Today for Gus’ Gear I have a Colt M1903 .38 revolver. This revolver evolved from a very similar Colt .38 revolver adopted in 1892. It was the first Colt double action revolver with a swing out cylinder. The model went through a number of changes before the 1903 revolver was adopted. The first change was in 1894 when a safety system was designed to avoid the possibility of the hammer falling when the cylinder was not fully closed. It was also the first revolver designed for the United States Army and Navy that used smokeless powder. In 1901, a lanyard loop was added to the butt of the revolver and in 1903 the diameter of the bore was slightly reduced to improve accuracy. This series of revolver had a counterclockwise revolving cylinder with the side plate on the right. As the cylinder was advanced, the pressure would tend to move the cylinder to the left if there was any play in the crane.
The left side of the M1903 revolver shows the removable side plate. The cartridge box contains 20 rounds of .38 Long Colt ammunition. The markings on the back of the holster show that it was manufactured in 1910. These revolvers remained in service through the Great War and were mostly used by rear guard troops.
The right side of the M1903 revolver shows the cylinder latch just below the hammer. This is pulled back to release the cylinder from the frame. The cylinder swings out to the left and fired cartridges can be ejected in one movement by pushing the ejector rod to the rear. The holster shown is the standard left handed holster for the .38 caliber Colt revolvers. It was designed to be worn on the right side so the revolver could be withdrawn with either the left or right hand. This was done to allow a soldier to have a saber in his right hand and still be able to draw the revolver
This view shows the cylinder swung out to load. At the back of the frame, just above the left grip are the inspector’s initials.
