Colt New Service

The Colt New Service is an American double-action revolver produced for government contracts and civilian sales between 1898 and 1944. It came in a plethora of popular calibers available during its lengthy production run and was also available in a number of finishes and barrel lengths. The revolver was most commonly chambered in a variety of .45 caliber rounds, including ACP and Colt. It served American forces through both World Wars and accompanied many police officers in their duties throughout the first half of the twentieth century.

They were built in .45 Colt, .45 ACP, .44-40, .44 Russian, .38-40, .38 Special, .455 Webley, .41 Colt and, eventually, .357 Magnum. The most numerous model was that in .455 Webley for issue to the British military in World War I. The US Army also used the New Service in .45 Colt as the M1909, adopted temporarily to replace the failed series of .38 Long Colt revolvers used since 1889, until the semi-automatic M1911 pistol, then under testing, was ready for service. A variant chambered in .45 ACP using half-moon clips, the M1917, would be introduced during World War I to supplement short supplies of M1911s. Over 151,000 were delivered - the largest variant in New Service production of approximately 356,000.

Colt New Service Revolver - .45 ACP. The Army adopted a version of the New Service, the Colt M1917, with plain wooden grips and a lanyard ring in WWI.

Colt New Service Revolver - .45 LC. The military version of this revolver is the M1909 (also chambered for .45 Long Colt)

Model 1909 Colt Army Revolver - .45 LC. This model is stamped "Property of U.S. Government" under barrel and "M1909" on front bottom of grip strap. Grips not original - US issue bore plain uncheckered walnut.

Colt New Service Revolver with Ivory Grips - .38-40.

Colt New Service - .44-40

New Service chambered in .455 Eley.

Colt New Service - .45 caliber

Colt New Service - .41 Colt

Nickel Colt New Service Revolver - .45 LC.

Colt New Service Model 1917 "Fitz Special". Modified by modern gunsmith Andy Horvarth

Specifications

(1898–1946)

• Type: Revolver

• Caliber(s): .45 Colt, .455 Webley/Ely,.476 Ely,.45 ACP, .44-40, .44 Special, .44 Russian .38-40, .357 Magnum, .38 Spl, others

• Weight: Various

• Length: Various

• Barrel length(s):(Factory standard with lengths over and under available by special order) 4",4.5".5",5.5",6".7.5"

