Juramentados and the development of the Colt

Juramentados and the development of the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911

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Datu Panglima Hassan (center) and his warriors had a series of encounters against the troops of General
Leonard Wood. FROM THE BOOK A POLITICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, ETHNOGRAPHICAL, SOCIAL AND COMMERCIAL HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINE
ARCHIPELAGO EMBRACING THE WHOLE PERIOD OF SPANISH RULE WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE SUCCEEDING AMERICAN INSULAR GOVERNMENT
BY JOHN FOREMAN (1906).

Among the most repeated stories within Filipino martial arts (FMA) circles is how the fanatical Muslim warriors of Mindanao affected the development of the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol.

Robert A. Fulton, in his research paper titled The Legend of the Colt .45 Semi-Automatic Pistol and the Moros, wrote that while the Moros were indeed the reason for the development of a handgun with more stopping power than the .38 caliber revolver, the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol in actuality was not used in the Americans’ campaigns in Mindanao during the turn of the 20th century. The .45 caliber handguns that were actually used against the fanatical Moro warriors were the Colt .45 Model 1902 and DA Model 1909 revolvers. Fulton is also the author of the book Moroland: The History of Uncle Sam and the Moros 1899-1920.

Fulton’s paper includes accounts on the use of the .45 caliber handgun of American troops fighting the Moros, and it reads, “In mid-1903, the jurisdiction of Philippine Constabulary was extended to the lands of the Moros through a newly-formed subsidiary organization called Moro Constabulary. In early 1904 the Moro Constabulary fought side-by-side with the US Army while serving as scouts against the Moros. In his annual report of June 1904, General Leonard Wood stated what he thought was obvious to anyone paying attention, ‘It is thought that the .45 caliber revolver [meaning Constabulary Model 1902] is the one that should be issued to troops throughout the Army . . . Instances have repeatedly been reported during the past year where natives have been shot through and through several times with a .38 caliber revolver, and have come on, cutting up the unfortunate individual armed with it . . . The .45 caliber revolver stops a man on his tracks, usually knocking him down . . . “

The .45 caliber
handguns that were
actually used against
the Moro warriors
were the Colt .45
Model 1902 and DA
Model 1909 revolvers.

Besides the .45 caliber revolver, Wood also requested that soldiers assigned for outpost duty and as an advance guard be furnished with 12 gauge Winchester repeating shotguns.

Fulton wrote that in 1908, the Bureau of Ordnance finally approved the Colt .45 DA Model 1909 as the new service revolver of American troops. On the invention of the magazine-fed, semiautomatic Colt .45 Model 1911, he pointed out, “In March of 1911 the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol was selected as the official sidearm of the armed forces of the United States, replacing the M1909 revolver. But it would not be put into production for another year. However the new M1911 did not reach US Army units just after they had fought their last battle against the Moros in mid-1913.”

The Colt .45 caliber
Model 1911 semiautomatic
pistol in
actuality was not used
in the Americans’
campaigns in Mindanao
during the turn of the
20th century.
ALL IMAGES ARE FROM
PROJECT GUTENBERG

The juramentado, a Moro warrior with a blade in hand on a suicidal killing rampage against targeted enemies is a phenomenon unique to Mindanao. The term juramentado came from the Spanish word juramentar, which means “one who takes an oath.” Among the Tausugs, the term for this practice is parrang sabbil. In his book Parrang Sabbil: Ritual Suicide Among the Tausugs of Jolo released in 1973, Thomas Keifer explained the etymology of the term, “The words parrang sabbil are borrowed from Malay [perang sabif], parrang [Malay perang] meaning “war” and sabil [short for Arabic sabil Allah], “in the path of God”. A person who dies in the path of God is considered a martyr [shahid], and is entitled to the immediate rewards of heaven.”

Keifer wrote that there were two forms of parrang sabbil, it can be done by a single person or a group, attacking a Christian settlement or a military camp with the intention of killing and being killed. He traces the origin of the practice during the middle 19th century upon the Spanish intrusion of the island of Jolo. It continued during the American period and occasionally occurred by the end of the Second World War. Keifer clearly differentiated parrang sabbil from the classic Malaysian pattern of “running amok.” On this he wrote, “The so-called amok is usually described as a pattern of uncontrollable violent behavior directed randomly without apparent regard for the consequences. As such, it is usually regarded as an indication of psychological imbalance.”

A barong Sword

The following words are Keifer’s description of the elaborate preparatory ritual of the juramentado: “The preparatory rituals for a single individual act of parrang sabbil were quite complex, but basically were all extensions of the need to insure that the corpse of the sabbil would be properly prepared to enter the afterlife. Accordingly, all of the normal rituals for a corpse— or at least those which were feasible—were done for the suicide while he was still alive. Religious officials would bathe his body in the same manner as they would a corpse: three times facing east, three times facing west, and three times on his back. Dirt would be removed from the anus and other bodily orifices to insure complete ritual purity. The head would be- shaven, eyebrows plucked, and fingernails neatly trimmed. Finally, the suicide would be dressed in a suit of shroud-like white clothing specially prepared for the occasion. As is common in other Moslem rituals, the state of purity created by these rituals could be immediately broken by contact with women, bodily elimination, or any other unclean act. While not derived from the normal rituals for a corpse, one preparatory act is interesting as a reflection of the masochistic and quasi-sexual attitude which underlay much of the institution. The penis of the sabbil was bound tightly in an erect position to ensure the success of .the mission. While this might reasonably be interpreted as simply an instance of homeopathic magic (upright penis equals upright body) designed to ensure that the sabbil does not fall too quickly, the potential implications go even deeper. For a man to be in a state of ritual purity and nevertheless have an upright penis—albeit a magical one—is quite incongruous with Moslem ritual practice. Why this should be so is a puzzle, but it may be a reflection of a theme I will pursue in more detail below: that the peculiar value of the institution of sabbil for the Tausug is that it unites two otherwise disparate roles in their culture—the man of piety and the man of action.”

