Colt's · Pistol

Colt New Service

Name: Colt New Service
Brand: Colt's

.45 Colt · introduced 1898

Also known as M1909, M1917, Shooting Master

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About the Colt New Service

The Colt New Service was a large-frame, six-shot, double-action revolver with a swing-out cylinder, introduced in 1898 and produced into the 1940s. Chambered for powerful cartridges including .45 Colt, .455 Webley and .45 ACP, it served as the standard US service revolver as the Model 1909 and, in .45 ACP form using half-moon clips, as the Model 1917. It was also widely adopted by Commonwealth forces and law-enforcement agencies including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The M1917 was a World War I improvisation: M1911 pistol production could not keep up, so Colt chambered its big revolver for the rimless .45 ACP and solved the headspacing problem with the spring-steel half-moon clip, two of which loaded all six chambers at once.

Colt New Service specifications

General

Type: Pistol
Firing mechanism: Double action single action
Trigger: Double action
Calibres: .45 Colt, .45 ACP, .455 Webley
Magazine capacity: 6 rounds
Magazine: Rotary magazine

Dimensions

Barrel length: 140 mm (5.5 in)
Overall length: 270 mm (10.6 in)
Weight (empty): 1.13 kg (2.49 lb)

Materials

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

Performance

Muzzle velocity (typical): 270 m/s (886 fps)

History

Introduced: 1898
Discontinued: 1946
Production status: Discontinued
Country of origin: US
Designer: Carl J. Ehbets

Available calibres

.45 Colt.45 ACP.455 Webley

Features

Large i frame
Swing out cylinder
Half moon clips for 45 acp
Square butt
Lanyard ring

Safety

Colt positive lock hammer block

The M1917 chambered the rimless .45 ACP by using half-moon clips that gave the extractor a rim to grip; the need to fire it without clips later led to the dedicated .45 Auto Rim cartridge. A premium target variant, the Shooting Master, was offered and from 1936 was available in .357 Magnum.