Make: Colt

Model: New Service

Serial Number: 13992

Year of Manufacture: 1905

Caliber: .44-40 Winchester

Action Type: Double Action Revolver with Swing Out Cylinder

Barrel Length: 5 1/2"

Sights/Optics: The front sight is a tall blade fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a "U"-notch integral to the topstrap.

Stock Configuration and Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered hard rubber with "COLT" in oval at their tops. The interior of each panel has "13992" hand-written. Originally black, the grips are going to a brownish color. The grips have fairly even light-moderate handling wear. There are a couple of notable nicks at the bottom of the left panel and a few other scattered more minor marks. The right panel has cracking on the bottom at the indexing stud hole. The checkering ranges from well defined to smoothed in some areas. Overall, the grips are in Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original to the parts. The barrel is not original to the frame.

Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There are infrequent spots of minor erosion in the bore and a little stubborn fouling. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 8+/10.

Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 65% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. The grip areas are mostly worn to white. There is scattered finish wear on the frame. Some worn areas are discolored from oxidation and there is some scattered light surface oxidation. The barrel retains generally strong finish throughout. There are scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows operational wear including turn-wear on the cylinder. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots, there are tool marks around some screws. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Good-plus condition as not parts-original.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this revolver. As with all used firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork, and Accessories: None.

Our Assessment: The New Service revolver entered production in 1897 and was the first Colt double action revolver with a cylinder rotation to the right. The New Service was available in various calibers, but when the Army decided to adopt it in 1909, they were looking for a man-stopper to replace their New DA Army revolvers that gained such a poor reputation in the Spanish American and Philippine-American wars. The result was the .45 Colt chambered Model 1909. After the Army switched to the Model 1911 semi-auto, they wanted revolvers in the same caliber for WWI, and the Model 1911 New Service was adopted, chambered in .45 ACP.

This New Service revolver is a commercial model produced in 1905 and chambered in .44-40 Winchester. At some point, it had its barrel replaced with a later part, bearing Colt's 1926 patent date. The revolver is in Good-plus condition as not parts-original, retaining a strong bore and good mechanics. This revolver may gather some interest from collectors of Colt revolvers and should still prove to be a fun shooter. Please see our photos and good luck!