with the left hand, and releasing it with the object of discharging the arm more rapidly than it could by checking the revolver; Army and Frontier models with very short barrels, for parties desiring the most powerful revolver made in the most compact form, suitable for short range only, and sacrificing accuracy. These special revolvers will be referred to later under another department, and the present chapter devoted to the standard models of the Colt's revolver manufactured to-day.

The Colt's revolvers differ from those previously described in the following points, viz.:--

The hand, or finger, or pawl, which revolves the cylinder, has two points, one above the other. The upper engages the ratchet of the cylinder when the revolution begins. But before the necessary sixth of a revolution could be made, as the pawl moves in a plane, and the ratchet tooth in the arc of a circle whose plane is perpendicular to the pawl's plane of motion, the pawl would lose its hold on the tooth, and the revolution of the cylinder would stop. To prevent this, the second point is added, and just as the first point will disengage from the ratchet, the second or lower point engages another tooth of the ratchet and completes the revolution. By this arrangement the pawl actuates a larger ratchet than it could otherwise, and therefore exerts more force upon the cylinder, by acting upon a longer lever-arm. This permits a smaller-sized cylinder for the same diameter of ratchet.

The cylinder has a bushing, which projects in front of it, and gives three surfaces upon which the cylinder revolves, thus diminishing the chance of sticking from dirt or rust, and also giving a very small axis upon which to revolve, decreasing the moment of friction.

When the ejector is used it springs back to its place and is ready for use again, avoiding the necessity of putting it back.

TO TAKE APART THE REVOLVER.--Half-c.o.c.k the revolver, loosen the catch-screw which holds the centre-pin, draw out the centre-pin, open the gate, and the cylinder can then be withdrawn.

To remove the ejector, turn out the ejector tube screw, then push the front end away from the barrel and pull it towards the muzzle. The barrel can then be unscrewed.

The stock can be removed by turning out the two screws just behind the hammer, and that at the bottom of the strap. All the parts of the lock are then displayed, and can be readily separated.

The cylinder bushing should be pushed out for cleaning.

To remove the gate, turn out a screw in the lower side of the frame (hidden by the trigger-guard), then the gate-spring and catch can be withdrawn, and the gate can be pushed out. The best sperm-oil should be used for oiling the parts.

TO LOAD THE ARM.--1st motion: holding the revolver in the left hand, muzzle downwards, half-c.o.c.k it with the right hand and open the gate. 2d motion: insert the cartridges in succession with the right hand, close the gate, c.o.c.k and fire it (taking it in the right hand), or bring the hammer to the safety-notch, as may be desired.

TO EJECT THE CARTRIDGE Sh.e.l.lS.--1st motion: holding the arm in the left hand, half-c.o.c.k with the right hand and open the gate. 2d motion: eject the sh.e.l.ls in succession with the ejector pushed by the right hand, moving the cylinder with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. When the sh.e.l.ls have been ejected, the pistol is ready for the 2d motion of loading.

There are three notches in the hammer of this arm. The first is the safety-notch, the second is the half-c.o.c.k notch, and the third is the c.o.c.k-notch. The pistol cannot be fired when the hammer rests in the safety-notch or half-c.o.c.k notch, and can be fired by pulling the trigger when the hammer rests in the c.o.c.k-notch. The pistol should be carried habitually with the hammer resting in the safety-notch.

[Ill.u.s.tration: COLT'S .38-CALIBRE, DOUBLE ACTION.]