The book A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago Embracing the Whole Period of Spanish Rule with an Account of the Succeeding American Insular Government by John Foreman, published in 1906 mentioned how the juramentados posed a constant threat to a community: “Every few days a juramentado would enter the town and attack a white man with his bárong in broad daylight. There was nothing furtive in his movements, no hiding under cover to take his victim unawares, but a straight, bold frontal attack. Bárong in hand, a Moro once chased a soldier though the street, upstairs into a billiard-room, and down the other steps, where he was shot dead by a sentinel. At another time a juramentado obtained access into the town by crawling through a drain-pipe, and chased two soldiers until he was killed.”

A harrowing encounter with a Moro juramentado is vividly described in Victor Hurley’s Swish of the Kris, and it reads, “While they were tying these prisoners beneath the house, a Moro in a near-by field was plowing rice with a carabao. They heard him shout as he leaped to attack with a barong. “Timbuck aco,” he was shouting; “shoot me.” He came with long bounding strides, headed straight for the waiting patrol. Four of the soldiers opened fire on the advancing Moro in support of Lieutenant Ellsey. A stream of hot lead poured into his body, but the Moro never faltered. He came nearer, slower now, but still on his feet. The barong was upraised as he headed for Lieutenant Ellsey. Ellsey fired his last shot, and the Moro still came. Ten feet from the officer a Krag bullet thudded into the amuck’s spine. His legs gave away. As he fell, he hurled his barong before he died. The patrol stripped the dead man and turned him over. Twelve bullet holes were in his body. Ellsey had escaped decapitation by only ten feet.”

Juramentados and the development of the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911

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Ginebra downs TNT, seizes solo lead in team standings

Biden overtakes Trump in Georgia

Gonzales submits to Saputra; suffers second consecutive loss

Ravena’s B.League games air on Facebook, YouTube

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Datu Panglima Hassan (center) and his warriors had a series of encounters against the troops of General
Leonard Wood. FROM THE BOOK A POLITICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, ETHNOGRAPHICAL, SOCIAL AND COMMERCIAL HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINE
ARCHIPELAGO EMBRACING THE WHOLE PERIOD OF SPANISH RULE WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE SUCCEEDING AMERICAN INSULAR GOVERNMENT
BY JOHN FOREMAN (1906).

Among the most repeated stories within Filipino martial arts (FMA) circles is how the fanatical Muslim warriors of Mindanao affected the development of the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol.

Robert A. Fulton, in his research paper titled The Legend of the Colt .45 Semi-Automatic Pistol and the Moros, wrote that while the Moros were indeed the reason for the development of a handgun with more stopping power than the .38 caliber revolver, the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol in actuality was not used in the Americans’ campaigns in Mindanao during the turn of the 20th century. The .45 caliber handguns that were actually used against the fanatical Moro warriors were the Colt .45 Model 1902 and DA Model 1909 revolvers. Fulton is also the author of the book Moroland: The History of Uncle Sam and the Moros 1899-1920.

Fulton’s paper includes accounts on the use of the .45 caliber handgun of American troops fighting the Moros, and it reads, “In mid-1903, the jurisdiction of Philippine Constabulary was extended to the lands of the Moros through a newly-formed subsidiary organization called Moro Constabulary. In early 1904 the Moro Constabulary fought side-by-side with the US Army while serving as scouts against the Moros. In his annual report of June 1904, General Leonard Wood stated what he thought was obvious to anyone paying attention, ‘It is thought that the .45 caliber revolver [meaning Constabulary Model 1902] is the one that should be issued to troops throughout the Army . . . Instances have repeatedly been reported during the past year where natives have been shot through and through several times with a .38 caliber revolver, and have come on, cutting up the unfortunate individual armed with it . . . The .45 caliber revolver stops a man on his tracks, usually knocking him down . . . “

The .45 caliber
handguns that were
actually used against
the Moro warriors
were the Colt .45
Model 1902 and DA
Model 1909 revolvers.

Besides the .45 caliber revolver, Wood also requested that soldiers assigned for outpost duty and as an advance guard be furnished with 12 gauge Winchester repeating shotguns.

Fulton wrote that in 1908, the Bureau of Ordnance finally approved the Colt .45 DA Model 1909 as the new service revolver of American troops. On the invention of the magazine-fed, semiautomatic Colt .45 Model 1911, he pointed out, “In March of 1911 the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol was selected as the official sidearm of the armed forces of the United States, replacing the M1909 revolver. But it would not be put into production for another year. However the new M1911 did not reach US Army units just after they had fought their last battle against the Moros in mid-1913.”

