The action of the Colt New Service is similar to that of the .38-caliber revolver shown in Fig. 2, with a solid frame. It is double action.
The Colt Officer’s Model is identical in every respect with the Army Special except that it is fitted with adjustable target sights and may be had with lengths of barrel up to 7½ inches.
The foregoing arms, with good ammunition, are capable of making groups of ten shots on a 3-inch circle at 50 yards.
The Colt single action Army is the most popular belt or holster weapon among ranchmen, cowboys, prospectors, and others. It has a solid frame, simple mechanism, and is exceedingly durable and reliable. The arm is operated by opening a gate on the right-hand side, back of the cylinder. The cartridges are inserted in the cylinder through the gate, the cylinder being revolved by hand until the respective chambers come opposite the gate. In the same manner the shells are ejected by pushing the extractor rod back into each of the chambers. (See [Fig. 6], facing p. 24.)
The Smith & Wesson Schofield Model, .45 caliber, was formerly a United States service weapon. The ammunition for this arm, while less powerful than the .45 Colt, was admirably adapted for military service, and had much less recoil.
The Webley & Scott W. S. Model revolver is an English arm of much merit. The caliber is .455. It has a hinge “tip-up” action, with an automatic extractor very similar to the Smith & Wesson. (See [Fig. 7], facing p. 26.)
The service weapon adopted by the Joint War Office and Admiralty Committee for the British army and navy is the Webley & Scott “Mark IV,” or “Service Model,” revolver. This model is almost identical with the W. S. Model, except that the barrel is 4 inches long and the weight is 2 lbs. 3 oz. On account of the short barrel, the accuracy of this weapon does not equal that of the W. S. Model.
Another English arm is the “Webley-Fosbury” automatic revolver. The recoil revolving the cylinder and cocking the hammer, it can be fired as rapidly as the automatic pistols. It is chambered for the .455 service cartridge loaded with 5½ grains of cordite. This arm has been introduced since 1900. (See [Fig. 8], facing p. 26.)
Among the leading magazine or automatic pistols used for military service are the Colt, Luger, Webley & Scott, Savage, Mauser, Knoble, Bergmann, White-Merrill, Steyr, Mannlicher, Mors and Bayard. Most of these arms were tested by the United States government[4] previous to the adoption of the Colt as the service weapon of the U. S. Army and Navy. (See [Fig. 9], facing p. 26.)