The Colt M1877 was a double-action

revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...

manufactured by Colt's Patent Fire Arms from January 1877 to 1909 for a total of 166,849 revolvers. The Model 1877 was offered in three calibers, which lent them three unofficial names: the "Lightning", the "Thunderer", and the "Rainmaker". The principal difference between the models was the cartridge in which they were chambered: the "Lightning" being chambered in

.38 Long Colt The .38 Long Colt, also known as .38 LC, is a black powder cartridge introduced by Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1875. In 1892, it was adopted as a standard military pistol cartridge by the United States Army for the Colt M1892 revolver. The ...

; the "Thunderer" in

.41 Long Colt The .41 Long Colt cartridge was created in 1877 for Colt's double-action " Thunderer" revolver. History and description The .41 Long Colt was a lengthened version of the earlier centerfire .41 Short Colt, which was made to duplicate the dimensi ...

. Both models had a six-round ammunition capacity. An earlier model in

.32 Long Colt The .32 Long Colt (commonly called the .32 LC or simply .32 Colt) is an American centerfire revolver cartridge. Description Introduced by Colt's with the New Line revolver in 1873, the .32 Colt was inspired by the .320 Revolver. It original ...

known as the "Rainmaker" was offered in 1877.

History

The M1877 was designed by one of the inventors of the Colt Single Action Army (M1873),

William Mason William, Willie, or Willy Mason may refer to: Arts and entertainment *William Mason (poet) (1724–1797), English poet, editor and gardener *William Mason (architect) (1810–1897), New Zealand architect *William Mason (composer) (1829–1908), Ame ...

, as Colt's first attempt at manufacturing a double-action revolver. It was the first successful US-made double-action cartridge revolver, and was offered from the factory in two basic finishes: nickel-plated or a blued with a case-colored frame. The revolver was available in barrel lengths from and was available with or without the ejector rod and housing. The shorter-barreled versions without the ejector rod were marketed as "shopkeeper's specials" for use as a concealable pocket pistol. Neither "Lightning" nor "Thunderer" were Colt designations, nor used by the factory in any reference materials. Both terms were coined by Benjamin Kittredge, one of Colt's major distributors. Kittredge was responsible for the terms "Peacemaker" for the Single Action Army, "Omnipotent" for the Colt M1878 double-action (often known as the "Frontier" model), and nicknames for the various chamberings of the New Line models. The M1877's early double-action mechanism proved to be both intricate and delicate, thus it was vulnerable to failure of self cocking. The design had a reputation for failure and earned the nickname "the gunsmith's favorite". Because of the intricate design and difficulty of repair, gunsmiths to this day dislike working on them. '' Gun Digest'' referred to it as "the worst double-action trigger mechanism ever made". Typically, the trigger spring would fail and this would reduce the revolver to single-action fire only. Outwardly, the Model 1877 shows a striking resemblance to the Colt Single Action Army revolver, however, it is scaled down slightly and much thinner in dimension. The bird's head grips were of checkered rosewood on the early guns and hard rubber on the majority of later-production guns. The "Lightning" was the favored personal weapon of famous Manchester (UK)

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

detective, and then head of CID,

Jerome Caminada Jerome Caminada (1844 – March 1914) was a 19th-century police officer in Manchester, England. Caminada served with the police between 1868 and 1899, and has been called Manchester's Sherlock Holmes. In 1897 he became the city's first CID super ...

. Old West outlaw

John Wesley Hardin John Wesley Hardin (May 26, 1853 – August 19, 1895) was an American Old West outlaw, gunfighter, and controversial folk icon. Hardin often got into trouble with the law from an early age. He killed his first man at the age of 15, claiming h ...

frequently used both "Lightning" and "Thunderer" versions, and the "Thunderer" was the preferred weapon of Billy the Kid, even carried by him when he was killed by Pat Garrett in 1881.

Doc Holliday John Henry Holliday (August 14, 1851 – November 8, 1887), better known as Doc Holliday, was an American gambler, gunfighter, and dentist. A close friend and associate of lawman Wyatt Earp, Holliday is best known for his role in the event ...

was also known to carry a nickel-plated "Thunderer" in his waistband as an accompanying gun to his nickel-plated Colt 1873. Both had ivory or pearl grips.

In popular culture

The song "41 Thunderer" by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer refers to such a gun.

References

External links

''The Colt Revolver in the American West—Model 1877 Lightning''
TheAutry.org {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Colt revolvers Early revolvers Double-action revolvers Guns of the American West 1877 introductions de:Colt Model 1877