SOLD COLT MODEL 1903 U.S. ARMY REVOLVER………38 SPECIAL/ 38 Long COLT ……..ALL MATCHING…..NICE!

In 95% condition, all matching down to the grips, we have a clean example of the Colt Model 1903 U.S. Army Revolver.  This is the final upgrade of the Colt Model 1892 series of US Army Revolvers and it was the only one of the series that was designed to shoot the recently developed S&W .38 Special Cartridge; with the bore being reduced to .357 inch to accurately accommodate the new round (it will still shoot the old .38 Long Colt as well) .  On this example, the bore is mint and the lock up is tight.  It bears the sub inspection stamp R.A.C. of Renaldo A. Carr, on the cylinder, left frame and the bottom of the grips and the final inspection stamp J.E.H. of Capt Jay E. Hoffer.   This is a fairly scarce US Martial arm with only 12,500 being made from late 1902 through 1904.  Although in a more powerful caliber than it’s .38 long Colt predecessors, these revolvers proved to be under powered for front line combat use and they were soon replaced with the more powerful .45 Long Colt loading in the Model 1909 series of service revolvers and ultimately with the Model of 1911 Pistol.  None the less, these revolvers saw heavy use In France during WW1,  especially with the artillery and other units not serving right on the front line.  These revolvers certainly cannot be overlooked in any 20th century US collection.