There will always be a cla.s.s of revolver-shooters who will prefer an arm with a solid frame. These persons will unhesitatingly select the Colt's revolver. The strength of this arm is undoubted, and it is believed that an unbia.s.sed judge would award the claim of superiority in standing rough usage to the Colt's revolver. The author has devoted much time to testing the Smith & Wesson, the Merwin, Hulbert, & Co., and the Colt's revolvers, and has for several years corresponded with experts, and observed the shooting and solicited the opinion of persons who have had extensive experience with these arms. A careful summarizing the opinions shows that a majority of revolver experts believe that the Colt's revolver is not made with such delicacy of parts as the other arms mentioned; but it is evident that this very want of delicacy of the parts is much in favor of its adoption by those desiring a revolver powerful, accurate, and less affected by exposure to the elements, neglect of care after using, and requiring less attention while using. It is believed that more shots can be fired from the Colt's revolver without cleaning, and have it work well, than any other revolver of American make; and it certainly can more than the other two makes, judging from our own experience. But with the cleaning found necessary to secure accuracy even with this arm, it seems to require less cleaning than other revolvers; and accurate shooting has been secured repeatedly, even after firing a hundred shots, by simply swabbing out the barrel with a brush or cleaning-rod with a cloth drawn through a slot, and without removing the cylinder, which worked well after firing two hundred shots. The combined points of the solid frame and the arm being unaffected, so far as operating it is concerned, by neglecting to clean it while using or afterwards, has made the Colt's revolver the chosen arm of many frontiersmen, and, doubtless, has influenced the members of the Government Ordnance Board to favor this arm.

[Ill.u.s.tration: COLT'S FRONTIER MODEL AND ARMY, DOUBLE ACTION.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: COLT'S FRONTIER OR ARMY MODEL, SINGLE ACTION.]

It is doubtless true that if several battalions of cavalry were armed with the revolvers of different make, the one equipped with the Colt's revolver would find less disabled arms, after a rough campaign, than those armed with other American revolvers.

The Army .45 calibre and Frontier model .44 calibre are identical in the model, the difference being in the calibre and chambering. The U.S.

Government .45-calibre straight cartridge is loaded with 30 grains of powder and a 250-grain bullet. The .44-calibre Frontier model takes a magazine rifle-cartridge holding 40 grains of powder and a 200-grain bullet. Both these cartridges are powerful and accurate. There is an apparent difference in the recoil, it being less in the .44-calibre rifle-cartridges, the 50 grains more of lead in the .45-calibre Government cartridge being noticeable by the increased recoil. In a number of tests made with these two cartridges the best results were generally secured with the .44-calibre rifle-cartridge, taking six shots for a standard, it being the number of chambers in these revolvers. It was not difficult to place the six shots in a 5-inch circle at a distance of fifty yards, and often a 4-inch circle, and occasionally, with the .44-calibre 40-200 cartridge, a 3-inch circle would touch or enclose all of the shots.

The .41-.38-calibre revolvers of this company's make are very accurate and reliable arms, the .38-calibre, with 6 and 7 inch barrels, are chosen by persons desiring an accurate, quite powerful, and pleasant shooting weapon. The .38 calibre with the 6 and 7 inch barrels are very accurate up to 50 yards; the recoil is light and not unpleasant. The charge is less powerful than the .44 and .45, but about as heavy as is possible in an arm of the size and weight, and retains a satisfactory degree of accuracy. It is not difficult in shooting with a rest to place six shots within a 3-inch circle at 50 yards; and this feat has been accomplished in off-hand shooting with a .38-calibre Colt's revolver with a 7-inch barrel.

The .32, .30, and .22 calibre Colt's revolvers are intended for pocket-revolvers, and for short-range weapons unreliable beyond a few yards.

CHAPTER VI.

SIGHTS FOR REVOLVERS AND PISTOLS.

Nearly all revolvers and pistols have sights affixed to the barrels, which are very properly supposed by purchasers to aid them in hitting the object at which they shoot. In many cases the sights which the manufacturers place on their pistols and revolvers are very little, if any, aid to the shooter. Persons unfamiliar with these fire-arms, when they test a new pistol or revolver, generally commence by aiming at the object desired to hit, and if their holding is good they are likely to find the shots grouped quite a distance above the object aimed at. The heavier the charge and lighter the arm the greater the flip or kick-up. The shooter, when he observes this result, generally corrects the fault by holding under the object, and some wonderfully good shooting has been done by aiming eighteen or twenty inches under the object. It is, however, apparent that in most cases, where good as well as regular results have been obtained by this mode of sighting, it has been at a regular distance and where some object is found at the proper distance below the object desired to hit to enable the marksman to sight at each time.

