Post by oregon45 on Sept 9, 2012 10:55:15 GMT -5
Dug this one out of the safe the other day. Made in the early 1930s it is a Colt New Service Shooting Master in 38spl.
The Shooting Master was a specially modified New Service made for NRA Bullseye competition. The grip is tapered, reduced in width and then checkered front and back. The grip modifications make the Shooting Master feel smaller in the hand than other New Services, it is a subtle difference, but readily apparent when handling the Shooting Master side by side with a Colt 1917. The top strap is matted and fitted with a single blade rear sight adjustable for windage. The front sight is adjustable for elevation, again with a single screw.
The barrel is a 6" tapered target barrel that, combined with the weight of the gun, gives a neutral balance that, in my hands at least, causes the gun to just "hang" on the target.
Each Shooting Master came from Colt with what Colt called a "hand honed" action. The pull is a constant, straight back pull that rotates the cylinder like the pins on a bank vault; the hammer drop is quick, quicker than Colt 1917's I've shot. The lockup of the cylinder is rock solid.
This old gun is having a pleasant retirement in my collection. Every now and again it gets out to the range to shoot some 148gr HBWC's over Bullseye and then comes home for some Hoppe's #9. When I first bought it I ran a box of Federal Gold Medal Match ammo through it and, without my having touched the sights, it tore the X out of an NRA Bullseye target at 25 yards. There's no stopping some octagenarians
There's no mistaking a Colt New Service for a compact revolver:
Lovely barrel contour, one of my favorites:
Matted top strap:
Adjustable front sight:
Checkered back strap; the front strap is checkered in the same manner, as is the face of the trigger:
The rear sight is adjustable for windage using a single screw:
At nearly 80 years old, it's still the Master:
The Shooting Master was a specially modified New Service made for NRA Bullseye competition. The grip is tapered, reduced in width and then checkered front and back. The grip modifications make the Shooting Master feel smaller in the hand than other New Services, it is a subtle difference, but readily apparent when handling the Shooting Master side by side with a Colt 1917. The top strap is matted and fitted with a single blade rear sight adjustable for windage. The front sight is adjustable for elevation, again with a single screw.
The barrel is a 6" tapered target barrel that, combined with the weight of the gun, gives a neutral balance that, in my hands at least, causes the gun to just "hang" on the target.
Each Shooting Master came from Colt with what Colt called a "hand honed" action. The pull is a constant, straight back pull that rotates the cylinder like the pins on a bank vault; the hammer drop is quick, quicker than Colt 1917's I've shot. The lockup of the cylinder is rock solid.
This old gun is having a pleasant retirement in my collection. Every now and again it gets out to the range to shoot some 148gr HBWC's over Bullseye and then comes home for some Hoppe's #9. When I first bought it I ran a box of Federal Gold Medal Match ammo through it and, without my having touched the sights, it tore the X out of an NRA Bullseye target at 25 yards. There's no stopping some octagenarians
There's no mistaking a Colt New Service for a compact revolver:
Lovely barrel contour, one of my favorites:
Matted top strap:
Adjustable front sight:
Checkered back strap; the front strap is checkered in the same manner, as is the face of the trigger:
The rear sight is adjustable for windage using a single screw:
At nearly 80 years old, it's still the Master:
