Colt M1900
Encyclopedia
The Colt Model 1900 was a self-loading semi-automatic .38 caliber handgun introduced by Colt
at the turn of the 20th century. It also marked the introduction of .38 ACP
, the round for which it is chambered (not to be confused with the smaller .380 ACP
).
It was developed from John M. Browning's
earlier prototypes in the late 1890s. The United States military tested the design against other semiautomatic pistols by European makers, and adopted some versions for trial use. The M1900 and variants were also offered commercially. Variations included the Model 1902 Sporting, Model 1902 Military, Model 1903 Pocket (in .38 ACP; the .32 ACP model was a different design), and the Model 1905, which introduced the .45 ACP
cartridge. The designs of 1909 and later did away with the front bushing, and would become the M1911 pistol.
The new design also featured a new cartridge, the .38 Automatic Colt Pistol
. Despite the name, this cartridge used a .357 caliber bullet weighing 107 grains, at a velocity of 1259 feet per second (383.7 m/s). This was a larger caliber than other contemporary designs, which were predominantly 7.6 mm, or .308 caliber, at similar velocities. The .38 ACP was also much faster than the .38 Long Colt
revolver cartridge in service at the time, which fired a 130 grain bullet at 770 ft/s (234.7 m/s). Colt was also experimenting with a .41 caliber cartridge for use in the Model 1900, as reported to the Ordnance Department during testing. Like the .41 Long Colt
, this probably used a .400 inch bullet. The poor performance of the .38 Long Colt in combat in the Philippine-American War
of 1899–1902 resulted in the re-adoption of the .45 Colt
, and eventually led the War Department to specify a minimum caliber of .45 for the new handgun. The prototype .41 caliber Colt automatic cartridge was never produced in production quantity, but the concept anticipated the development of the .40 S&W
by over 90 years. Colt did produce a few "Model 1903" .41 cal. pistols, conversions of Model 1902 Military Models (the 1902 Military was an improved M1900/02), for the cartridge before the development of the cartridge ended.
The most prominent feature of the Model 1900 was the sight safety, which while a good idea in theory, did not work out well in execution, and proved to be unpopular. When pushed down the safety blocked the firing pin, when pushed up it performed as the rear sight. The first 1900's were equipped with rear milled slide grooves but when it was found that this could interfere with the sight safety the milled slide grooves were moved to the front. This safety was used in about the first 3,000 production pistols. Colt then installed a conventional rear sight and eliminated the sight safety although the cut in the slide remained but was plugged. The grooves, remained in the front of the slide. There are earlier sight safety M1900's that were factory retrofitted with the new fixed sight. Although Colt considered a new firing pin safety mounted on the left side of the slide with one prototype, it did not produce such a model. This was possibly a mistake as the lack of safety features probably affected sales – the recommended way to carry a no safety Colt automatic was with an empty chamber which made it slower to get in action and required two hands – a major complaint of the military which tested it, something Colt was for some reason loath to fix in the 1900–1902-1903 series of pistols. The only exception was the new 1903 pocket hammerless, a completely new design with a grip and frame thumb safety at the start of production in 1904. It is possible that Colt found it cheaper to introduce the features into a new model, and the sales of the 1903 hammerless were spectacular in comparison to the 1900/1902/1903 large frame automatics. By contrast, Mauser C96
's and Lugers had manual thumb safeties from the outset.
The Model 1900's were initially fitted with distinctive "high" spur hammers until approximately serial 2400 when "stub" rounded hammers also began to appear. As approximately 1,450 of the M1900 "high" hammers were left over when the M1900 merged into the M1902 sporting model, (the 1902 sporting model being a continuation with some internal modifications of the M1900) starting at serial 4275, it might be surmised that perhaps approximately 3,000 "high" hammer (mostly early) and about 1274 "stub" hammer M1900's were produced. Stub hammers may also possibly show up in some retrofitted earlier pistols. Numbers at this time can only be considered approximate. Collectors need to continue to post and communicate observations of surviving pistols.
"Broomhandle", the unusual blow-forward action Steyr Mannlicher M1894
, the Browning designed Colt, which was not ready until after testing started. Testing consisted of accuracy, penetration, and reliability tests, ergonomics testing, and torture tests. Ergonomics were considered very important, as the pistol was intended for use by cavalry, which meant it had to be readily operated and reloaded from horseback. Torture tests included a dust chamber and a rust test.
