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Finally got a Colt Bisley!

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krag96

.410
Posts: 72
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:15 am
PostPosted: Sat Mar 04, 2017 12:35 am
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I finally found a nice Bisley Colt at a fair price and in .45 Colt no less! The little brown truck of happiness dropped it off today and she is a beauty! I've always liked the Bisley grip, but always either passed then up based on caliber or felt the need for another gun more than a Bisley Colt. I stumbled on this one the other day and jumped on it, 5.5" barrel, .45 Colt, real nice condition inside and out, made in 1898, and the price was right. It sure does feel good in the hand! The weather still isn't exactly great for shooting here, but I suspect there'll be a few fired out of this grand old lady tomorrow.
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SHOOTER13

PostPosted: Sat Mar 04, 2017 8:52 am
She's a beauty !!

What year was it made...?

1st...2nd...or 3rd Gen...?
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krag96

.410
Posts: 72
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:15 am
PostPosted: Sat Mar 04, 2017 1:46 pm
First generation, 1898. She'll accompany two Winchester 1894's in the safe, both made in 1898 also, a saddle carbine .38-55 and a special order sporting rifle in .30WCF.
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SHOOTER13

PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2017 10:10 am
Awesome score my friend...

How does she shoot...?!

Different loads will hit different POA/POI...so, make sure you buy a few boxes of different offerings to test the sights.
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krag96

.410
Posts: 72
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:15 am
PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2017 11:35 am
Not yet, I just got it Friday, measured the cylinder throats and was surprised they're pretty uniform at .454". My 1904 Colt New Service throats are out of spec at .448". I'll cast some Lyman 454190's up and load some black powder cartridges for it and maybe next weekend the weather will be more shooter friendly.
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SHOOTER13

PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 10:42 am
OK...post a range report here when you find the time.
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krag96

.410
Posts: 72
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:15 am
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 11:54 am
You bet! Nothing better than an old classic Colt or Winchester with some life left in em.
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SHOOTER13

PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 9:53 am
Yes sir... !!

Looking forward to it....
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SHOOTER13

PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 11:25 am
Here are my two single action revolvers...


Ruger Bisley in .357 Magnum

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Colt in .45 Colt


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krag96

.410
Posts: 72
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:15 am
PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 12:18 pm
Ya know, one of those John Wayne commerative holster sets would be dandy for my old Colt! I'll have to look around and see if any are still available. For now I ordered a plain old 1890's style from ElPasso Saddlery.

Really nice Ruger, those are indestructible! Nice Colt too, I wish I woulda kept my 3rd. gen. 7.5" .44Spl. I really like that cartridge.

Colt single actions, and Trapdoor Springfields...those who never shot either don't know what their missing!
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SHOOTER13

PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 9:54 am
Thanks Krag...that Ruger IS built like a tank...and the Colt SAA was a gift from my wife upon retirement from the DoD in 2008.

The original Bisley grips on your Colt are much more curved...and though I did handle one at a gun show, I've never shot one with those original grips.

Never had a chance to fire a Trapdoor either...but maybe some day.
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krag96

.410
Posts: 72
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:15 am
PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 12:49 pm
I hadn't noticed the difference in the grip curve between the Colt and the Ruger before comparing the pictures posted here. Looks like Colt continued the Bisley front curve into their New Service revolvers a bit later. Due to photo bucket not responding right today, the New Service pic will have to wait.

Well, looks like that wife of yours is a keeper! Mine wouldn't buy me a gun for fear of buying the wrong one, but she does keep me alerted to any yard sale guns and never complains when I bring a new one in. She just feels I'll get what I really want and can't remember what all I'm looking for.

Trapdoors are still what I call a bargain and available. Very cast bullet friendly, but do require a certain amount of bullet fit and loading. Drag one to the range with black powder ammo and the first shot usually draws some comment, and a crowd. The deep, "BOOM" smoke and "SMACK" of the bullet against the backstop makes em wonder.
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SHOOTER13

PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 10:24 am
Yea...she IS a keeper. Knew that I wanted a SAA for a long time...and made it happen.

She was a Sergeant Major US Army CID...and a weapons expert. She carried a SIG M11A1 (P229) ...which is what I presented to her upon her retirement in a wood case with her challenge coin inset in the lid. Her last port of call in her travels was GITMO. She had quite the career.

As far as Black Powder...the only one I shot is a Pennsylvania Long Rifle owned by my brother.
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SHOOTER13

PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 10:41 am
Speaking of Single Actions...and things that go BOOM...I also own this Blackhawk:


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And here's a friends phone video screen shot of me touching off a .44 Magnum round at a range that was in the process of swapping out ballistic panels between the stalls...

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krag96

.410
Posts: 72
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:15 am
PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 12:55 pm
Boy, oh boy, I gotta get some more pictures up!

Seeing there weren't many old men in the infantry business in the 60's I figured one tour was enough for me and took my discharge. A few years after that adventure I joined a shooting association that combined history with target shooting, the N-SSA. A group that shoots Civil War small arms and artillery in competition. That led me down the slippery slope of casting and reloading, and exploring all sorts of cool old guns. One that I've never been able to live without has been the .45 Springfield "Trapdoor". They're just a ball to shoot! Everything the finest weapons of earlier times achieved to be, but with a centerfire cartridge. Ya gotta do it with cast bullets, or things just won't work out for accuracy though.
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SHOOTER13

PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 3:44 pm
Yea...I would imagine the Trapdoor would be best fed hand load cast bullets...a true piece of Civil War history.

{ BTW: Thank You for Your Service to Our Great Country !! }

Speaking of the Civil War...been to Gettysburg a few times...including the 150th Anniversary in 2013. That was amazing...

Also...in my travels with the DoD...visited old forts when ever I could...including Civil War Fort Clinch in Florida:

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One of the only forts that far south that the Confederacy never captured...
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SHOOTER13

PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 3:54 pm
And, of course...a trip to San Antonio would NOT be complete without a visit to the Alamo:


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The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836)
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krag96

.410
Posts: 72
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:15 am
PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 11:46 am
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Here's my "shooter" Springfield. An 1884 Model with the Buffington sights and optional, "shall be issued upon request" pistol grip for target shooting. Also in the second picture, a late model Mills belt and .45 Gov't cartridge with a 405gr. LEE hollow base bullet, (an exact duplicate of the original 405gr. 1873 bullet).

There's just some guns you find and can't ever rid yourself of the "bug" to have at least one around, the Trapdoor Springfield is that bug.
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krag96

.410
Posts: 72
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:15 am
PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 12:05 pm
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The 1904 Colt New Service.
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krag96

.410
Posts: 72
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:15 am
PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 12:31 pm
Another .45 I can't do without, but of a different lineage.

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Here's another of those guns I can't be without. A bit dated, but it's the one I pick if things were to go real bad.

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I have an AR, but the M-1 is still my primary fighting rifle if things get nasty.
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krag96

.410
Posts: 72
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:15 am
PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 11:38 pm
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Here's my S&W 629-3 as it came from the factory.
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SHOOTER13

PostPosted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 9:39 am
Real nice collection Krag...!!

I also own an M1 Garand....a Springfield dated to November 1944:

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SHOOTER13

PostPosted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 10:02 am
...And a S&W Model 629-1:

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SHOOTER13

PostPosted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 10:04 am
...And a few 1911a1's:

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SHOOTER13

PostPosted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 10:06 am
And...an older colt from 1922...a Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless:

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