anyone own/shoot aColt 1878?

[savit260]

I've seen a few of these around at not too crazy prices in calibers that I might like to load some Black Powder rounds for.

I've heard these are more robust than the notoriously fragile 1877 "Lightning" and "Thunderer"



If I played my cards right, and saved up a few pennies, it could be fun to do a little black powder cartridge shooting with one of these.


Does anyone have any opinons or experience with these old Colts?

Thanks,
Mike

[jayhawker]

DA is very heavy. SA is OK. Was a improvement over the Lightning, but still has a unusual action. The cylinder locks on the hand. I had a scarce original Sherrif's Model which I shot a bit many years ago. Wish I still had it. It was in .45 Colt.

[savit260]

Thanks for the reply.

Would you say the double action is heavier than say the Moldel 1909's or 1917's, or in that same ballpark?


How's the trigger reach on them as compaired to the New Services as well? Shorter ? Longer?

[malamute]

I think they are heavier in the DA pull than the later guns. You may be able to tune it for a better pull, but parts are not easy to come by if you go too far with anything.

I beleive the lockwork is fairly fragile. They may be better than the '77's, but not by a lot. None of the Colt DA's are known for being all that robust, and I believe the 78's aren't as tough as the New Service and later guns.

I'd suggst if you want one and can afford it as a fun gun, by all means jump in, but I wouldnt take it too seriously as a working gun or heavy shooter.

A friend had one he inherited. It broke as we were looking at it, handling it, and cycling the action (not dry firing). He decided not to fix it, he figured if it was functional, he'd want to shoot it.

[savit260]

Thanks for the info guys...Much appriciated.

[Ranger499]

I have two -

This one is a 45 Colt that was cut down to 4 3/4 and I shoot it occasionally with Pyrodex black powder loads - it hits where I'm pointing it and I enjoy it every time I take it out.



This is the family heirloom that lives in my safe (and the reason I bought my shooter) -



Another 45 Colt, and the reason I'm such a 45 Colt fan. But based on it's history, I've never shot it - though I often pull it out of the safe and enjoy just holding the old Colt and enjoy feeling the history slowly ooze out of it.

My Gr-Gr-Great Uncle Lonny bought it new in Wyoming in the 1890's, while he was stationed there with the U.S. Army. He then carried it to Cuba (22nd Infantry Co. B) where he fought in the battle of El Caney and San Juan Hill along side a bunch of volunteers and one guy who became President.



When I first saw the 1878, I was about 10 years old, and my Grandfather told me that his Great Uncle Lonny had carried it with Teddy Roosevelt up San Juan Hill, and had carried it until shortly before he passed away. I was star-struck and the big hole at the end of the barrel was mesmerizing.

When my Dad finally gave the old Colt to me in my 30's, I began to research Lonny's service record, determined to find the truth, and damn if the family legend wasn't true. His unit was in the same battles as the famed "Rough Riders". That's why it's retired, and I'll never shoot it.

As I researched Lonny's service further, the history just got better - After the Spanish-American War, Lonny returned home to Wyoming, where he soon joined the Wyoming Guard. As a Sergeant in the Guard, He was sent to the Mexican border when Pancho Villa was having his fun . . . at the outbreak of WWI his unit was Federalized and he was sent to France where he faced the Kaiser's forces with his old Colt.

After the war, Lonny made it back to Wyoming where he was a hunting guide near Lander and carried the Colt until his final days.

He never married or had kids and gave the 1878 Colt to his nephew, my Great-Grandfather, shortly before he passed with the understanding that he would pass it down to his oldest son and so on.

So I guess it's truly my son's Colt now, but it is still put away for safekeeping until he's old enought to truly understand that it MUST stay in the family.

As for the 1878, buy one - shoot it - and enjoy every minute of the history of another classic Colt !

[savit260]

WOW! What a great story and pictures of a truley impressive man.

[Ranger499]

Nov 9, 2012 10:30:20 GMT -5 savit260 said:

WOW! What a great story and pictures of a truley impressive man.

Thanks - I cherish the old Colt and this picture (supposedly in Cuba) makes me desperate to own an original 30-40 Krag . . .