, the pistol was frozen so that the slide would not move. A sharp blow on the edge of a table with the slide freed it enough to allow the slide to operate, and a round to be chambered. After firing the first round, the slide failed to return to battery, but was readily closed, and the remaining rounds functioned without malfunction. All remaining ammunition, 23 rounds, was then fired through the rusted gun with no malfunction.
A number of variations of the Model 1900 were produced during 1900–1923.
Colt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
at the turn of the 20th century. It also marked the introduction of .38 ACP
.38 ACP
The .38 ACP also known as the .38 Auto was introduced at the turn of the 20th century for the Browning designed Colt M1900. The cartridge headspaces on the rim. It had first been used in his Model 1897 prototype, which Colt did not produce...
, the round for which it is chambered (not to be confused with the smaller .380 ACP
.380 ACP
The .380 ACP pistol cartridge is a rimless, straight-walled pistol cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning. The cartridge headspaces on the mouth of the case. It was introduced in 1908 by Colt, and has been a popular self-defense cartridge ever since...
).
It was developed from John M. Browning's
John Browning
John Moses Browning , born in Ogden, Utah, was an American firearms designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms, many of which are still in use around the world...
earlier prototypes in the late 1890s. The United States military tested the design against other semiautomatic pistols by European makers, and adopted some versions for trial use. The M1900 and variants were also offered commercially. Variations included the Model 1902 Sporting, Model 1902 Military, Model 1903 Pocket (in .38 ACP; the .32 ACP model was a different design), and the Model 1905, which introduced the .45 ACP
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
cartridge. The designs of 1909 and later did away with the front bushing, and would become the M1911 pistol.
Design
Unlike the designs of other early automatic pistols, Browning's design used a full length slide that covered the full length of the barrel, as opposed to other designs which utilized a barrel and bolt that slid into grooves in the frame. In the Browning design, the slide fitted into rails in the frame, and the barrel rode in tilting links secured to the frame, one at the front and one at the rear. When the slide was forward, the links lifted the barrel up, locking it securely into matching grooves in the frame. Upon recoiling, the barrel moved backwards a short distance, then the links pulled the barrel downwards, disengaging it from the slide. The barrel then stopped moving, while the slide continued rearwards, extracting and ejecting the fired cartridge case and loading a fresh cartridge from the magazine.The new design also featured a new cartridge, the .38 Automatic Colt Pistol
.38 ACP
The .38 ACP also known as the .38 Auto was introduced at the turn of the 20th century for the Browning designed Colt M1900. The cartridge headspaces on the rim. It had first been used in his Model 1897 prototype, which Colt did not produce...
. Despite the name, this cartridge used a .357 caliber bullet weighing 107 grains, at a velocity of 1259 feet per second (383.7 m/s). This was a larger caliber than other contemporary designs, which were predominantly 7.6 mm, or .308 caliber, at similar velocities. The .38 ACP was also much faster than the .38 Long Colt
.38 Long Colt
The .38 Long Colt is a cartridge introduced by Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1875, and was adopted as a standard military pistol cartridge by the United States Army in 1892 for the Colt New Army M1892 Revolver. It is slightly more powerful than the .38 Short Colt, or .38 SC. The .38 Long Colt...
revolver cartridge in service at the time, which fired a 130 grain bullet at 770 ft/s (234.7 m/s). Colt was also experimenting with a .41 caliber cartridge for use in the Model 1900, as reported to the Ordnance Department during testing. Like the .41 Long Colt
.41 Long Colt
The .41 Long Colt cartridge was created in 1877 for Colt's double-action "Thunderer" revolver. It was a lengthened version of the earlier centerfire .41 Short Colt, which was made to duplicate the dimensions of the even earlier .41 Rimfire. The front of the bullet was about 0.406"-0.408”OD, the...
, this probably used a .400 inch bullet. The poor performance of the .38 Long Colt in combat in the Philippine-American War
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
of 1899–1902 resulted in the re-adoption of the .45 Colt
.45 Colt
The .45 Colt cartridge is a handgun cartridge dating to 1872. It began as a black powder revolver round developed for the Colt Single Action Army revolver, but is offered as a magnum level handgun hunting round in modern usage. This cartridge was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1873 and served as the...