The Colt .45 caliber
Model 1911 semiautomatic
pistol in
actuality was not used
in the Americans’
campaigns in Mindanao
during the turn of the
20th century.
ALL IMAGES ARE FROM
PROJECT GUTENBERG

The juramentado, a Moro warrior with a blade in hand on a suicidal killing rampage against targeted enemies is a phenomenon unique to Mindanao. The term juramentado came from the Spanish word juramentar, which means “one who takes an oath.” Among the Tausugs, the term for this practice is parrang sabbil. In his book Parrang Sabbil: Ritual Suicide Among the Tausugs of Jolo released in 1973, Thomas Keifer explained the etymology of the term, “The words parrang sabbil are borrowed from Malay [perang sabif], parrang [Malay perang] meaning “war” and sabil [short for Arabic sabil Allah], “in the path of God”. A person who dies in the path of God is considered a martyr [shahid], and is entitled to the immediate rewards of heaven.”

Keifer wrote that there were two forms of parrang sabbil, it can be done by a single person or a group, attacking a Christian settlement or a military camp with the intention of killing and being killed. He traces the origin of the practice during the middle 19th century upon the Spanish intrusion of the island of Jolo. It continued during the American period and occasionally occurred by the end of the Second World War. Keifer clearly differentiated parrang sabbil from the classic Malaysian pattern of “running amok.” On this he wrote, “The so-called amok is usually described as a pattern of uncontrollable violent behavior directed randomly without apparent regard for the consequences. As such, it is usually regarded as an indication of psychological imbalance.”

A barong Sword

The following words are Keifer’s description of the elaborate preparatory ritual of the juramentado: “The preparatory rituals for a single individual act of parrang sabbil were quite complex, but basically were all extensions of the need to insure that the corpse of the sabbil would be properly prepared to enter the afterlife. Accordingly, all of the normal rituals for a corpse— or at least those which were feasible—were done for the suicide while he was still alive. Religious officials would bathe his body in the same manner as they would a corpse: three times facing east, three times facing west, and three times on his back. Dirt would be removed from the anus and other bodily orifices to insure complete ritual purity. The head would be- shaven, eyebrows plucked, and fingernails neatly trimmed. Finally, the suicide would be dressed in a suit of shroud-like white clothing specially prepared for the occasion. As is common in other Moslem rituals, the state of purity created by these rituals could be immediately broken by contact with women, bodily elimination, or any other unclean act. While not derived from the normal rituals for a corpse, one preparatory act is interesting as a reflection of the masochistic and quasi-sexual attitude which underlay much of the institution. The penis of the sabbil was bound tightly in an erect position to ensure the success of .the mission. While this might reasonably be interpreted as simply an instance of homeopathic magic (upright penis equals upright body) designed to ensure that the sabbil does not fall too quickly, the potential implications go even deeper. For a man to be in a state of ritual purity and nevertheless have an upright penis—albeit a magical one—is quite incongruous with Moslem ritual practice. Why this should be so is a puzzle, but it may be a reflection of a theme I will pursue in more detail below: that the peculiar value of the institution of sabbil for the Tausug is that it unites two otherwise disparate roles in their culture—the man of piety and the man of action.”

The book A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago Embracing the Whole Period of Spanish Rule with an Account of the Succeeding American Insular Government by John Foreman, published in 1906 mentioned how the juramentados posed a constant threat to a community: “Every few days a juramentado would enter the town and attack a white man with his bárong in broad daylight. There was nothing furtive in his movements, no hiding under cover to take his victim unawares, but a straight, bold frontal attack. Bárong in hand, a Moro once chased a soldier though the street, upstairs into a billiard-room, and down the other steps, where he was shot dead by a sentinel. At another time a juramentado obtained access into the town by crawling through a drain-pipe, and chased two soldiers until he was killed.”

A harrowing encounter with a Moro juramentado is vividly described in Victor Hurley’s Swish of the Kris, and it reads, “While they were tying these prisoners beneath the house, a Moro in a near-by field was plowing rice with a carabao. They heard him shout as he leaped to attack with a barong. “Timbuck aco,” he was shouting; “shoot me.” He came with long bounding strides, headed straight for the waiting patrol. Four of the soldiers opened fire on the advancing Moro in support of Lieutenant Ellsey. A stream of hot lead poured into his body, but the Moro never faltered. He came nearer, slower now, but still on his feet. The barong was upraised as he headed for Lieutenant Ellsey. Ellsey fired his last shot, and the Moro still came. Ten feet from the officer a Krag bullet thudded into the amuck’s spine. His legs gave away. As he fell, he hurled his barong before he died. The patrol stripped the dead man and turned him over. Twelve bullet holes were in his body. Ellsey had escaped decapitation by only ten feet.”

Juramentados and the development of the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911

Latest Stories

Ginebra downs TNT, seizes solo lead in team standings

Biden overtakes Trump in Georgia

Gonzales submits to Saputra; suffers second consecutive loss

Ravena’s B.League games air on Facebook, YouTube

Over 3M Filipinos registered in Step 1 of National ID

Datu Panglima Hassan (center) and his warriors had a series of encounters against the troops of General
Leonard Wood. FROM THE BOOK A POLITICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, ETHNOGRAPHICAL, SOCIAL AND COMMERCIAL HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINE
ARCHIPELAGO EMBRACING THE WHOLE PERIOD OF SPANISH RULE WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE SUCCEEDING AMERICAN INSULAR GOVERNMENT
BY JOHN FOREMAN (1906).

Among the most repeated stories within Filipino martial arts (FMA) circles is how the fanatical Muslim warriors of Mindanao affected the development of the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol.

