Revolvers in American Military Service

By Ian McCall

The Texas sun beat down in early June, 1844, as 75 Comanche lay hidden in the thick underbrush along the bank of a small creek. They had left obvious tracks, hoping the 15 Texas Rangers camped a mile up the creek would follow them into an ambush. But the tracks were too obvious and Captain Hayes ordered his men to withdraw. Deprived of the chance to ambush their foe, the Comanche retrieved their horses and took off after the Rangers. The Comanche warriors, who could loose many arrows in the time it took to reload a single-shot pistol, were stunned when the Rangers fired round after round from their new Colt Paterson five-shot revolvers.

The Battle of Walker’s Creek was a running battle covering more than three miles that ended in close combat at a small hill where the overwhelming firepower of the Ranger’s revolvers allowed them to carry the day, killing some 23 Comanche with the loss of one Ranger. The age of the revolver had arrived. While the U.S. did not create the revolver, it would earn its place in history as a distinctly American type of gun. With innovations from companies such as Remington, Colt, and Smith & Wesson, revolvers would be carried by troops in every conflict from the Mexican American War to Vietnam.

The first service use of revolvers in North America was not by any branch of the U.S. military—they were carried by the armed forces for the Republic of Texas. Though single-barrel guns with rotating chambers had been around since the 15th century, these weapons had been both costly and complicated to make as well as difficult to use. Invented in 1831 and patented in 1836, Samuel Colt’s Paterson revolver would revolutionize handguns. Firing a .36 caliber ball propelled by a black powder charge, these guns first saw service in small numbers with the legendary Texas Rangers, who fought primarily on horseback and needed a small maneuverable weapon with the ability to deliver accurate fire rapidly. The Paterson filled this role well, but was still primitive, underpowered and awkward to reload. Despite its advantages over single-shot pistols, the technical issues made the Paterson revolver seem unattractive to many potential buyers. One problem, for instance, was that the trigger only protruded when the hammer was cocked and could occasionally become stuck in the retracted position.

These early five-shot revolvers would also be developed into a series of full-stocked rifles that would see service with the Second U.S. Dragoons during the Second Seminole War. But these rifles did not stand up well to the harsh conditions in the Florida swamps and earned a poor reputation with troops.

Despite the Paterson’s negative reception by some units, the gun also became known as the “Texas Colt” for its association with the Rangers, who loved it. The Republic of Texas tasked legendary frontiersman and Ranger Captain Samuel Walker with helping Colt create a revolver that would better fulfill the needs of the Rangers. Thus, the legendary Colt Walker was created. Firing six .44 caliber balls, with nearly double the typical pistol black powder charge, the Walker was a force to be reckoned with. So massive was this revolver in comparison to the earlier Paterson, that Walker joked, “It would take a Texan to shoot it.” Though the Walker would fix many of the mechanical issues of the Paterson, the size and weight remained a problem. Colt would address many of these issues with his three models of Dragoon pistols. Based on the Walker design, each model was progressively lighter and slightly improved. The Dragoon was intended for sale to the military and would see great success in this regard despite its still considerable size and awkward reload. Whatever their shortcomings, the ability of cavalry and dragoons to fire multiple high caliber rounds before having to reload proved to be a decisive advantage in many engagements. Many officers during the Mexican American war purchased Colt Walkers or Dragoons for themselves and their men. Captain Walker himself was carrying an engraved pair of Walker revolvers, sent to him personally from Colt, when he was killed on the front lines of the Mexican American war. Colt’s third model of the Dragoon revolver would be produced until 1861 when other more advanced revolvers would take over the role of the primary American sidearm.

During the Civil War, a wide range of revolvers were used by both sides in the conflict. Due to lack of industrialization, the Confederacy lacked the standardization of arms present in Union units. Many times, older models such as the Dragoon or Walker were used to overcome production shortfalls. Many revolvers were smuggled through the Union blockades from Europe. A few models were even produced in small numbers in the South. But most Confederates used revolvers captured from Union troops or federal stockpiles. The Colt Model 1860 would see the most action during the war. Taking lessons from the earlier series of revolvers, the Colt Model 1860 had a .44 caliber ball propelled by black powder. But these revolvers were even more reliable than previous iterations. More than 200,000 of these would be produced, making it easily the most popular model in the war. However, during this conflict Colt would not be the only company supplying sidearms to the U.S. military.

