The consignor will be donating 100% of their proceeds to the Park County Animal Shelter in Wyoming.
Make: Colt
Model: New Service Model of 1909, US Army
Serial Number: 43044
Year of Manufacture: 1911
Caliber: .45 Colt
Action Type: Double Action Revolver with Swing Out Cylinder
Barrel Length: 5 1/2"
Sights/Optics: The front sight is a tall shark fin style blade. The rear sight is a "U"-notch integral to the receiver.
Stock Configuration and Condition: The grips are two-piece smooth walnut. The interior of the grips have hand-writing in pencil which appears to match the serial number, but is not clearly legible. The bottom of each panel has an "R.A.C." stamp. The grips have even light handling wear with scattered light marks. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good-Fine condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original, numbers match.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore, but there is some stubborn fouling. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 8+/10.
Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 90% of its current metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. The grip areas show light handling wear. There are scattered tiny spots of minor oxidation with some more notable oxidation on the frame under the grips. There are some scattered minor nicks and small scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Very Good-plus condition.
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: Included is a Boyt zipper case.
Our Assessment: Colt came out with their large framed double action New Service revolver in 1898. The Army was looking for a large caliber double action pistol to replace their .38 caliber Smith and Wesson and Colt pistols that had proved to have inadequate stopping power during the Philippine-American war. They adopted the New Service revolver chambered in .45 Colt in 1909. The Model 1909 would eventually be replaced as the US Army sidearm by the 1911, but the 1909 played a part in ensuring that America's first autoloading sidearm would be a .45.
This M1909 Colt New Service was made in 1911, and is dotted with R.A.C. stamps for inspector Rinaldo A. Carr. This example is in Very Good-plus condition, showing quite minor wear for a 115 year-old service revolver, retaining a strong bore and great mechanics. This will be a nice addition to a US Military sidearm, Colt or early 20th Century revolver collection. Please see our photos and good luck!