Robert A. Fulton, in his research paper titled The Legend of the Colt .45 Semi-Automatic Pistol and the Moros, wrote that while the Moros were indeed the reason for the development of a handgun with more stopping power than the .38 caliber revolver, the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol in actuality was not used in the Americans’ campaigns in Mindanao during the turn of the 20th century. The .45 caliber handguns that were actually used against the fanatical Moro warriors were the Colt .45 Model 1902 and DA Model 1909 revolvers. Fulton is also the author of the book Moroland: The History of Uncle Sam and the Moros 1899-1920.

Fulton’s paper includes accounts on the use of the .45 caliber handgun of American troops fighting the Moros, and it reads, “In mid-1903, the jurisdiction of Philippine Constabulary was extended to the lands of the Moros through a newly-formed subsidiary organization called Moro Constabulary. In early 1904 the Moro Constabulary fought side-by-side with the US Army while serving as scouts against the Moros. In his annual report of June 1904, General Leonard Wood stated what he thought was obvious to anyone paying attention, ‘It is thought that the .45 caliber revolver [meaning Constabulary Model 1902] is the one that should be issued to troops throughout the Army . . . Instances have repeatedly been reported during the past year where natives have been shot through and through several times with a .38 caliber revolver, and have come on, cutting up the unfortunate individual armed with it . . . The .45 caliber revolver stops a man on his tracks, usually knocking him down . . . “

The .45 caliber
handguns that were
actually used against
the Moro warriors
were the Colt .45
Model 1902 and DA
Model 1909 revolvers.

Besides the .45 caliber revolver, Wood also requested that soldiers assigned for outpost duty and as an advance guard be furnished with 12 gauge Winchester repeating shotguns.

Fulton wrote that in 1908, the Bureau of Ordnance finally approved the Colt .45 DA Model 1909 as the new service revolver of American troops. On the invention of the magazine-fed, semiautomatic Colt .45 Model 1911, he pointed out, “In March of 1911 the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol was selected as the official sidearm of the armed forces of the United States, replacing the M1909 revolver. But it would not be put into production for another year. However the new M1911 did not reach US Army units just after they had fought their last battle against the Moros in mid-1913.”

The Colt .45 caliber
Model 1911 semiautomatic
pistol in
actuality was not used
in the Americans’
campaigns in Mindanao
during the turn of the
20th century.
ALL IMAGES ARE FROM
PROJECT GUTENBERG

The juramentado, a Moro warrior with a blade in hand on a suicidal killing rampage against targeted enemies is a phenomenon unique to Mindanao. The term juramentado came from the Spanish word juramentar, which means “one who takes an oath.” Among the Tausugs, the term for this practice is parrang sabbil. In his book Parrang Sabbil: Ritual Suicide Among the Tausugs of Jolo released in 1973, Thomas Keifer explained the etymology of the term, “The words parrang sabbil are borrowed from Malay [perang sabif], parrang [Malay perang] meaning “war” and sabil [short for Arabic sabil Allah], “in the path of God”. A person who dies in the path of God is considered a martyr [shahid], and is entitled to the immediate rewards of heaven.”

Keifer wrote that there were two forms of parrang sabbil, it can be done by a single person or a group, attacking a Christian settlement or a military camp with the intention of killing and being killed. He traces the origin of the practice during the middle 19th century upon the Spanish intrusion of the island of Jolo. It continued during the American period and occasionally occurred by the end of the Second World War. Keifer clearly differentiated parrang sabbil from the classic Malaysian pattern of “running amok.” On this he wrote, “The so-called amok is usually described as a pattern of uncontrollable violent behavior directed randomly without apparent regard for the consequences. As such, it is usually regarded as an indication of psychological imbalance.”

A barong Sword

The following words are Keifer’s description of the elaborate preparatory ritual of the juramentado: “The preparatory rituals for a single individual act of parrang sabbil were quite complex, but basically were all extensions of the need to insure that the corpse of the sabbil would be properly prepared to enter the afterlife. Accordingly, all of the normal rituals for a corpse— or at least those which were feasible—were done for the suicide while he was still alive. Religious officials would bathe his body in the same manner as they would a corpse: three times facing east, three times facing west, and three times on his back. Dirt would be removed from the anus and other bodily orifices to insure complete ritual purity. The head would be- shaven, eyebrows plucked, and fingernails neatly trimmed. Finally, the suicide would be dressed in a suit of shroud-like white clothing specially prepared for the occasion. As is common in other Moslem rituals, the state of purity created by these rituals could be immediately broken by contact with women, bodily elimination, or any other unclean act. While not derived from the normal rituals for a corpse, one preparatory act is interesting as a reflection of the masochistic and quasi-sexual attitude which underlay much of the institution. The penis of the sabbil was bound tightly in an erect position to ensure the success of .the mission. While this might reasonably be interpreted as simply an instance of homeopathic magic (upright penis equals upright body) designed to ensure that the sabbil does not fall too quickly, the potential implications go even deeper. For a man to be in a state of ritual purity and nevertheless have an upright penis—albeit a magical one—is quite incongruous with Moslem ritual practice. Why this should be so is a puzzle, but it may be a reflection of a theme I will pursue in more detail below: that the peculiar value of the institution of sabbil for the Tausug is that it unites two otherwise disparate roles in their culture—the man of piety and the man of action.”

