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GENERAL:
These double action revolvers were the first truly modern sidearms adopted by the Army and Navy during the rearming of the entire American military during the late 1880s to the late 1890s. While the troops and officers who used them found them to be wanting in certain circumstances, these revolvers were on the cutting edge of late Nineteenth Century military firearms technology.
BACKGROUND:
This section is intended to give the reader some basic insight on the overall design and development of the double action revolvers made by the Colts Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut during the final years of the Nineteenth Century. A double action revolver uses a long trigger pull to both turn the revolvers cylinder to align a fresh round with the barrel and to cock and release the hammer to fire the round. A very simple weapon to be sure, but in the infancy of its development, the double action revolver was not as reliable as its single action ancestors.
Colt directly developed their line of revolvers from their Single Action Army, better known as the Peacemaker. The Peacemaker was (is) a very durable and simple gun. Its main distinguishing characteristic is a closed frame, which encompasses and holds the revolvers cylinder. Indeed, Colts first double action revolver, the New Model Double Action, better known as the Lightning in .38 caliber and the Thunderer in .41 caliber, was simply the Peacemakers frame and barrel mated to a revised "birds head" grip with a double action trigger mechanism. The main problem with this arrangement was the trigger mechanism's complexity was teamed with weak parts, making simple repair by gunsmiths nearly impossible.
The Army liked the Model 1889, but wanted a small, separate bolt to hold the cylinder in firing position. The change was made and the Army purchased over 11,000 Model 1892s between 1892 and 1893. But the M1892 also suffered from the counter-clockwise cylinder rotation problems of the Model 1889.
All these revolvers were externally indistinguishable from the earlier Model 1892. The main difference lies in the incorporation of a safety mechanism developed by Frederick Felton into the lockwork. Feltons innovation prevented the revolver from being fired while the cylinder was not fully closed and secured in the weapons frame. Many Model 1892s were modified by the addition of Feltons lock. The Model 1896 was virtually identical to the Model 1894 and the Model 1895, save a few minor alterations. The Army and Navy purchased approximately 144,000 Model 1894s, 1895s and 1896s between 1894 and 1900.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
A major advantage of the Model 1889 was its small caliber allowed troops to be rapidly trained how to use it. And its double action mechanism was on the cutting edge of firearms technology for its day. But other than those two advantages, these Colt revolvers were not up to the task of stopping an agressor in his tracks. The troops had nothing but harsh words concerning these revolvers. However, it should be noted the Krag rifle's cartridge was not always able to instantly stop an attacker, so it was probably just poor marksmanship as the root cause for the supposed disadvantages.
TECHNOTES:
United States Revolver, Caliber .38, M1889
Date Adopted 1889 Total length: 11.5 inches (292 mm) Weight, empty 2.07 pounds (.94 kg) Caliber .38 long Colt Barrel length: 6 inches (152 mm) Muzzle velocity 785 feet per second (239 meters per second) Capacity 6 rounds United States Revolver, Caliber .38, M1892 - Same except date of Adoption is 1892 United States Revolver, Caliber .38, M1894 - Same except date of Adoption is 1894 United States Revolver, Caliber .38, M1895 - Same except date of Adoption is 1895 United States Revolver, Caliber .38, M1896 - Same except date of Adoption is 1896
Bibliography:
Hogg, Ian V., Pistols of the World. Third Edition, (Northbrook, Illinois: DBI Books Incorporated, 1992).