Make: Colt

Model: 1878 "Frontier" with Etched Panel "COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER"

Serial Number: 15784

Year of Manufacture: 1885 / Antique

Caliber: .44-40 WCF

Action Type: DA/SA Double or Single Action Side Gate Loaded Revolver

Barrel Length: 4 3/4"

Sights/Optics: The front sight is a quarter round blade fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a "V" notch in the top strap.

Stock Configuration and Condition: The grips are checkered hard rubber with smooth borders, wedge-shaped smooth bases and rampant colt in oval at the top of each panel. Each panel has spots where the checkering is lightly worn. The smooth edges have a few minor compressions. The checkering is well-defined. There are no chips. There is a minor crack on the rear of the left grip near the bottom. Overall, the grips rate in Very Good condition, as Antique.

Type of Finish: Blue, Fire Blued screws, trigger, and hammer.

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is light intermittent erosion. In this writer's opinion the bore rates 7.5/10

Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 80% of its metal finish. The balance of the finish shows light handling marks but is generally strong throughout with intermittent areas of thinning. The fire blue is vibrant. There is some minor intermittent oxidation. There is thinning and finish loss on some of the leading edges. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver rates Excellent condition as Antique.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The cylinder locks up with no play when the trigger is depressed on each chamber. The double action trigger is a little on the heavy side but is smooth with a clean break. The single action is crisp. We have not fired this revolver. As with all used firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork, and Accessories: This revolver comes with a Colt Factory letter confirming a shipping date of May 30, 1885 to J.P. Moores Sons with Blue finish and a 4 3/4" barrel in .44 caliber (.44-40).

Our Assessment: This Colt Model 1878 Frontier revolver, manufactured in 1885, is a scarce and highly desirable example of Colt’s early double action service revolver from the heart of the frontier era. Often referred to as the “Double Action Army,” the Model 1878 was Colt’s answer to demands for a faster firing revolver while retaining the strength and handling characteristics familiar to users of the Single Action Army. The highly desirable etched barrel panel marked “COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER,” combined with the 4 3/4 inch barrel and .44-40 WCF chambering, places this revolver squarely in the period when Colt was catering to both domestic and export markets that favored Winchester-compatible cartridges.

The revolver retains strong original blue finish with vibrant fire blued small parts and clear, legible markings throughout. The bore remains bright with sharp rifling, showing only light, age-consistent erosion, and the action functions correctly with solid lockup and a smooth double action pull. The original checkered hard rubber grips show honest wear with a minor crack noted, consistent with age, but remain attractive and intact. Accompanied by a Colt factory letter confirming original configuration and shipment to J.P. Moores Sons in 1885, this etched-panel Model 1878 stands as a well documented and visually striking example of Colt’s transitional double action frontier revolvers.