The book A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago Embracing the Whole Period of Spanish Rule with an Account of the Succeeding American Insular Government by John Foreman, published in 1906 mentioned how the juramentados posed a constant threat to a community: “Every few days a juramentado would enter the town and attack a white man with his bárong in broad daylight. There was nothing furtive in his movements, no hiding under cover to take his victim unawares, but a straight, bold frontal attack. Bárong in hand, a Moro once chased a soldier though the street, upstairs into a billiard-room, and down the other steps, where he was shot dead by a sentinel. At another time a juramentado obtained access into the town by crawling through a drain-pipe, and chased two soldiers until he was killed.”

A harrowing encounter with a Moro juramentado is vividly described in Victor Hurley’s Swish of the Kris, and it reads, “While they were tying these prisoners beneath the house, a Moro in a near-by field was plowing rice with a carabao. They heard him shout as he leaped to attack with a barong. “Timbuck aco,” he was shouting; “shoot me.” He came with long bounding strides, headed straight for the waiting patrol. Four of the soldiers opened fire on the advancing Moro in support of Lieutenant Ellsey. A stream of hot lead poured into his body, but the Moro never faltered. He came nearer, slower now, but still on his feet. The barong was upraised as he headed for Lieutenant Ellsey. Ellsey fired his last shot, and the Moro still came. Ten feet from the officer a Krag bullet thudded into the amuck’s spine. His legs gave away. As he fell, he hurled his barong before he died. The patrol stripped the dead man and turned him over. Twelve bullet holes were in his body. Ellsey had escaped decapitation by only ten feet.”

The Colt New Service was introduced in 1898. It was an up-sized and strengthened Colt M1892 and Colt Firearms first large caliber revolver with a swing-out hand ejector cylinder. It was made in the popular large caliber revolver cartridges of the day: .38-40, .44-40, .44 Russian, .44 Special, .45 Colt, and .455 Webley. It was made with a blued finish or nickel plating, and with a 4″, 4½”, 5″, 5½”, 6″, and 7½” barrels. It also came with walnut or hard rubber grips.

Model 1909 [ edit ]

The Colt M1892 revolver was thought of as a decent handgun for its time, but complaints soon arose concerning the .38 Long Colts stopping power. Beginning in 1899, combat reports from the Philippines campaign showed that the .38 caliber bullets repeatedly failed to stop Moro fighters, even when shot multiple times at close range. [4] The complaints caused the U.S. Army to hurriedly re-issue the now retired .45 caliber Colt Single Action Army revolvers with newly shorten 5½” barrels. These old war horses handily stopped the kris and bolo wielding fighters and played a central role in the Army’s decision to replace the M1892 with the .45 caliber New Service revolver in 1909. [5] It also played a key role in the Army’s decision to adopt the .45 ACP M1911 Colt pistol. [6] The Model 1909 in .45 Colt with a 5½” barrel, was adopted by the U.S. Armed Forces as the “Model 1909 U.S. Army”, the “Model 1909 U.S. Navy” and the “USMC Model 1909”. [1]

British .455 Webley Model [ edit ]

In 1899 Canada acquired a number of New Service revolvers (chambered in .45 Colt) for Boer War service, to supplement its existing M1878 Colt Double Action revolvers in the same caliber. [7] In 1904/5 the North-West Mounted Police in Canada also adopted the Colt New Service to replace the less-than satisfactory Enfield Mk II revolver in service since 1882. [8]

New Service revolvers, designated as Pistol, Colt, .455-inch 5.5-inch barrel Mk. I, chambered for the .455 Webley cartridge were acquired for issue as “substitute standard” by the British War Department during World War I. [9] British Empire Colt New Service Revolvers were stamped “NEW SERVICE .455 ELEY” on the barrel, [10] to differentiate them from the .45 Colt versions used by the US (and Canada).

The Colt New Service was a popular revolver with British officers and many of them had privately purchased their own Colt New Service revolvers in the years prior to World War I as an alternative to the standard-issue Webley Revolver. British Empire and Canadian forces received 60,000 Colt New Service revolvers during World War I and they continued to see official service until the end of World War II. [10]

Colt M1917 revolver [ edit ]

The U.S. Army Model 1917 was created to supplement insufficient stocks of M1911 pistols during World War I. [2] The Colt M1917 Revolver was a New Service with a cylinder bored to take the .45 ACP cartridge and the half-moon clips to hold the rimless cartridges in position. Later production Colt M1917 revolvers had headspacing machined into the cylinder chambers, just as the Smith & Wesson M1917 revolvers had from the start. Newer Colt production could be fired without the half-moon clips, but the empty cartridge cases had to be ejected with a device such as a cleaning rod or pencil, as the cylinder extractor and ejector would pass over the rims of the rimless cartridges. As a result of these issues, a commercial rimmed cartridge the .45 Auto Rim was developed that allowed the M1917 to be fired without the need for moon-clips. After World War I, the revolver gained a strong following among civilian shooters. [3] The M1917s saw action again during World War II, when it was issued to “specialty troops such as tankers and artillery personnel.” [11] During the Korean War they were again issued to support-troops. [11] The M1917s were even used by the “tunnel rats” during the Vietnam War. [11]

Fitz Special [ edit ]

John Henry Fitzgerald first came up with the Fitz Special snubnosed revolver concept around the mid 1920s, when he modified a .38 Special Colt Police Positive Special revolver, whose shortest available barrel length was four inches. [12] He later modified two .45 Colt New Service revolvers in the same manner, [13] and was known to carry the pair in his front pockets.

