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BlueTrain · August 5, 2012, 03:24 PM

By 1910, the army had been using double-action Colt revolvers in .38 Colt, so I doubt they, the army, had bought any for the previous 20 years. I also have my doubts about "bring backs," then or now. Any such firearm brought back with you from the army would have been stolen government property. However, the army was selling them by then, to be sure. I have no information on how many the army acquired. Some were brought back into service during the Philipine Insurrection.

The British actually purchased a few in 1940 from Colt. Also, I recall an article that was published in Military Classics magazine around ten years ago that stated the British even acquired some .44-40 lever actions. Unfortunately, that issue is somewhere in hiding at the moment and I can't relate any more details.

Elmer Keith's first six shooter was a .32-20, I believe.

I also ran across an additional tidbit about another .44, the .44 Russian. S&W produced about 250,000 revolvers for the Russians in the 1870s. One sometimes reads stories of someone capturing one of those revolvers in the Pacific during WWII that the Japanese had captured from the Russians in the Russo-Japanese war 40 years earlier. The .44 Special was not introduced until 1907.

August 5, 2012, 03:24 PM	#26
BlueTrain Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2005 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 6,141	By 1910, the army had been using double-action Colt revolvers in .38 Colt, so I doubt they, the army, had bought any for the previous 20 years. I also have my doubts about "bring backs," then or now. Any such firearm brought back with you from the army would have been stolen government property. However, the army was selling them by then, to be sure. I have no information on how many the army acquired. Some were brought back into service during the Philipine Insurrection. The British actually purchased a few in 1940 from Colt. Also, I recall an article that was published in Military Classics magazine around ten years ago that stated the British even acquired some .44-40 lever actions. Unfortunately, that issue is somewhere in hiding at the moment and I can't relate any more details. Elmer Keith's first six shooter was a .32-20, I believe. I also ran across an additional tidbit about another .44, the .44 Russian. S&W produced about 250,000 revolvers for the Russians in the 1870s. One sometimes reads stories of someone capturing one of those revolvers in the Pacific during WWII that the Japanese had captured from the Russians in the Russo-Japanese war 40 years earlier. The .44 Special was not introduced until 1907. __________________ Shoot low, sheriff. They're riding Shetlands! Underneath the starry flag, civilize 'em with a Krag, and return us to our own beloved homes! Buy War Bonds.