Colt's · Revolver
Colt Bisley
Revolving · .45 Colt · introduced 1894
Also known as Colt Bisley Model, Bisley Model 1894, Colt SAA Bisley
About the Colt Bisley
The Colt Bisley is a single-action revolver introduced in 1894 as a target-oriented variant of the Colt Single Action Army. Named after the Bisley shooting range in England where the British National Rifle Association held its matches, it featured a redesigned grip that swept inward and under the hand, a lowered and widened hammer spur, and an enlarged trigger guard with a wide, curved trigger to suit deliberate target shooting. Built on a deeper SAA frame, it was offered in many calibers and saw use both on the competition range and as a working sidearm in the American West.
The Bisley was Colt's answer to the booming sport of formal target pistol competition in late-Victorian Britain, taking its name from the famous Bisley ranges. Though designed for the precision shooter's grip, its rugged SAA underpinnings made it a popular and durable revolver among ranchers and gunfighters in the American West.
Colt Bisley specifications
General
- Type
- Revolver
- Action
- Revolving
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer-fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Calibres
- .45 Colt
- Magazine capacity
- 6 rounds
- Magazine
- Revolving cylinder
Dimensions
- Barrel length
- 140 mm (5.5 in)
- Overall length
- 318 mm (12.5 in)
- Height
- 135 mm (5.3 in)
- Width
- 40 mm (1.6 in)
- Weight (empty)
- 1.08 kg (2.38 lb)
Barrel
- Rifling
- Left hand
- Grooves
- 6
Materials
- Barrel
- Steel
- Receiver / frame
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- blued_case_hardened
Performance
- Muzzle velocity (typical)
- 265 m/s (869 fps)
- Muzzle energy (typical)
- 569 J (420 ft·lb)
- Effective range
- 50 m
History
- Introduced
- 1894
- Discontinued
- 1915
- Production status
- Discontinued
- Country of origin
- US
- Designer
- William Mason
Features
- Fixed cylinder
- Loading gate
- Ejector rod
- Swept under grip
- Lowered wide hammer spur
- Enlarged trigger guard
- Wide curved trigger
Safety
- Half cock notch
Built on the Single Action Army frame; chambered in roughly 18 calibers including .32-20, .38-40, .44-40, .41 Long Colt, .45 Colt and the British .450/.455 Eley. A small number (about 976) were made as Flat-Top Target Bisleys with adjustable sights. Production ended around 1912-1915.
This is a variant of the Colt Single Action Army.
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