Fitz Special revolvers are made by taking any standard size Colt revolver, shortening the barrel to two inches, shortening the ejector rod, bobbing the hammer spur, rounding the butt, and removing the front half of the trigger guard. Reshaping the hammer and the butt allows the gun to be drawn quickly with little risk of the weapon snagging on clothing. The halved trigger guard facilitates quick trigger acquisition, even for shooters with large fingers or gloves. [14]

Historians believe that somewhere between 40 and 200 Fitz Specials left the factory, made from various Colt revolvers, by Fitzgerald himself. [15] The Fitz Special was the precursor to the modern snubnosed revolver and specifically the prototype for the Colt Detective Special the first production two-inch snubnosed revolver. Even after the introduction of the Detective Special in 1927, Fitz continued to make custom revolvers for special clients.

Colonels Rex Applegate [16] and Charles Askins were proponents of the Fitz Special, [15] [3] and it would become a popular after-market conversion for many gunsmiths. Charles Lindbergh, William Powell and Clyde Barrow were also known to carry Fitz Specials. [15]

.357 Magnum Models [ edit ]

In 1933, the New Service was chambered for .38 Special, and .44 Russian, other less common calibers were discontinued. In 1936, the New Service was chambered for new .357 Magnum cartridge. As one of the most powerful handgun cartridges available of the time, it was easily capable of penetrating the automobile bodies and body armor used by the gangsters, bank robbers and fugitives of that era. As such, it became instantly popular with Lawmen, State Troopers and Highway Patrolmen. These guns were offered with 4″, 5″ and 6″ barrels. The early models came with checkered walnut grips, while the later models used plastic-like “Coltwood” grips.

With the onset of World War II the Colt New Service was discontinued in 1941. It was the largest revolver ever manufactured by Colt and one of the largest production revolvers of all time until the introduction of the .44 Magnum Colt Anaconda in 1990. There are several generational variants including the “Old Model” (which refers to the first 21,000 units made),”Transitional Model” (which incorporated a hammer-block safety), “Improved Model” (325,000 units) and “Late Model” (manufactured from 1928 to 1941). A “Target Model”, “Shooting Master” and “Deluxe Target Model” were offered as well. [17]

Juramentados and the development of the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911

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Datu Panglima Hassan (center) and his warriors had a series of encounters against the troops of General
Leonard Wood. FROM THE BOOK A POLITICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, ETHNOGRAPHICAL, SOCIAL AND COMMERCIAL HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINE
ARCHIPELAGO EMBRACING THE WHOLE PERIOD OF SPANISH RULE WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE SUCCEEDING AMERICAN INSULAR GOVERNMENT
BY JOHN FOREMAN (1906).

Among the most repeated stories within Filipino martial arts (FMA) circles is how the fanatical Muslim warriors of Mindanao affected the development of the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol.

Robert A. Fulton, in his research paper titled The Legend of the Colt .45 Semi-Automatic Pistol and the Moros, wrote that while the Moros were indeed the reason for the development of a handgun with more stopping power than the .38 caliber revolver, the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol in actuality was not used in the Americans’ campaigns in Mindanao during the turn of the 20th century. The .45 caliber handguns that were actually used against the fanatical Moro warriors were the Colt .45 Model 1902 and DA Model 1909 revolvers. Fulton is also the author of the book Moroland: The History of Uncle Sam and the Moros 1899-1920.

Fulton’s paper includes accounts on the use of the .45 caliber handgun of American troops fighting the Moros, and it reads, “In mid-1903, the jurisdiction of Philippine Constabulary was extended to the lands of the Moros through a newly-formed subsidiary organization called Moro Constabulary. In early 1904 the Moro Constabulary fought side-by-side with the US Army while serving as scouts against the Moros. In his annual report of June 1904, General Leonard Wood stated what he thought was obvious to anyone paying attention, ‘It is thought that the .45 caliber revolver [meaning Constabulary Model 1902] is the one that should be issued to troops throughout the Army . . . Instances have repeatedly been reported during the past year where natives have been shot through and through several times with a .38 caliber revolver, and have come on, cutting up the unfortunate individual armed with it . . . The .45 caliber revolver stops a man on his tracks, usually knocking him down . . . “

The .45 caliber
handguns that were
actually used against
the Moro warriors
were the Colt .45
Model 1902 and DA
Model 1909 revolvers.

Besides the .45 caliber revolver, Wood also requested that soldiers assigned for outpost duty and as an advance guard be furnished with 12 gauge Winchester repeating shotguns.

Fulton wrote that in 1908, the Bureau of Ordnance finally approved the Colt .45 DA Model 1909 as the new service revolver of American troops. On the invention of the magazine-fed, semiautomatic Colt .45 Model 1911, he pointed out, “In March of 1911 the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol was selected as the official sidearm of the armed forces of the United States, replacing the M1909 revolver. But it would not be put into production for another year. However the new M1911 did not reach US Army units just after they had fought their last battle against the Moros in mid-1913.”

The Colt .45 caliber
Model 1911 semiautomatic
pistol in
actuality was not used
in the Americans’
campaigns in Mindanao
during the turn of the
20th century.
ALL IMAGES ARE FROM
PROJECT GUTENBERG

The juramentado, a Moro warrior with a blade in hand on a suicidal killing rampage against targeted enemies is a phenomenon unique to Mindanao. The term juramentado came from the Spanish word juramentar, which means “one who takes an oath.” Among the Tausugs, the term for this practice is parrang sabbil. In his book Parrang Sabbil: Ritual Suicide Among the Tausugs of Jolo released in 1973, Thomas Keifer explained the etymology of the term, “The words parrang sabbil are borrowed from Malay [perang sabif], parrang [Malay perang] meaning “war” and sabil [short for Arabic sabil Allah], “in the path of God”. A person who dies in the path of God is considered a martyr [shahid], and is entitled to the immediate rewards of heaven.”