• Capacity: 6-round cylinder

• Fire Modes: SA/DA

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The Colt New Service and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Back to God's Country	Nell Shipman	Dolores LeBeau		1919
The Gold Rush	Tom Murray	Black Larsen		1925
		Bounty hunters
Pardon Us		Prisoners		1931
Heroes for Sale		railroad detective		1933
The Man Who Knew Too Much				1934
Satan Met a Lady	Maynard Holmes	Kenneth		1936
Jesse James	Henry Fonda	Frank James	Anachronistic; with 5" barrel and wooden grips	1939
Went the Day Well?	David Farrar	Lieutenant Jung a.k.a. Lieutenant Maxwell		1942
	Johnnie Schofield	Joe Garbett
	Valerie Taylor	Nora Ashton
		British Army/Home Guard Soldiers
		German Paratroopers
The Pearl of Death	Basil Rathbone	Sherlock Holmes		1944
Somewhere in France		Various characters		1942
Air Force		Japanese officers		1943
The Fighting Seabees		Japanese officers		1944
Dillinger	Lawrence Tierney	John Dillinger		1945
	Marc Lawrence	Doc Madison
The Big Sleep	Trevor Bardette	Art Huck		1946
Raw Deal (1948)	Curt Conway	Spider		1948
The Paleface		Thug		1948
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre		Bandits		1949
White Heat		Jarrett Gang member		1949
Across the Pacific	Richard Loo	First Officer Miyuma		1951
	Sydney Greenstreet	Doctor Lorenz
Son of Paleface	Roy Rogers	Roy Barton	With a stock and rifle's barrel	1952
The Nuremberg Express	Miroslav Homola	Agent Nowak		1954
Hell Below Zero	Stanley Baker	Erik Bland		1954
	Ivan Craig	Larsen
	Alan Ladd	Duncan Craig
Apache	Burt Lancaster	Messai	Anachronistic; continuity error; With 5" barrel, wooden grips and lanyard loop ring	1954
The Treasure of Pancho Villa	Gilbert Roland	Juan Castro	With 5" barrel, wooden grips and lanyard loop ring	1955
	Rory Calhoun	Tom Bryan
	Joseph Calleia	Pable Morales
	Shelley Winters	Ruth Harris
Santiago	Alan Ladd	Caleb "Cash" Adams	Mocked-up as Single Action Army	1956
	Paul Fix	Trasker
	Lloyd Nolan	Clay Pike
	Frank DeKova	Jingo
	Clegg Hoyt	Dutch
The Proud Ones	Uncredited	Barrett's henchman	Anachronistic; with 5" barrel and lanyard loop ring	1956
Bandido!	Gilbert Roland	Colonel José Escobar	With 5" barrel	1956
	Rodolfo Acosta	Sebastian
They Came to Cordura	Carlos Romero	Arreaga	With 5" barrel and custom stag-horn wooden grips	1959
Pretty Boy Floyd	John Ericson	Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd		1960
The Comancheros	John Wayne	Jake Cutter	Anachronistic; seen only in saddle holster; with blued finish and ivory grips	1961
Lonely Are the Brave	Walter Matthau	Sheriff Morey Johnson		1962
Murieta!	Jeffrey Hunter	Joaquín Murrieta	Probably a Spanish replica; with 7.5" barrel and hard rubber grips	1965
	Arthur Kennedy	Captain Love
		Several deputies and bandits
Viva Maria!	Carlos López Moctezuma	Ródriguez		1965
		Mexican soldiers
		Mexican rebels
The Heroes of Telemark	Kirk Douglas	Dr. Rolf Pedersen		1965
The Professionals	Jack Palance	Jesus Raza		1966
	Robert Ryan	Hans Ehrengard
Bonnie and Clyde	Faye Dunaway	Bonnie Parker		1967
	Warren Beatty	Clyde Barrow
	Denver Pyle	Frank Hamer
	Gene Hackman	Buck Barrow
Welcome to Hard Times	Aldo Ray	The Man from Bodie	Anachronistic; with 5" barrel, wooden grips and mock-up ejector rod	1967
Five Card Stud	Dean Martin	Van Morgan	Anachronistic; with 5" barrel, wooden grips and mock-up ejector rod	1968
	Robert Mitchum	Reverend Jonathan Rudd
Firecreek	James Stewart	Sheriff Johnny Cobb	Anachronistic; with 5" barrel, wooden grips and mock-up ejector rod	1968
Villa Rides	Robert Mitchum	Lee Arnold	Seen only in holster; with 5" barrel, ivory grips and lanyard loop ring	1968
		Villista	With 5" barrel, ivory grips and lanyard loop ring
100 Rifles	Jim Brown	Lyedecker		1969
The Wild Bunch	Albert Dekker	Pat Harrigan		1969
You Can't Win 'Em All	Charles Bronson	Josh Corey		1970
The Cheyenne Social Club	Shirley Jones	Jenny	Anachronistic; With 5" barrel, wooden grips and mock-up ejector rod	1970
El Topo	Julian de Meriche	The priest		1970
	Robert John	El Topo's Son
	Valerie Jodorowsky	A townswoman
	José Luis Gonzales de León	A townsman