When Chevalier Ira Paine gave his first exhibition of revolver-shooting at 50 yards at the range of the Ma.s.sachusetts Rifle a.s.sociation, on firing a few sighting-shots before commencing his one hundred shots, he found that his elegant .44-calibre Russian model, Smith & Wesson, revolver, which was perfectly sighted for about twelve yards when using the light loads and round-ball shot in his exhibitions, with the heavy or full charge, shot eighteen inches over the bull's-eye. He immediately asked permission to place a spot at this distance below the bull's-eye, which was given; but as he had only a few sighting-shots to judge the difference in the elevation between the two cartridges, he did not make what he proved he was capable of doing at a second exhibition, when he had the same revolver he used at the first trial, but with a different sight, which permitted him to aim directly at the bull's-eye.

It is generally believed that the manufacturers of revolvers never supposed the fine work which is being done with their arms at the present time was in the weapon, and the arms were intended for quick and deadly work at short range, and for this reason but little attention has been paid to perfecting sights.

Having witnessed considerable revolver-shooting, and not a little in a section of this country where the arm was carried for protection, and after many practice shoots to almost invariably hear the shooters remark, "Any one of these shots would have hit a man," the writer formed the impression that the majority of persons who carried revolvers were content with an arm which, when fired, would hit the size of a man. On the supposition that this is the case, it is not strange that so little has been done to improve the accuracy of the revolver by correctly sighting it. The sights which come on the most popular revolvers of to-day are arranged, so far as the height is concerned which affects the elevation, in such a manner that they shoot over from six to thirty inches when fired from twenty to sixty yards. If the charge is reduced considerably, the sights which come on the revolver can be used in aiming directly at the object desired to hit; but with a full, heavy charge the over-shooting mentioned is experienced.

The accompanying ill.u.s.trations show, approximately, the difference required in shooting a Smith & Wesson Russian model .44-calibre revolver with a light and heavy or full charge.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 1.]

Fig. 1 shows the target-sight which is attached to this revolver when purchased. If a sight of this height is used with the full charge at 50 yards, and a sight taken on the bull's-eye at 6 o'clock, if held properly, the bullet will strike about 18 inches over the bull's-eye. The same result will be experienced with the plain open-sight which comes on this favorite arm, as well as most of the other revolvers of American make, of large calibre. If, however, the shooter desires to use a light charge of ten to fifteen grains of powder, he will find this sight approximately correct in regard to height. As many of the finest shots prefer to use the full charge, desiring to practise with a practical charge, such as they would use in warfare or defence, and knowing that, if properly held, it will give fine results, they procure another sight, similar in shape, but higher, as shown in Fig. 2. This additional height depresses the muzzle of the barrel, and counteracts the flip or kick-up, and the shooter can sight directly at the bull's-eye at a distance of 50 yards. For shooting at 30 yards, a distance which most of the shooting is likely to be done in the future, and on the Standard American 100-yard rifle target, a sight slightly higher than the one shown in Fig. 2 should be used.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 2.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: CHEVALIER IRA A. PAINE, Professional Pistol and Revolver Shot.]

To do fine shooting with pistol or revolver requires fine sights. At the time of writing this chapter such a feeling is growing, and many improved devices are being brought out. The most favored sight by expert shots at the present time is the sight shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for a forward sight, and the rear sight as shown in Fig. 3, which has a semicircular notch to draw the top of the front-sight into. This style of sight was devised by Chevalier Ira Paine, and adopted by Messrs. Smith & Wesson, who style them "Paine Sights," it giving the effect of a pin-head sight. Some good shots prefer a fine plain front-sight without the bead, and some use a straight rear bar without a notch, but a platinum line in the centre.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 3.]

An improvement in the rear-sight is made by dovetailing a lateral sliding-bar across the barrel clutch of the Smith & Wesson revolvers, which makes an effective wind-gauge. Those desiring to test the accuracy of revolvers at a rest can do so very effectually by attaching to the rear-sight a piece of thin metal to convert the semicircle notch into a round aperture which, with a temporary aperture front-sight or the sight shown, enables the tester to obtain a good sight, which is quite difficult when shooting in this manner with open front and rear sights, which are so near together.

