Very little is known of this pistol, advertised only by Neumann Freres in 1913-14. It was a 7·65mm blowback based on the 1903-pattern Browning, with no Clement features at all. It could be considered as the 7·65mm equivalent of the 1912 type Clement. Manufacture is said to have begun in 1913 but, in view of the German invasion in 1914, probably never reached real quantity.
Clement-Fulgor: Maker: Neumann Freres, Liege. Type: automatic pistol (blowback). Chambering: 7·65mm Auto. Length overall:
7·01in/180mm. Weight, unladen: 25·2oz/715gm. Barrel: 4·33in/110mm, rifled. Magazine: seven-round detachable box.
CLERKE (USA)
The Clerke Company of Santa Monica, California, advertised two revolvers in the mid-1970s. Both were nickel-plated solid frame models with double-action locks and five-round swinging cylinders. One chambered ·32 S&W, the other being a ·22 Long Rifle rimfire. Other reports speak of two blowback automatic pistols, in ·22 LR and ·380 Auto. They do not appear to have remained on the market for very long.
COBOLT (BELGIUM)
This ·450 revolver, similar to the HDH Cobold (q.v.), was sold by Ancion-Marx of liege in the 1880s. It may have been named to capitalise on the popularity of its near-contemporary.
Clement: 7·65mm pistol showing transitional design
features, c.1905
CODY (USA)
Made by Cody Manufacturing Corporation of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, this curious six-shot hinged frame ·22 LR design provided the 1960s equivalent of the Velo Mith and similar guns revolvers with barrels shaped to resemble an automatic pistol. The Cody revolver had a respectably-sized frame, giving a comfortable grip, but failed to attract many customers and was soon abandoned.
COLT (USA)
This world-renowned firearms manufacturer has traded variously as Colt's Patent Fire Arms Mfg. Co. and Colt's Firearms Company (1847-1947);
Colt's Manufacturing Co., (1947-55); Colt's Patent Fire Arms Mfg. Co. (1955- 64); Colt Firearms Division, Colt Industries (1964-89); Colt Manufacturing Co., Inc. (1989 to date).
Samuel Colt came from a good family, with money, but chose to strike out for himself. Most of his life was spent inventing and manufacturing firearms, but he was less than successful at first. His first venture—the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company of Paterson, New Jersey—failed in the 1840s, but the success of the Walker Colt and the subsequent adoption of a Colt cap-lock revolver for the US Dragoons helped him make a mark.
By 1850 he had his own factory in Hartford, Connecticut; in 1855, he built a second larger one. The Civil War made a huge fortune for the company, though Samuel did not live to see the end of it, dying at the early age of 47 in 1862.
Control of Colt fell to a series of directors skilful enough to retain the company's substantial reputation in the arms field, even though frequently clinging to obsolete designs long after competitors had abandoned them.
Smith & Wesson's exploitation of the Rollin White patent delayed the development of the first effectual Colt cartridge revolver until the early 1870s. However, the adoption of the ·45 Single Action Army ('SAA') revolver by the US Army in 1873 enabled Colt to regain its position;
thereafter, success followed success. The SAA and the double- action Frontier models dominated the legend and myth of the Wild West. 'Colt' became synonymous with 'revolver' and, thanks to novels and films, has remained so ever since.
The development of automatic pistols followed the same pattern. Colt harnessed the genius of John Browning to develop the M1911 ·45 automatic from the original 1897 master-patent. Adoption of the Colt-Browning by the US Army gave it global stature; it remained in US service until the mid-1980s, and is still in use throughout the world.
In common with many firearms manufacturers, Colt has had a recent history of financial difficulties arising from costs rising faster than prices, mergers, takeovers and—finally—a management buyout returning the company to an independent position from which it may gain strength by returning to the virtues that made its name: good quality, careful manufacture and sound design. Although Colt began by manufacturing cap-lock revolvers, this survey begins in 1870 with the first cartridge guns.
DERRINGERS
Breech-loading pocket derringers became popular in the middle 1860s, when the ·41 rimfire chambering became all but standard. Many companies produced guns of this class, encouraging Colt to enter the fray in 1870 by buying the National Arms Company of New York. National was already selling two derringers, which became Colt's First and Second Models. Colt designer F. Alexander Thuer received a patent on a Third Model in 1870.
All Colt derringers are loaded by pivoting the barrel: the National models by swinging the barrel sideways about a pin beneath the breech, so that the barrel dropped to the left, and the Third Model by swinging the barrel horizontally so that the breech moves to the right.
