Colt's · Revolver

Colt M1892

Name: Colt M1892
Brand: Colt's

Revolving · .38 Long Colt · introduced 1892

Also known as Colt Model 1892, Colt New Army, Colt New Navy

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About the Colt M1892

The Colt M1892 is a six-shot, double-action revolver chambered in .38 Long Colt and notable as the first Colt service revolver to use a swing-out cylinder. Adopted by the U.S. Army and Navy in 1892, it replaced the single-action Colt revolvers of the previous generation and introduced faster reloading for American troops. Variants including the New Army, New Navy and later improved models served as the standard U.S. military sidearm through the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War. Combat experience exposed the weak stopping power of the .38 Long Colt cartridge, prompting the Army to seek a larger-caliber replacement and ultimately leading to the .45-caliber Colt M1909 and the M1911 pistol.

The M1892's underpowered .38 Long Colt round famously failed to reliably stop charging Moro warriors during the Philippine-American War, a shortfall that drove the U.S. military's return to a heavy .45-caliber cartridge and shaped the requirements behind the Colt M1911.

Colt M1892 specifications

General

Type: Revolver
Action: Revolving
Firing mechanism: Hammer-fired
Trigger: Double action
Calibres: .38 Long Colt
Magazine capacity: 6 rounds
Magazine: Revolving cylinder

Dimensions

Barrel length: 152 mm (6.0 in)
Overall length: 286 mm (11.3 in)
Weight (empty): 1.05 kg (2.31 lb)

Barrel

Rifling: 6 grooves, left-hand twist
Grooves: 6

Materials

Barrel: Steel
Receiver / frame: Steel
Stock: Walnut
Finish: blued

Performance

Muzzle velocity (typical): 235 m/s (771 fps)
Muzzle energy (typical): 269 J (198 ft·lb)
Effective range: 45 m

History

Introduced: 1892
Discontinued: 1907
Production status: Discontinued
Country of origin: US
Designer: Colt's Manufacturing Company

Features

First Colt revolver with a swing-out cylinder
Solid frame with side-mounted cylinder release
Double-action/single-action trigger
Counter-clockwise cylinder rotation

Issued in several closely related military models (New Army, New Navy, and the improved 1894/1896/1901/1903 patterns) alongside commercial versions with shorter barrels.