, and eventually led the War Department to specify a minimum caliber of .45 for the new handgun. The prototype .41 caliber Colt automatic cartridge was never produced in production quantity, but the concept anticipated the development of the .40 S&W
.40 S&W
The .40 S&W is a rimless pistol cartridge developed jointly by major American firearms manufacturers Winchester and Smith & Wesson. The .40 S&W was developed from the ground up as a law enforcement cartridge designed to duplicate performance of the FBI's reduced velocity 10mm cartridge which could...
by over 90 years. Colt did produce a few "Model 1903" .41 cal. pistols, conversions of Model 1902 Military Models (the 1902 Military was an improved M1900/02), for the cartridge before the development of the cartridge ended.
The most prominent feature of the Model 1900 was the sight safety, which while a good idea in theory, did not work out well in execution, and proved to be unpopular. When pushed down the safety blocked the firing pin, when pushed up it performed as the rear sight. The first 1900's were equipped with rear milled slide grooves but when it was found that this could interfere with the sight safety the milled slide grooves were moved to the front. This safety was used in about the first 3,000 production pistols. Colt then installed a conventional rear sight and eliminated the sight safety although the cut in the slide remained but was plugged. The grooves, remained in the front of the slide. There are earlier sight safety M1900's that were factory retrofitted with the new fixed sight. Although Colt considered a new firing pin safety mounted on the left side of the slide with one prototype, it did not produce such a model. This was possibly a mistake as the lack of safety features probably affected sales – the recommended way to carry a no safety Colt automatic was with an empty chamber which made it slower to get in action and required two hands – a major complaint of the military which tested it, something Colt was for some reason loath to fix in the 1900–1902-1903 series of pistols. The only exception was the new 1903 pocket hammerless, a completely new design with a grip and frame thumb safety at the start of production in 1904. It is possible that Colt found it cheaper to introduce the features into a new model, and the sales of the 1903 hammerless were spectacular in comparison to the 1900/1902/1903 large frame automatics. By contrast, Mauser C96
Mauser C96
The Mauser C96 is a semi-automatic pistol that was originally produced by German arms manufacturer Mauser from 1896 to 1937...
's and Lugers had manual thumb safeties from the outset.
The Model 1900's were initially fitted with distinctive "high" spur hammers until approximately serial 2400 when "stub" rounded hammers also began to appear. As approximately 1,450 of the M1900 "high" hammers were left over when the M1900 merged into the M1902 sporting model, (the 1902 sporting model being a continuation with some internal modifications of the M1900) starting at serial 4275, it might be surmised that perhaps approximately 3,000 "high" hammer (mostly early) and about 1274 "stub" hammer M1900's were produced. Stub hammers may also possibly show up in some retrofitted earlier pistols. Numbers at this time can only be considered approximate. Collectors need to continue to post and communicate observations of surviving pistols.
US War Department testing
The United States War Department solicited designs of semiautomatic pistols in 1899, and chose three samples to test; the recoil operated Mauser C96Mauser C96
The Mauser C96 is a semi-automatic pistol that was originally produced by German arms manufacturer Mauser from 1896 to 1937...
"Broomhandle", the unusual blow-forward action Steyr Mannlicher M1894
Steyr Mannlicher M1894
The M1894 Steyr Mannlicher blow-forward, semi-automatic pistol was an early semi-automatic pistol.-General features:This earliest Steyr Mannlicher pistol, manufactured by FAB.D'ARMES Neuhausen, Switzerland, was designed to be self loading and to use a special rimmed cartridge in 6.5 mm caliber...
, the Browning designed Colt, which was not ready until after testing started. Testing consisted of accuracy, penetration, and reliability tests, ergonomics testing, and torture tests. Ergonomics were considered very important, as the pistol was intended for use by cavalry, which meant it had to be readily operated and reloaded from horseback. Torture tests included a dust chamber and a rust test.