First and Second Models: These were almost identical with the original National Arms Company models, but were stamped with the Colt name and address. They had Moore's patent method of swinging the barrel sideways and down to reload, and had small curled butts. Both had 2·5in barrels, a half-round front sight blade, and a back sight notch cut in the hammer spur. Two notches gave the hammer half- and full-cock positions, and a spring-loaded stud on the right of the breech locked the barrels in place. Both guns were 4·88in long and weighed just under 7oz.
The First Model had an all-steel grip integral with the butt; the Second Model had separate
chequered walnut grips. Production of both models totalled a little over 15,000. The last guns were made about 1890.
First Model Derringer: Maker: Colt's Patent Fire Arms Mfg Co.. Hartford. Conn. Type: single-shot
pistol. Chambering: ·41 rimfire. Length overall: 4·88in/124mm. Weight, unladen: 10·0oz/284gm. Barrel: 2·50in/64mm, rifled. Magazine:
none.
Third Model: Made from 1871 until about 1912, this original Colt design differed appreciably from its predecessors. Sold concurrently with the First and Second Models for many years, complicating accounting, upward of 45,000 were despatched from Hartford.
The Third Model looked more like a pistol than the earlier Colt derringers, with a bird's head butt, walnut grips and a brass frame. The barrel was still 2·5in long and overall length remained a fraction under five inches, but the weight dropped to 6·5oz. The frame ran forward to carry a vertical pivot-pin around which the barrel swung for loading; as the barrel neared the end of its arc, a pin ejected the empty case.
Third Model Derringer: Maker: Colt's Patent Fire Arms Mfg Co. Hartford. Conn. Type: single-shot pistol. Chambering: ·41 rimfire. Length overall: 4·88in/124mm. Weight, unladen: 6·5oz/185gm.
Barrel: 2·60in/64mm, rifled. Magazine: none.
Fourth Model: The revival of the Colt Single Action Army was accompanied by interest in the derringer. To
satisfy demand that came largely from collectors, Colt introduced a modernised Third Model chambering ·22 Short rimfire so that it could be fired for amusement; 112,000 were sold in 1959-63. The Fourth Model was a copy of the third pattern excepting calibre and finish, as many were elaborately engraved, with wood, ivory or mother-of-pearl grips.
Lord and Lady Model: Successful revival of the Colt derringer led to this fancy pair of Fourth Model guns, announced in 1970. The Lord derringer had a gold-plated frame, blued barrel and walnut grips; the Lady model had a gold frame and barrel, blued hammer and trigger, and simulated pearl grips. Both chambered ·22 Short rimfire ammunition.
SINGLE-ACTION REVOLVERS
Open Top Rimfire Model 1872: Quite why Colt thought this revolver to be acceptable is now difficult to understand. In spite of the 1868 US Army decision to use only solid-frame revolvers, Colt introduced another open-top weapon In the hope of gaining a military contract. Predictably rejected by the army, it remained in production for four years although no more than 7,000 were made. The six-shot Model 1872 chambered the
·44 Henry rimfire cartridge and, unusual among Colt designs, had its back sight on the barrel ahead of the cylinder.
Colt: ·41 No.1 derringer.
Colt: ·41 No.3 or Thuer derringer.
New Model Army Revolver or 'M1872': Maker: Colt's Patent Fire Arms Mfg Co.. Hartford. Conn. Type: open-frame revolver.
Chambering: ·44 Henry rimfire. Length overall: 13·38in/340mm. Weight, unladen: 42·0oz/1,190gm. Barrel: 7·50in/191mm, rifled.
Magazine: six-chamber cylinder.
Single Action Army Revolver Model 1873: This was the successor to the Open Top, introduced late in 1871. Approval was gained after rigorous testing throughout 1872 and it became the US Army's M1873. The design was a natural evolution distilled from all the previous Colt revolvers, with additions to meet the Army's needs and to incorporate metallic-cartridge technology.
Although initially produced for the army, the SAA built such a huge reputation that it became the symbol of the Old West: the immortal cowboy's gun. Production began in 1873 and continued until 1940, by which time 357,859 had been made. A few were assembled from spares during the Second World War, but there was then a ten-year break until
popular demand forced Colt back into production in 1955.
No other gun has ever enjoyed such a long production run and few commercial designs have exceeded the sales of the Single Action Army revolver. It has,
moreover, been widely copied, particularly since the advent of the 'fast draw' craze in the 1950s led to a demand for Western-style single-action revolvers.
This remarkable Colt revolver is not particularly unusual either in design or construction. It is a solid and heavy weapon with a single-action system which became obsolete within a few years of its introduction.
