Update: 1920 Colt Factory Modified "Keith No. 5" for C.M. McCutcheon

jag312 said:

Since the Colt letter lists the caliber as .45 Colt, was the barrel and cylinder changed at some point?

Click to expand...

A.A. Haines said:

Recently I've been guilty of swapping guns, and now find myself in possession of a Bisley model Colt. Years ago I had these guns in both .44-40 and .45-caliber, and have shot them in the .38-40 and this last Colt of mine in the .32-20 size. My reason for getting this Bisley Colt was that I thought, and still think, the grip can be altered to suit my hand with that contracted little finger much better than it does at present, or better than the single-action Colt with its high hammer spur, tho when the hand was normal the single-action Colt grip and hammer for me always. I had it planned to bend the front strap back about five-eighths of an inch, which would also require bending the back strap to correspond.

After that intended fitting thin strip of steel to back strap to make grip a bit fuller, where it always seemed too slender to me, and rivet came to back strap. After this should be carefully finished, intended making wood grip for it, and when everything was in place, a grip would be produced that would be a grip in every sense of the word.

The Bisley grip, you know, as 99 men in 100 will tell you, is curved far too far forward. This is its only serious fault, and the one, I feel sure, that was responsible for its manufacture being stopped. The lock work is the smoothest ever; the grip its only real cause for complaint. Had the grip been made as will be shown by sketch shown herewith, it would, in my opinion, be running neck and neck with the Colt single-action right today.

Since getting the gun, Lindsay C. Elliott writes me that he has made the alteration I have suggested on these arms, only instead of riveting the thin piece of steel to back strap (this after the straps had been bent to suit), he soldered this piece of steel to strap and said the finished article produced a mighty neat and nice handling shooting iron.

Click to expand...

W.S. BREWER. Ithaca NY said:

I enclose a photograph of the revolver I built over. It has most of the shape of the old Colt Army grip and the smooth, easy action of the Bisley.

I took a Bisley model Colt and cut the trigger guard down and made it smaller; also cut off the end of the trigger. I bent the trigger guard and backstrap, or in other words, remodeled the stock as near the shape of the old Colt Army as I could. I cut off the end and made it about %" shorter than the Bisley, and made a new pair of grips or stocks, I ground off the flanges on each side of the hammer, also some of the top, making it much quicker than the original Bisley. The gun was originally a .32-20. I got a new .38 caliber 74%" barrel and rechambered the cylinder. I did not like the 7%" barrel, so cut it off to 5*/,,". I first cut it to 6", but a slight accident to the muzzle caused me to cut it off */,,"' more. I made a bead front sight of german silver and I think I have as fine a gun as any man ever had. It is chambered for the .38 S. & W. Special cartridge, but it shoots well with the Colt .38 long. I load my shells with Ideal No. 358250 bullets and DuPont No.1 Smokeless powder, and it makes a fine combination.

Click to expand...