Keifer wrote that there were two forms of parrang sabbil, it can be done by a single person or a group, attacking a Christian settlement or a military camp with the intention of killing and being killed. He traces the origin of the practice during the middle 19th century upon the Spanish intrusion of the island of Jolo. It continued during the American period and occasionally occurred by the end of the Second World War. Keifer clearly differentiated parrang sabbil from the classic Malaysian pattern of “running amok.” On this he wrote, “The so-called amok is usually described as a pattern of uncontrollable violent behavior directed randomly without apparent regard for the consequences. As such, it is usually regarded as an indication of psychological imbalance.”

A barong Sword

The following words are Keifer’s description of the elaborate preparatory ritual of the juramentado: “The preparatory rituals for a single individual act of parrang sabbil were quite complex, but basically were all extensions of the need to insure that the corpse of the sabbil would be properly prepared to enter the afterlife. Accordingly, all of the normal rituals for a corpse— or at least those which were feasible—were done for the suicide while he was still alive. Religious officials would bathe his body in the same manner as they would a corpse: three times facing east, three times facing west, and three times on his back. Dirt would be removed from the anus and other bodily orifices to insure complete ritual purity. The head would be- shaven, eyebrows plucked, and fingernails neatly trimmed. Finally, the suicide would be dressed in a suit of shroud-like white clothing specially prepared for the occasion. As is common in other Moslem rituals, the state of purity created by these rituals could be immediately broken by contact with women, bodily elimination, or any other unclean act. While not derived from the normal rituals for a corpse, one preparatory act is interesting as a reflection of the masochistic and quasi-sexual attitude which underlay much of the institution. The penis of the sabbil was bound tightly in an erect position to ensure the success of .the mission. While this might reasonably be interpreted as simply an instance of homeopathic magic (upright penis equals upright body) designed to ensure that the sabbil does not fall too quickly, the potential implications go even deeper. For a man to be in a state of ritual purity and nevertheless have an upright penis—albeit a magical one—is quite incongruous with Moslem ritual practice. Why this should be so is a puzzle, but it may be a reflection of a theme I will pursue in more detail below: that the peculiar value of the institution of sabbil for the Tausug is that it unites two otherwise disparate roles in their culture—the man of piety and the man of action.”

The book A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago Embracing the Whole Period of Spanish Rule with an Account of the Succeeding American Insular Government by John Foreman, published in 1906 mentioned how the juramentados posed a constant threat to a community: “Every few days a juramentado would enter the town and attack a white man with his bárong in broad daylight. There was nothing furtive in his movements, no hiding under cover to take his victim unawares, but a straight, bold frontal attack. Bárong in hand, a Moro once chased a soldier though the street, upstairs into a billiard-room, and down the other steps, where he was shot dead by a sentinel. At another time a juramentado obtained access into the town by crawling through a drain-pipe, and chased two soldiers until he was killed.”

A harrowing encounter with a Moro juramentado is vividly described in Victor Hurley’s Swish of the Kris, and it reads, “While they were tying these prisoners beneath the house, a Moro in a near-by field was plowing rice with a carabao. They heard him shout as he leaped to attack with a barong. “Timbuck aco,” he was shouting; “shoot me.” He came with long bounding strides, headed straight for the waiting patrol. Four of the soldiers opened fire on the advancing Moro in support of Lieutenant Ellsey. A stream of hot lead poured into his body, but the Moro never faltered. He came nearer, slower now, but still on his feet. The barong was upraised as he headed for Lieutenant Ellsey. Ellsey fired his last shot, and the Moro still came. Ten feet from the officer a Krag bullet thudded into the amuck’s spine. His legs gave away. As he fell, he hurled his barong before he died. The patrol stripped the dead man and turned him over. Twelve bullet holes were in his body. Ellsey had escaped decapitation by only ten feet.”

The Colt New Service was introduced in 1898. It was an up-sized and strengthened Colt M1892 and Colt Firearms first large caliber revolver with a swing-out hand ejector cylinder. It was made in the popular large caliber revolver cartridges of the day: .38-40, .44-40, .44 Russian, .44 Special, .45 Colt, and .455 Webley. It was made with a blued finish or nickel plating, and with a 4″, 4½”, 5″, 5½”, 6″, and 7½” barrels. It also came with walnut or hard rubber grips.