The solid frame is designed with economy of line, the flat downward-sloping underside carrying a flattened oval trigger guard of relatively small dimensions. The standing breech has a distinctive hemispherical shape, with a loading gate hinged in the right side. The butt is set low, giving a high sight-line above the hand, and is flared to give an excellent grip. The rear face of the large hammer matches the curve of the breech. The robust spur is well curved for the thumb and heavily chequered. The plain rounded-edge flat-blade front sight is brazed to the muzzle of the plain cylindrical barrel. A rudimentary back sight groove runs along the flat top strap. An ejector rod lies in a slotted housing ('ejector case' in Colt terminology), which is pinned to the right lower side of the barrel and brazed into a seat in the frame.
The Single Action Army is essentially a working gun; although many have been engraved for presentation or recent 'Commemorative Issues', the standard revolver was plain and unadorned. Grips were originally of plain wood, but hard rubber patterns were adopted in 1882; the metal parts were generally blued. No less than thirty different chamberings have been offered commercially; the US Army specification was ·45, but cartridges from ·22 LR rimfire to ·476 Eley centre-fire have been used. The earliest guns lacked calibre marks, but these have been stamped into the barrel or frame since c.1880.
The SAA was not expensive in its heyday; the only accessory offered was a turnscrew, and even that was not essential. Government contracts continued from 1873 to 1891, by which time 36,060 ·45 revolvers had been delivered with 7·5in barrels. Between 1898 and 1903 about 21,300 survivors were returned to the factory to have an overhaul in which barrels were shortened to 5·5in. The alteration was probably the result of experience gained in the Spanish- American War.
Single Action Army Revolver or M1873: Maker: Colt's Patent Fire Arms Mfg Co.. Hartford, Conn. Type: solid-frame revolver.
Chambering: ·45 Colt (one of many options—see text). Length overall: 10·25in/260mm. Weight, unladen: 36·0oz/1,021gm. Barrel:
4·75in/121mm, rifled. Magazine: six-chamber cylinder.
The Buntline Special: This ultra-long barrelled Single Action Army has acquired a reputation far in excess of its importance, numbers or usefulness. Originating in a five-gun order allegedly placed with Colt early in the twentieth century by Edward Judson, who wrote pulp fiction under the pseudonym Ned Buntline, the name has been retrospectively attached to a few long-barrel revolvers made to special order between 1878 and 1884. Made with barrels of 10, 12 or 16in, the Colts all had shoulder stocks and folding-leaf back sights. Factory records list a mere eighteen, some of which were apparently cut to a more manageable length within a few years. However, so remarkable is the myth that limited numbers of the 12in and 16in barrelled versions were specially made in 1958 and again in 1970.
SAA Flat Top Target Model: This special target version was made in very limited numbers between 1888 and 1895. In effect, it was a selected standard SAA with a flattened top strap of the frame instead of the normal slightly curved variety. A back sight was mounted on the 'flat top' and a larger front sight blade, usually of German silver, was pinned to the muzzle. However, factory-pattern sights were often replaced with their owner's particular fancy and variations will be seen. The ejector rod was also frequently removed, requiring the cylinder to be removed for reloading.
Barrels came in a variety of lengths from 4·25in to 9in, though the normal length was 7·5in. No less than 21 different chamberings were supplied in a total factory production of only 925 guns.
Single Action Army Bisley Model: This derivative of the Flat Top Target Model was introduced in 1894 with British target shooters in mind. The difference between the Bisley and
any other SAA lies largely in the butt, hammer and
trigger. The butt has a distinctive hump-backed appearance, giving a better hold in the manner fashionable at that time. The hammer has a low, sweeping spur; internally, the hammer is hooked to the mainspring by a stirrup to reduce friction and improve
the pull-off. The trigger is longer, chequered, and markedly curved.
As with most target weapons, the Bisley was produced in a range of calibres; factory records list eighteen different cartridges, barrel lengths ranging from 3·5in to 7·5in. Production continued until 1915, by which time about 44,350 had been sold.
Single Action Army Revolver, Bisley Model: Maker: Colt's Patent Fire Arms Mfg Co., Hartford, Conn. Type: solid-frame revolver. Chambering: ·38-40 WCF (one of many options). Length overall: 12·50in/318mm. Weight, unladen:
40·5oz/1,148gm. Barrel: 7·50in/191mm, rifled. Magazine: six-chamber cylinder.
Colt: ·45 Single Action Army 1873.
Colt: Bisley revolvers had a distinctive 'hunched frame'
appearance.
Bisley Flat Top Target Model: This is easily confused with the true Bisley model, which was produced roughly concurrently. The Bisley Flat Top was actually the forerunner of the Bisley Model; only 970 were made and almost all were shipped to Britain.