There are several ways of taking sight with pistol and revolver. It is believed that a majority of the best shots draw a very fine bead on the front-sight, and touch the object aimed at at the lower part of the bull's-eye at 6 o'clock. Other good shots prefer to place the sight on the object or on the bull's-eye, while still others place the sight on the object or on the bull's-eye, and see the tip at 12 o'clock. It is believed that those who sight at the lower or bottom of the object aimed at possess more advantages than in the other ways mentioned; but the shooter should try the several ways, and, as soon as satisfied of his preference, adhere firmly to one manner of sighting, if permissible. It will be found that different makes and lots of ammunition vary considerably, affecting elevations; different weather conditions also affect elevations; this will be perceived with a few shots, and the error corrected by taking a finer or coa.r.s.er sight.

Doubtless in the near future there will be a rear elevating and wind-gauge sight for pistols and revolvers. One has been devised by Messrs. Smith & Wesson, which is a great improvement over any heretofore placed on the market. It seems to be quite a difficult thing to perfect a revolver-sight, as several firms know who have been endeavoring to accomplish it for some time past. As with heavy charges the desired object is to depress the barrel or lower the elevation, rather than raise; while, with light charges, as you increase your distance you are obliged to raise your rear-sight. A very high front-sight, which is necessary for the large charges, is considered unsymmetrical by manufacturers, and until some ingenious person devises a means of raising and lowering the front-sight of a revolver, the person who desires to shoot several kinds of ammunition accurately in one revolver, and at various distances, must carry about with him several front-sights of various heights which will interchange.

CHAPTER VII.

AMMUNITION FOR PISTOLS AND REVOLVERS.

Nearly all the modern American pistols and revolvers are made to shoot metallic cartridges. There are a few fine muzzle-loading duelling and target pistols in use at the present time, but the great amount of time necessary to load them, in comparison with the modern breech-loading arms, makes them unpopular with most of the pistol-shots, and out of the question for revolvers for military use, where rapidity of firing and reloading is required. The difference between a muzzle and breech loading single-shot pistol is apparently the same as the difference between the two systems of rifles. If loaded a certain way there is no advantage in one over another. Probably a muzzle-loading pistol, loaded the usual way of duelling pistols, would show finer work than a breech-loading pistol of the same weight, length of barrel and bore, loaded with a factory metallic cartridge. But if two pistols exactly alike, with the exception of one being a muzzle-loader and the other a breech-loader, were loaded with the same charge, one being loaded at the muzzle, the other at the breech; but instead of using a factory metallic cartridge the bullet was seated in the rifling, and the sh.e.l.l loaded flush to its top, and placed in the chamber, after the manner of loading the modern breech-loading target rifle,--it is believed that one pistol would shoot as well as the other. Many of the foreign target and duelling pistols of recent manufacture are made breech-loading, and loaded in the manner described. The expert pistol-shot is well aware that he can secure a great advantage by preparing ammunition for certain purposes in a manner different from the way the manufacturer makes it for the trade; but this point will be described later.

With the exception of the pistols alluded to, all modern American pistols and revolvers take the metallic cartridges, which are produced in enormous quant.i.ties and variety of styles in this country. These cartridges vary in size, and are known to the trade from .22 to .50 calibre, and contain charges of powder from 3 grains to 40, and bullets weighing from 30 to 300 grains.

The cartridge companies in America manufacture the following cartridges, which are used in American pistols and revolvers:--

_Rim-Fire Cartridges._

Conical-ball cartridge for indoors, .22-calibre. .22-calibre: powder, 3 grains; lead, 30 grains. .22-calibre (long): powder, 5; lead, 30.

.25-calibre: powder, 5; lead, 38. .30-calibre: powder, 6; lead, 55.

.30-calibre (long): powder, 9; lead, 55. .32-calibre (ex. short): powder, 6; lead, 55. .32-calibre (short): powder, 9; lead, 82. .32-calibre (long): powder, 13; lead, 90. .38-calibre (short): powder, 18; lead, 150.

.38-calibre (long): powder, 21; lead, 148. .41-calibre: powder, 13; lead, 130. .41-calibre (long): powder, 16; lead, 130. .44-calibre (short): powder, 21; lead, 200. .44-calibre: powder, 26; lead, 200. .44-calibre: powder, 23; lead, 200. .46-calibre: powder, 26; lead, 230.

_Centre-Fire Cartridges._