Not gonna state that anyone else should do this, but I shoot plain ol' 148 grain wadcutters over 2.8 grains of Bulls Eye put up in .38 Special cases through my U. S. military .38 Long Colt when I'm too lazy to load up the same bullet in proper .38 Long Colt cases. The load is mild. The .362 diameter bore of the revolver appreciates the hollow base which expands to fit and the flush seated wadcutter .38 Special cartridge chambers with room to spare. Accuracy is decent out to 15 yards or so.



I do load up .38 Long Colt cartridge case using that bullet, but as I don't frequently shoot the revolver I'm not too picky about which cartridge case I have loaded with the wadcutters when I take the revolver out for exercise.

I have three of the old wheezer Colts. Beside the US military contract Colt, there are a couple of commercial New Navys here, one in .32-20 and one in .41 Long Colt. I have shot all of them though the .32-20 is a project that still isn't completed. The New Navy is very uncommon in .32-20 or I wouldn't have bothered. The New Army wasn't produced in .32-20

Stocks style differences are the most immediate way to tell the difference in what is otherwise the same gun in all respects. The other way to determine if one has a New Navy rather than a New Army is to open the cylinder and find an "N" roll marked on the inside of the front of the frame.

New Navy revolvers with their characteristically styled hard rubber stocks.

.32-20 from 1906. This one was the basket case that I'm rehab'ing.


.41 Long Colt from 1901. This one was purchased off GunBroker for cheap some years ago as a doner to rob parts off of for the .32-20. It was the victim of an unfortunate auction description, unfortunate for the seller, but fortunate for me. Once it arrived I couldn't bear to dismantle it for it is still sound (for what it is). So, I took it out and shot it instead. I'd long wanted to play with .41 Long Colt so this became the first of two .41 Long Colts gathered in so far.


I said these are old wheezers earlier and I do mean wheezers. In my view it's a deceptively modern looking and stylish revolver design, but crummy in the extreme. The lock work of these late 19th century designed Colt swing out cylinder models is absolutely fiendish! Despite the obviously fine workmanship the design must be one of the worst to have ever been fielded. I can't imagine that the U.S. Military of the late 1880s actually selected such a turkey of a design as its issue handgun. Flimsy in the extreme, every part performs multiple roles. One would think that this feature would cut down on the number of internal parts but nope, there are plenty of parts in there and some are strange looking indeed. It is completely powered by flat springs which perform multiple functions as well. And these can't simply be adequate springs. They have to be able to double as overload leaf springs for the rear suspension of a '54 GMC truck. The action is terribly stiff, unnecessarily so in my view. The first generation Smith & Wesson K-Frame Model of 1899 is also powered by flat springs including trigger return, but gives an action feel so light, smooth, and so positive that later Smith & Wessons pale by comparison. This model Colt is a clunker by comparison.

The Colt New Army/New Navy may have a couple of redeeming qualities despite its undeniably primitive design however the trigger isn't one of them. Its single action trigger, crisp if somewhat heavy, may be easily mastered once one becomes familiar with it. The double action trigger gives an extremely poor pull. Finger-straining heavy, one gets the feeling that something inside the revolver will break before the hammer finally drops. The revolver would best be employed double action at powder-burning point blank range only.

I've seen a very late one that was tight. It was an early Colt Officers Model. Officers Models were first built on New Army/New Navy frames and for only a few years. I've looked at lots of New Army and New Navy revolvers over the years and they are all loose ... bullet shavin' loose. I fear to shoot mine double-action much for lock up is so hinky.

They're neato to own and even to shoot on occasion for the historical exercise and learning aspects of it all. Some say they aren't safe to shoot, but I never was too bright. Shoot 'em or don't shoot 'em, but be assured that they aren't very satisfactory to use.