The Remington Company’s Model 1858 also called the New Model Army was similar to the Colt Model 1860—both fired a .44 caliber black powder propelled ball and operated with a single action trigger. But Remington had the advantage that they were able to produce their revolvers for $2 less per gun. The Army predictably jumped at the chance to get a revolver of similar quality for a lower price. This meant by 1863 no more contracts were given to Colt, and Remington reigned supreme in the eyes of the ordinance department.

The New Model Army also had the advantage when it came to reloads. In the days before fixed metallic cartridges the fastest way to reload a revolver was to swap out a spent cylinder with a preloaded backup. Remington cylinders could be exchanged by removing a single pin, compared to Colt revolvers that needed the whole barrel removed to change the cylinder.

Despite the success of traditional revolver design throughout the Civil War, the winds of change were blowing. Though they had sent far fewer guns to the battlefield than Colt and Remington, Massachusetts-based Smith and Wesson had perfected a new kind of revolver that fired a metallic cartridge. And while underpowered and of limited military value at first, these guns would mark a new era in military arms.

During the years after the Civil War, America rapidly downsized its army. There was little appetite in Washington for increasing military spending and as many units were disbanded, those remaining had to make do with leftovers from the war. At the same time firearms technology had progressed—in France, the first rimfire metallic cartridge had been developed by Louis-Nicolas Flobert in 1845, followed by the first revolver to use self-contained metallic cartridges by Eugene Lefaucheux in 1854. It was clear that metallic cartridges, which included the bullet, powder, and primer all in one package, were the future of warfare. The ordinance department knew the military’s arsenal needed an upgrade, but they lacked funds to do so. In a cost-saving measure, Colt Model 1860s were converted to fire metallic cartridges. But these conversions were haphazard, and many units did not get them, and had to make do with Civil War equipment. Even with these limitations, the U.S. cavalry forces were at a major firepower advantage over the western indigenous tribes, their primary foes during the post-Civil War years. Many arrows could be fired during the long reload time of muzzleloaders. Multi-shot revolvers had tipped the balance and, while many indigenous groups were able to secure these faster firing weapons via trading or raids, U.S. forces had the clear advantage in terms of the number of these weapons, to say nothing of spare parts and ammunition. However, the soldiers of the army still had to deal with increasingly outdated equipment.

Down, but not out, Colt would submit a new revolver for government trials in 1872. This new revolver beat out the Smith and Wesson easily and was adopted as the military’s new sidearm. Officially called the Strap Model, because of its top strap design, the gun fired the new .45 Long Colt round and would prove popular among troops and civilians for its power and dependability—earning the nickname, the Single Action Army. In the summer of 1873, 8,000 of these revolvers were shipped to cavalry units across the frontier. Throughout its time in military service 37,000 Single-Action Armies were issued to troops. The .45 caliber round was considered powerful enough to knock down the enemy but not so powerful as to make recoil unmanageable, and the seven-and-a-half-inch barrel allowed for relatively precise shots. This iconic weapon would have a short service life however, only lasting from 1873 to 1892.

In 1892 the Single Action Army was replaced by the next generation of military sidearms. The Colt New Army, also known as the Model 1892, was the first double-action revolver to see service in the U.S. military. The adoption of this revolver helped mark a change in military thinking. When the Single-Action Army had been adopted, cavalry were still expected to use the revolver as their primary weapon. Now mounted units were using carbines as their primary weapon and revolvers relegated to a backup role as a sidearm. For this new sidearm role, the government looked for a smaller gun that could be more easily carried by all kinds of troops. The Model 1892 was a double-action revolver firing the .38 Long Colt round, with about half the power of the Single Action Army’s .45 Long Colt. But now that revolvers were only serving as backup weapons, the Model 1892’s smaller frame and increased portability were seen as acceptable trade-offs for the less powerful round. The double-action trigger—cocking and firing the gun with one pull—was seen as a major advantage over the Single Action Army. The Colt New Army also had a swing-out cylinder, which meant all the rounds could be ejected at once for rapid reloading. Between 1892 and 1907, 291,000 of these revolvers would be produced. The Model 1892 would see service in the Boxer Rebellion in China, the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection. However, while the revolver performed well mechanically, the .38-long colt round was found to be underpowered, causing a limited number of Single-Action Armies to be brought back into limited service.

