

First the hammer is brought to the first click, allowing one to pull back the hinged latch at the rear of the top strap.

In contrast, the 7-inch barreled, top-break framed Schofield had more intricate parts, due to its rapid reloading design. Although somewhat slower than the Schofield, some officers reported that the single loading method of the Colt was not considered a detriment since most mounted pistol charges only saw a couple of rounds fired-thus the necessity of exposing the entire cylinder for a complete reload was not as critical. While the 1873 Colt SAA and the Smith & Wesson Schofield, produced from 1875-’77, had advantages and drawbacks, the Colt saw the most use with 37,063 issued between 18.Įmpty casings are ejected, also one at a time, via manually pushing the ejector rod, housed under the barrel, through each chamber. The cylinder is then rotated to the next chamber and the process repeated. The solid-framed, more simplistic 1873 Colt Single Action Army (SAA), 7 ½ -inch barreled “Cavalry Model” is loaded, one at a time, by bringing the hammer to half cock (second click), then opening the loading gate and inserting a cartridge.

Let’s look at some of the differences of these martial sidearms. Nevertheless, the Schofield was considered by the 1874 military review board as “well suited to the military service.” Although both of these cavalry six-shooters received mixed reviews from the troops who used them, opinions were generally favorable for both. About 8,285 Smith & Wesson Schofields-3,000 of the first model and approximately 5,285 of the second model-were contracted for the cavalry. While each had its advantages and drawbacks, the Colt saw the most use with 37,063 being issued from 1873 through 1893. 45 revolver was the best during the Indian campaigns of the late 19th century-the 1873 Colt or the “1875” Schofield. The 1873 Colt Single Action Army was designed primarily for use by the cavalry, but other mounted units, including the horse artillery, were also issued these revolvers as sidearms, as shown by this early 1890s mounted artillery trooper of Junction City, Kansas.Īrms enthusiasts often ask which government-issue.
