"L.Q's Double action Revolver

[swimmer]

Mr Burke,
In Cimarron Rose (pg 133) you say "L.Q. 's holstered double action revolver. Later you say "I pulled back the hammer to half-cock and opened the loading gate & rotated the cylinder.
Is L.Q.'s weapon double action or single action?
Thanks. Tom

[jamesleeburke]

Your observation is a good one. I forget the exact history of L.Q.'s revolver, but it was one that had a compilcated and baroque provenance involving conversion and specially manufactured parts. As you suggest, it is now double-action but it retains characteristics of the much earlier Colt models from the 1850s to 1876.

Best,

JLB

[win1885]

I suspect the revolver is a Colt model 1878 double action. That model closely resembles a single action, and does have a loading gate. It's hammer looks like a single action hammer.
I've never owned an 1878, so I'm not familiar with it's operation, but it looks as if it loads the same way as a Single Action Army. That would mean the cylinder would have to be manually
turned to insert cartridges. Therefore it's not hard to imagine the hammer would have to be in the half cock postition to allow that.
Tom Ireland
Hagerstown, MD

[jamesleeburke]

You have a good eye, Mr. Ireland. As I recall that is the model I had in mind originally when I first described the revolver in, I think, Cimarron Rose. I have a small collection that includes a couple of 1851-model Colt's. I think one is .44 caliber and the other is .36., but I don't have a Peacemaker or the double-action 1878 model. Maybe I might get one of those fellows down the line.

Thanks for your posts.

All the best,

JLB