Seeing a major change in small arms technology, the Ordnance Department was less than impressed with the performance of the .38 round and knew the Model 1892 was not long for service. By 1909 the military knew it would soon be adopting a new .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, but wanted a new revolver that would bridge the gap. Colt created a design based on their 1892 model called the New Service. This revolver fired the old .45-long Colt round with a new smokeless propellant. Roughly 14,000 were produced and would see action in the closing stages of the Philippines campaign. While revolvers would still have a place in arsenals for years to come, this would also be the last time the U.S. military used a revolver as their primary sidearm.

By the time of America’s entry into World War I, the new .45 Colt M1911 was firmly in place as the sidearm of choice for American forces. However, demand for the new pistol greatly outstripped production, leading to the creation of the .45 Model 1917. Using the same design as the earlier 1892 and 1909 models, the M1917 differed in that it fired the new .45 ACP round. This allowed ammo to be interchangeable between the M1911 and the model M1917. To accomplish this the M1917 used 3-round half-moon shaped clips to hold the bullets in the cylinder, due to the .45 ACP round not having a rim like traditional revolver rounds. Many of these revolvers, known as the “substation standard,” would see action in the First World War with the American Expeditionary force. More than 318,432 would be produced by both Colt and Smith & Wesson from 1917 to 1920. And while the revolvers performed admirably, they were outclassed by the M1911. During the interwar years few sidearms of any kind were produced for the military and most of the existing revolvers were placed into storage. However, when the U.S joined World War II the military once again found itself extremely underprepared for a vastly increased demand for sidearms. While the M1911 would once again be the primary sidearm of U.S. forces across the globe, the M1917 would be called on once again to serve as a second line handgun. At the start of the war the military had 188,120 of the M1917 in storage. For the most part these revolvers would serve as the sidearm for non-combat personnel such as stateside security personnel and MP’s. However, more 20,000 of these revolvers would be issued to personnel in combat zones in both Europe and the Pacific.

Semi-automatic handguns had proven their place as the primary sidearm for most militaries during World War II and would continue into the Cold War. But despite this, many revolvers remained in U.S. military service. Revolvers were now used to fill niche roles such as arming investigators and pilots. Most of these were varieties of the .38 Colt Official police. These were short barrel .38 special revolvers seen as the appropriate weapons for investigators in both the civilian and military worlds. In addition, the Air Force needed a lightweight and compact revolver for its pilots to use on the ground should they be shot down. The Colt Aircrewman had a two-inch barrel, was made almost completely out of aluminum and fired .38 special rounds. Because of the relative weakness of the aluminum cylinder these revolvers could only fire tailormade underpowered rounds, limiting their effectiveness. The Aircrewman model is notable for being the only revolvers ever ordered by the newly formed U.S Air Force.

Vietnam would be the last war where revolvers would see any significant use by U.S. forces. Revolvers in service varied greatly in terms of models used and many were carried by special forces and irregular troops. But the most prolific users of revolvers were the U.S. Army “Tunnel Rats.” The Tunnel Rats were a group of U.S. and allied soldiers who would infiltrate Viet Cong tunnels, which the communist insurgents used to move around. The conditions in these tunnels were quite cramped and the tunnel rats faced the constant threat of ambush. Because they were unlikely to be in a sustained firefight, or come up against multiple hostiles at once, some tunnel rats preferred the sheer stopping power of revolvers. The Smith and Wesson Model 29, for example, fired a .44 magnum round almost twice as powerful as the M1911’s standard .45 ACP. Another option was the Smith and Wesson Model 10, which was similar to

the M1917, but fired the .38 special round. While these .38 Special revolvers were less powerful than the standard .45 ACP firing M1911, there were still some concerns about the reliability of semi-automatic pistols in the dirty conditions of the tunnels. As such some tunnel rats chose to carry revolvers to prevent malfunctions during critical moments. Most of the revolvers used in Vietnam were procured by individual soldiers, as most U.S. Forces made use of the M1911.

The last revolvers ever ordered by any branch of the U.S military were 6,500 Ruger Security Sixes, firing .38 special rounds and outfitted with four-inch barrels. Ordered in 1977, these guns were issued to various police units of the Army, Navy and Air Force. Some of these guns were still in service until the late 1990’s.

The role of the revolver has changed drastically over the years. Once the cutting-edge primary weapons of some of our nation’s best forces, revolvers were later relegated to a sidearm before finally being phased out for more advanced firearms. However, they’ve earned their place in history by serving U.S. forces well and being some of the most reliable, rugged and iconic firearms ever produced.

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