Don't Turn the Other Cheek!	Franco Nero	Dmitri Vassilovich Orlowsky	With 7.5" barrel, hard rubber, lanyard loop ring and mock-up ejector rod	1971
	Lynn Redgrave	Mary O'Donell
	Eduardo Fajardo	General Huerta	Seen only in holster; with 7.5" barrel, hard rubber, lanyard loop ring and mock-up ejector rod
The Wrath of God		de la Plata's man	With 5" barrel and wooden grips	1972
Ulzana's Raid	Burt Lancaster	McIntosh	Anachronistic; continuity error; with 5" barrel and wooden grips	1972
Manhunt in Milan (La mala ordina)	Woody Strode	Frank Webster		1972
Dirty Money		Bank teller		1972
Prime Cut	Gregory Walcott	Weenie		1972
The Man from Acapulco (Le Magnifique)	Jean-Paul Belmondo	Bob Saint-Clair	Suppressed	1973
	Jacqueline Bisset	Tatiana
Dillinger	Harry Dean Stanton	Homer Van Meter		1973
	Warren Oates	John Dillinger
The Sting	Joe Tornatore	Black Gloved Gunman		1973
Black Caesar		assassin		1973
Big Bad Mama	Tom Skerritt	Fred Dillard	M1909	1974
	Susan Sennett	Billie Jean	M1917
Bite The Bullet	Gene Hackman	Sam Clayton		1975
The Wind and the Lion	Steve Kanaly	U.S. Marine Corp Capt. Jerome		1975
The Last Hard Men	Jorge Rivero	Cesar Menendez		1976
	Charlton Heston	Sam Burgade
	Michael Parks	Sheriff Noel Nye
	Thalmus Rasulala	George Weed
	Christopher Mitchum	Hal Brickman
The Muthers	John Montgomery	"Turko"		1976
Silver Streak	Clifton James	Sheriff Oliver Chauncey		1976
	Richard Pryor	Grover T. Muldoon
	Gene Wilder	George Caldwell
The White Buffalo	Charles Bronson	Wild Bill Hickok	Mocked-up as Single Action Army with stag horn grips	1977
Death on the Nile	Mia Farrow	Jacqueline de Bellefort		1978
The Hunter	Ben Johnson	Sheriff Strong	nickel plated, stag grips	1980
Airplane!				1980
Caboblanco	Fernando Rey	Police Captain Terredo		1980
Under Fire		Nicaraguan Rebels		1983
Lone Wolf McQuade		Gun runner		1983
Against All Odds	Alex Karras	Hank Sully		1984
	Rachel Ward	Jessie Wyler
Death Hunt	Andrew Stevens	RCMP Constable Adams		1981
	Lee Marvin	RCMP Sergeant Millen
Johnny Dangerously	Joe Piscopo	Danny Vermin	With custom long barrel, as ".88 Magnum revolver"	1984
Yes, Madam! (Huang jia shi jie)		Robber		1985
Death Wish 3		Gang Members		1985
Near Dark	Tony Pierce	Highway Youth		1987
The Untouchables		Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers		1987
The Blue Iguana	Flea	Floyd		1988
Mississippi Burning	Brad Dourif	Deputy Clinton Pell	Bone carved grip	1988
Batman	Jack Nicholson	Jack Napier/The Joker		1989
Harlem Nights	Danny Aiello	Det. Cantone		1989
Miller's Crossing	Albert Finney	Leo O'Bannon		1990
	Gabriel Byrne	Tom Reagan
El Diablo (1990)	Louis Gossett Jr.	Thomas Van Leek	With wooden grips and mock-up long barrel with forend With 5" barrel, wooden grips and mock-up ejector rod	1990
Let Him Have It	Paul Reynolds	Chris Craig	.455 British Service with short barrel	1991
Beyond the Law	Brian Law	Young Dan Saxton		1992
Of Mice and Men	Gary Sinise	George		1992
	Richard Riehle	Carlson
Deep Cover	Glynn Turman	Russell Stevens Sr.		1992
Hoffa	Robert Prosky	Billy Flynn		1992
Eight Hundred Leagues Down the Amazon	E.E. Bell	Fragoso		1993
Red Rock West	Timothy Carhart	Deputy Matt Greytack		1993
Arizona Dream	Johnny Depp	Axel Blackmar		1993
	Lili Taylor	Grace Stalker
Vampire in Brooklyn	Eddie Murphy	Guido		1995
Batman Forever	David U. Hodges	Shooter		1995
Devil in a Blue Dress	Tom Sizemore	Dewitt Albright		1995
The Quest	Louis Mandylor	Riggi		1996
	Emilio Migliozzi	Riggi's henchman
Last Man Standing		Multiple characters		1996
Anaconda	Danny Trejo			1997
Serpent's Path	Show Aikawa	Naomi Niijima		1998
	Teruyuki Kagawa	Tatsuo Miyashita
	Yûrei Yanagi	Hiyama
Dollar for the Dead	Simón Andreu	Akers	Anachronistic; with 5" barrel and wooden grips	1998
	Emilio Estevez	Cowboy/Man with No Name
The Mummy (1999)	Kevin J. O'Connor	Beni Gabor		1999
	Corey Johnson	Mr. Daniels	Dual-wielded
	Omid Djalili	Warden Gad Hassan
The Wind That Shakes The Barley		IRA		2006
Public Enemies		Sioux Falls vigilante		2009
Jesse Stone: No Remorse		Thug		2010
		Robbery Suspect
J. Edgar		F.B.I. agents		2011
Old Henry	Richard Speight, Jr.	Duggan	Ivory grips	2021
Dead for a Dollar (2022)	Christoph Waltz	Max Borlund	With 7.5" barrel and wooden grips	2022