Mauser C96
The Mauser was the first sample tested, as the Colt was not ready, and the Mannlicher representative was unreachable when testing started. The Mauser worked reasonably well in initial testing, with nine misfires caused by a failure to return to battery, one failure to eject, two failures to chamber, and a broken extractor. The dust chamber test resulted in six of ten rounds failing to fire on the first attempt, and one failure to chamber. The Mauser failed miserably in the rust test; the mainspring rusted into pieces, and the gun required soaking in oil for several hours before it could be disassembled with the use of a mallet. After a cleaning, oiling, and repair, the pistol was tested again, and experienced a number of failures to feed caused by cartridges sticking in the clip.Colt M1900
The Colt was tested next, as the Mannlicher sample had still not been received from the manufacturer's representative. Testing began in February 1900. The Colt had a number of initial problems, due to ill fitting parts in the trigger mechanism, which eventually required the attention of a manufacturer's representative, who fitted a new trigger mechanism. Once this was done, the pistol fired the remaining 293 rounds of the 500 allotted for the endurance test, plus an additional 150 rounds with no malfunctions. Another supply of ammunition, consisting of 350 rounds of low velocity .38 ACP ammunition (935 ft/s (285 m/s)) was also tested, with no adjustments to the recoil spring. This was done to test the repaired trigger mechanism, and while it was not expected to function with the pistol tuned for the 1200 ft/s (365.8 m/s) ammunition, only four failures were experienced with this ammunition. The pistol fired all ten rounds with no malfunctions during the dust test. After accelerated rusting with sal ammoniacSal ammoniac
Sal ammoniac is a rare mineral composed of ammonium chloride, NH4Cl. It forms colorless to white to yellow-brown crystals in the isometric-hexoctahedral class. It has very poor cleavage and a brittle to conchoidal fracture. It is quite soft, with a Mohs hardness of 1.5 to 2, and has a low specific...
, the pistol was frozen so that the slide would not move. A sharp blow on the edge of a table with the slide freed it enough to allow the slide to operate, and a round to be chambered. After firing the first round, the slide failed to return to battery, but was readily closed, and the remaining rounds functioned without malfunction. All remaining ammunition, 23 rounds, was then fired through the rusted gun with no malfunction.
Mannlicher 1894
The Mannlicher pistol was the last tested. The Mannlicher, unlike the Mauser and Colt, used a blow-forward action, where the barrel was pulled forward on the frame by the friction of the bullet in the bore. Since there is no rearward moving bolt or slide to cock the hammer, the pistol used a double action trigger, rather than the single action triggers used in the recoil operated guns. The pistol experienced a number of failures to fire; it was noted that the barrel did not always return to battery, and most failures to fire were corrected with a second pull of the trigger. On the 281st shot of the 500 round endurance test, cartridge and barrel both burst. Due to ergonomic problems with the pistol, it was decided to terminate testing at that point.Further testing of the M1900
The Colt performed well enough during the first round of testing that the board subjected it to additional endurance testing. A 900 round trial resulted in only two failures, both misfires due to defective primers. Additional ammunition was procured, and testing continued. During this testing, a number of link pins were also broken, and in one case continued firing with a broken rear link caused the barrel to separate just behind the front link pin. After firing a total of 5,800 rounds through the pistol, the only significant problem found was the weakness of the link pins, which was considered readily fixed by the ordnance board. The board recommended purchasing a number of the Model 1900 Colt pistols for use in field trials.Production
- Model 1900. Six inch (152 mm) barrel, walnut or hard rubber grips, high spur hammer, sight safety. Produced 1900–1903.
- Model 1902 Sporting. Hard rubber grips, no safety, round or high spur hammer. Produced 1902–1908.
- Model 1902 Military. Similar to 1902 Sporting, but adds a lanyard swivel on bottom rear of left grip. Produced 1902–1929.
- Model 1903 Pocket. Similar to 1902 Sporting, but with 3¾ or 4½ inch barrel. Produced 1903–1929.
- Model 1905. Similar to 1902, but with a 4⅞ inch barrel, and chambered in the new .45 ACP.
See also
- M1911A1
- List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces (Sidearms)
- FN Browning Model 1900FN M1900The FN Browning M1900 is a single action, semi-automatic pistol designed ca. 1896 by John Browning for Fabrique Nationale de Herstal and produced in Belgium at the turn of the century...