Colt .45LC Philippines Model of 1902

Status
Not open for further replies.

Von der Goltz

Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2018
Messages
139
Location
Cripple Creek SW VA
Here for your perusal is Colt .45LC Philippines Model of 1902 serial number 45642. Frame; rear face of cylinder and left front trigger guard bow show inspector mark RAC (a civilian employee of the War Department and was the sub-inspector on the revolvers). The right side of the frame has a "U.S." property mark stamped above the trigger guard bow and the Ordnance inspector's initials "JTT" (LTC John T. Thompson, Chief of the Small Arms Division for the Ordnance Department) stamped just above the top of the right grip and the date "1902" in front of it.
attachment.jpg
attachment.jpg
attachment.jpg
attachment.jpg
attachment.jpg
attachment.jpg
attachment.jpg
attachment.jpg
 
Yah, pretty shiny.
Note the large trigger guard and long trigger. There was a legend that this was the Alaskan Model meant to be shot with gloves on. Actually they lengthened the trigger to give more leverage on the tough DA trigger. The original 1878 was better proportioned. My college roommate had Grandma's 1878... that she carried to Alaska, a reversal of the old story.

In a parts cleanup program, Colt cut cylinder stop notches in leftover DA cylinders and put them in SAAs. The "long flute" SAA is a considerable collector's prize.
 
Now that this has been posted, does anymody remember the single action Italian "copy" of this model that was made some time back? It was based on the 1878 Double Action Colt, but to conform to SASS rules, was made single action. It was .45 Colt, and called the Ultimate or somethin like that.

Woops! Was 'way off. It was USFA made and called the Omni Potent:

520.jpg

Bob Wright
 
Last edited:
I remember an old Guns & Ammo article that stated those extra large trigger guards were so the Filipinos with their small hands could get both trigger fingers, right and left on the trigger to make it easier for them to fire the gun.
 
Why, if it takes a gorilla to pull the trigger?

When is the last time any manufacturer tried to sell a D/A revolver with single ejection and a loading gate?

Would you pay a premium over the price of a Vaquero for one?

The design was an evolutionary dead end.
Are you quite finished spoiling a good train of thought ? If not, please... do continue.
 
Are you quite finished spoiling a good train of thought ? If not, please... do continue.
The real shame is there is no "Ignore" button option for moderators. :(

Ruger's got their hands full trying to fix the mistakes they've been shipping of late. That and supplying microplastifantastic Wunder-9's to the fearful former anti-gunners and MiniVanMom crowd. However, lean times do tend to produce innovative solutions and companies like Pietta, Uberti and USFA know how to make a profit. And guns. I doubt the 1902 Army will be copied, directly, since it doesn't fit into SASS' shooting reg's, but something similar may hit the shelves for really stupid money to compete with the CCWCQCB+ class guns being churned out by S&W, Springfield Armory, Ruger, Beretta, Walthers, etc.
 
Yah, pretty shiny.
Note the large trigger guard and long trigger. There was a legend that this was the Alaskan Model meant to be shot with gloves on. Actually they lengthened the trigger to give more leverage on the tough DA trigger. The original 1878 was better proportioned. My college roommate had Grandma's 1878... that she carried to Alaska, a reversal of the old story.

In a parts cleanup program, Colt cut cylinder stop notches in leftover DA cylinders and put them in SAAs. The "long flute" SAA is a considerable collector's prize.
Sounds like granny was a worldly lady. :)

I had an H&R .22LR "Western" that was kind of a knock-off of the '78/'02 design: double-action, pinned cylinder, ejector rod, loading gate... I sold it for about three times what I paid and was happy with that, at the time. I think it was still under $200 so you know it was inexpensive. I'd jump all over a 1902 in .45Colt just for the novelty of it and to have something else in .45 to shoot. Fast reloads aren't important when you're just shooting paper or rutting pigs.
 
Sounds like granny was a worldly lady. :)

I had an H&R .22LR "Western" that was kind of a knock-off of the '78/'02 design: double-action, pinned cylinder, ejector rod, loading gate... I sold it for about three times what I paid and was happy with that, at the time. I think it was still under $200 so you know it was inexpensive. I'd jump all over a 1902 in .45Colt just for the novelty of it and to have something else in .45 to shoot. Fast reloads aren't important when you're just shooting paper or rutting pigs.

One of my shooting buds had one of those H&Rs that he got for graduation from high school.I'm sure he still has it. It was a gift from his uncle. If I ever visit him I will get him to let me look it over.
 
I had never heard of that model. Beautiful gun. I love the lines. The way the frame curves between the top of grip and top strap, and the curves on the bottom of the frame above trigger guard compliment each other so well. It may not have been the best revolver design, but it is a piece of art
 
As a matter of interest, over the years I've heard that enlarged trigger guard model referred to as the Philippine Model and the Alaskan Model, the latter to allow more room for the gloved hand. So far as I've been able to determine, neither appellation was ever applied by the Army, but only more recently by collectors. According to other sources, the trigger was elongated to provide more leverage for a very stiff trigger pull and had nothing to do with gloves nor ethnic statue.

Bob Wright
 
Not sure why the guard is elongated to the reverse for two fingers or for gloves. In double action it wouldn’t make sense. In single action it might, but is the single action pull that atrocious?
 
It was USFA made and called the Omni Potent:

I recall that gun. I am pretty sure it is SAA lockwork in a frame made to externally resemble the 1878. I see that it has the long flutes of excess 1878 cylinders modified to fit 1873s.

I don't know if it was Colt branding or collector terms, or shooter nicknames, but the 1877s are called .38 Lightning, .41 Thunderer, and even .32 Rainmaker. The 1878 was sometimes called the Omnipotent before USFA came along.

See also the multitude of SAAs faked up to look like 1877 DAs, Cimarron calls theirs the "Thunderball." Not to mention the "birdshead" SA revolvers like no period piece at all.

I doubt the 1902 Army will be copied, directly, since it doesn't fit into SASS' shooting reg's,

Agreed. I guess you could shoot it in NCOWS but that is an even smaller market than SASS. Just not worth tooling up for.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top