Television

Show Title	Actor	Character	Note / Episode	Air Date
Gilligan's Island (TV Series)	Russell Johnson	The Professor	"The Sound of Quacking" (S1E7)	1964
Dragnet			"The Shooting Board" (S2E21)	1967 - 1970
M*A*S*H	Loretta Swit	Maj. Margaret Houlihan	"The Gun" (S04E13)	1975
	Larry Linville	Maj. Frank Burns
Fantômas	Jacques Dufilho	Inspecteur Juve	Ep.3	1980
The Greatest American Hero	Red West	Cliff		1981 - 1983
Reilly: Ace of Spies	Celia Gregory	Nadia Massino		1983
Lonesome Dove		Bandito		1989
Gilligan's Island (TV Series)	Alan Hale Jr.	The Skipper	pilot episode (filmed in 1963)	1992
Rough Riders	William Katt	Edward Marshall		1997
The X-Files - Season 7	Eric Nenninger	Jared Chirp	"Signs and Wonders" (S7E09)	2000
Band of Brothers	Matthew Leitch	Floyd "Tab" Talbert		2001
Firefly	Matthew Ferreira	Nathaniel Grange	"Safe" (S01E05)	2002
Mail Call	R. Lee Ermey	Himself		2002 - 2009
Foyle's War - Season 2	Laurence Fox	Simon Walker	"War Games" (S2E03)	2003
Foyle's War - Season 3	Nigel Terry	Hugh Jackson	"They Fought in the Fields" (S3E03)	2004
Ghost Whisperer	David Eigenberg	Hank Dale	"The Crossing" (S1E02)	2005
The Unit		Various characters		2006 - 2009
Meteor		criminal		2009
Boardwalk Empire		Gangsters		2010 -
The Pacific	Joseph Mazzello	Eugene Sledge		2010
Falling Skies - Season 1	Drew Roy	Hal Mason	"The Armory" (S1E02)	2011 -
Revolution - Season 1			"Chained Heat" (S1E02)	2012
Longmire - Season 1	Robert Taylor	Walt Longmire	"A Damn Shame" (S1E03), mocked up as Single Action Army	2012
SAS Rogue Heroes - Season 1	Jack O'Connell	Paddy Mayne	Likely the British .455 Webley variant	2022
	César Dombe	Augustin Jordan

Video Games

Game Title	Appears as	Notation	Release Date
Fallout: New Vegas	"Police Pistol"	Added in Dead Money DLC, .357 Magnum version	2012
Enlisted	"Colt New Service"	.45 ACP version	2021
Beyond The Wire	"Colt New Service"		2022

See Also

• Colt's Manufacturing Company - A list of all firearms manufactured by Colt.