The differences between this and the Bisley Model are slight; both guns have the distinctive humped butt, but the frame has the distinctive flat top strap whereas the Bisley has a curved top strap. The Bisley type trigger and hammer is shared by both guns. Barrel length was the standard 7·5in, with very few deviations. Calibres ranged from ·32 to ·455 and, remarkably, there was never a ·22 rimfire variant.
Modern Single Action Army Revolvers: The popularity of the SAA forced Colt to resume manufacture in 1955. Most of the original tooling remained in the factory, and the earliest 'new' guns actually incorporated original pre-war parts. Variations between pre- and post-war models are so slight that only serial numbers positively identify the difference. However, the multiplicity of calibres was no longer economic, and only ·38 Special, ·357 Magnum, ·44 Special and ·45 Colt chamberings were offered. Barrels measured 4·75in, 5·5in and 7·5in, excluding the special three-inch barrelled Sheriff's Model and two issues of Buntline Specials with 12in or 16in barrels.
New Frontier Model Single Action Army revolver: Announced in 1961, this was the target-shooting model of the post-war SAA. Its name capitalised upon the presidential campaign slogan used by John F. Kennedy in 1960. Apart from the sights, it was the Flat Top Target Model of 1888 with a polished finish and an inscribed medallion in the grip. A Buntline version with 12in or 16in barrels apparently found few takers.
New Frontier Model: Maker: Colt Firearms Division. Colt Industries. Hartford. Conn. Type: solid frame revolver. Chambering: ·357 Magnum length overall: 11·50in/292mm. Weight, unladen: 60·0oz/1,700gm. Barrel: 5·50in/140mm, rifled. Magazine: six-chamber cylinder.
Frontier Scout Models: To meet the demand for a Single Action Army replica which was smaller and lighter than the standard gun, this pattern was introduced in January 1958 in ·22 LR rimfire. The low-power cartridge and a precision- cast aluminium frame allowed the original Model Q Frontier Scout (later designated 'Q-1' ) to be slightly smaller and some 8oz lighter than the standard SAA. It was also appreciably cheaper.
The earliest frames were left in the white, but blueing was applied from September 1958 onward. The standard barrel measured 4·75in.
Colt announced the Buntline Scout (Model Q-2) in January 1959. Chambered for the ·22 LR rimfire cartridge, it differed from the Q-l purely in barrel length—9·5in instead of 4·75in.
The Q-type Frontier Scouts were joined for the 1962 season by
the 'K' patterns, developed in 1960-1. These guns had heavier frames suitable to handle ·22 WRM ammunition; they weigh about 6oz more than 'Q' equivalents. The Frontier Scout 62 (K-l) was an improved Q-l with blue finish; K-2 was an improved Q-2 Buntline in blue; K-3 and K-4 were simply models K-l and K-2 with nickel plating. K-series guns were generally sold with staghorn grips.
Frontier Scout [Model Q-1]: Maker: Colt Firearms Division. Colt Industries, Hartford. Conn. Type: solid-frame revolver. Chambering:
·22 LR rimfire. Length overall: 9·33in/237mm. Weight, unladen: 24·0oz/680gm. Barrel: 4·75in, rifled. Magazine: six-chamber cylinder.
Cloverleaf House Model: This was the first Colt revolver specifically made for metallic cartridges. Production began late in 1870; ten thousand were made. The Cloverleaf was a small light solid-frame revolver with short curved butt and a spur trigger. It chambered ·41 rimfire cartridges and had a barrel of 1·5in or 3in. Weight was 14·5oz with the three-inch barrel.
The Cloverleaf name arose from the four-round cylinder, which was deeply indented between the chambers. The chambers were recessed to conceal the cartridge rims and were loaded from the right by manually rotating the cylinder until a chamber was clear of the frame. A stud kept the cartridges in place as the cylinder rotated and could be swung aside for loading. Alternatively, the cylinder could be removed from the frame and the empty cases poked out by an ejector rod housed inside the cylinder arbor pin.
Early hammers had a high spur, but this changed c.1874 to a low-profile version less likely to catch in the pocket. From no. 7500 onward, the Cloverleaf was produced with a conventional five-chambered cylinder. The barrel was standardised at 2·63in and the ejector rod was discarded.
The gun could still be loaded through the side groove, but the cylinder had to be removed for unloading.
Cloverleaf Model: Maker: Colt's Patent Fire Arms Mfg Co.. Hartford. Conn. Type: solid-frame revolver. Chambering: ·41 rimfire. Length overall: 6·75in/171mm. Weight, unladen: 14·50oz/411gm. Barrel: 3·00in/76mm, rifled. Magazine: four-chamber cylinder.
Open-Top Pocket Revolver: Introduced in 1871, an anachronism even for its day, this
Open-Top Pocket Revolver: Introduced in 1871, an anachronism even for its day, this