Model 1909 [ edit ]

The Colt M1892 revolver was thought of as a decent handgun for its time, but complaints soon arose concerning the .38 Long Colts stopping power. Beginning in 1899, combat reports from the Philippines campaign showed that the .38 caliber bullets repeatedly failed to stop Moro fighters, even when shot multiple times at close range. [4] The complaints caused the U.S. Army to hurriedly re-issue the now retired .45 caliber Colt Single Action Army revolvers with newly shorten 5½” barrels. These old war horses handily stopped the kris and bolo wielding fighters and played a central role in the Army’s decision to replace the M1892 with the .45 caliber New Service revolver in 1909. [5] It also played a key role in the Army’s decision to adopt the .45 ACP M1911 Colt pistol. [6] The Model 1909 in .45 Colt with a 5½” barrel, was adopted by the U.S. Armed Forces as the “Model 1909 U.S. Army”, the “Model 1909 U.S. Navy” and the “USMC Model 1909”. [1]

British .455 Webley Model [ edit ]

In 1899 Canada acquired a number of New Service revolvers (chambered in .45 Colt) for Boer War service, to supplement its existing M1878 Colt Double Action revolvers in the same caliber. [7] In 1904/5 the North-West Mounted Police in Canada also adopted the Colt New Service to replace the less-than satisfactory Enfield Mk II revolver in service since 1882. [8]

New Service revolvers, designated as Pistol, Colt, .455-inch 5.5-inch barrel Mk. I, chambered for the .455 Webley cartridge were acquired for issue as “substitute standard” by the British War Department during World War I. [9] British Empire Colt New Service Revolvers were stamped “NEW SERVICE .455 ELEY” on the barrel, [10] to differentiate them from the .45 Colt versions used by the US (and Canada).

The Colt New Service was a popular revolver with British officers and many of them had privately purchased their own Colt New Service revolvers in the years prior to World War I as an alternative to the standard-issue Webley Revolver. British Empire and Canadian forces received 60,000 Colt New Service revolvers during World War I and they continued to see official service until the end of World War II. [10]

Colt M1917 revolver [ edit ]

The U.S. Army Model 1917 was created to supplement insufficient stocks of M1911 pistols during World War I. [2] The Colt M1917 Revolver was a New Service with a cylinder bored to take the .45 ACP cartridge and the half-moon clips to hold the rimless cartridges in position. Later production Colt M1917 revolvers had headspacing machined into the cylinder chambers, just as the Smith & Wesson M1917 revolvers had from the start. Newer Colt production could be fired without the half-moon clips, but the empty cartridge cases had to be ejected with a device such as a cleaning rod or pencil, as the cylinder extractor and ejector would pass over the rims of the rimless cartridges. As a result of these issues, a commercial rimmed cartridge the .45 Auto Rim was developed that allowed the M1917 to be fired without the need for moon-clips. After World War I, the revolver gained a strong following among civilian shooters. [3] The M1917s saw action again during World War II, when it was issued to “specialty troops such as tankers and artillery personnel.” [11] During the Korean War they were again issued to support-troops. [11] The M1917s were even used by the “tunnel rats” during the Vietnam War. [11]

Fitz Special [ edit ]

John Henry Fitzgerald first came up with the Fitz Special snubnosed revolver concept around the mid 1920s, when he modified a .38 Special Colt Police Positive Special revolver, whose shortest available barrel length was four inches. [12] He later modified two .45 Colt New Service revolvers in the same manner, [13] and was known to carry the pair in his front pockets.

Fitz Special revolvers are made by taking any standard size Colt revolver, shortening the barrel to two inches, shortening the ejector rod, bobbing the hammer spur, rounding the butt, and removing the front half of the trigger guard. Reshaping the hammer and the butt allows the gun to be drawn quickly with little risk of the weapon snagging on clothing. The halved trigger guard facilitates quick trigger acquisition, even for shooters with large fingers or gloves. [14]

Historians believe that somewhere between 40 and 200 Fitz Specials left the factory, made from various Colt revolvers, by Fitzgerald himself. [15] The Fitz Special was the precursor to the modern snubnosed revolver and specifically the prototype for the Colt Detective Special the first production two-inch snubnosed revolver. Even after the introduction of the Detective Special in 1927, Fitz continued to make custom revolvers for special clients.

Colonels Rex Applegate [16] and Charles Askins were proponents of the Fitz Special, [15] [3] and it would become a popular after-market conversion for many gunsmiths. Charles Lindbergh, William Powell and Clyde Barrow were also known to carry Fitz Specials. [15]

.357 Magnum Models [ edit ]

In 1933, the New Service was chambered for .38 Special, and .44 Russian, other less common calibers were discontinued. In 1936, the New Service was chambered for new .357 Magnum cartridge. As one of the most powerful handgun cartridges available of the time, it was easily capable of penetrating the automobile bodies and body armor used by the gangsters, bank robbers and fugitives of that era. As such, it became instantly popular with Lawmen, State Troopers and Highway Patrolmen. These guns were offered with 4″, 5″ and 6″ barrels. The early models came with checkered walnut grips, while the later models used plastic-like “Coltwood” grips.

With the onset of World War II the Colt New Service was discontinued in 1941. It was the largest revolver ever manufactured by Colt and one of the largest production revolvers of all time until the introduction of the .44 Magnum Colt Anaconda in 1990. There are several generational variants including the “Old Model” (which refers to the first 21,000 units made),”Transitional Model” (which incorporated a hammer-block safety), “Improved Model” (325,000 units) and “Late Model” (manufactured from 1928 to 1941). A “Target Model”, “Shooting Master” and “Deluxe Target Model” were offered as well. [17]

Juramentados and the development of the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911

Latest Stories

Ginebra downs TNT, seizes solo lead in team standings

Biden overtakes Trump in Georgia

Gonzales submits to Saputra; suffers second consecutive loss

Ravena’s B.League games air on Facebook, YouTube

Over 3M Filipinos registered in Step 1 of National ID

Datu Panglima Hassan (center) and his warriors had a series of encounters against the troops of General
Leonard Wood. FROM THE BOOK A POLITICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, ETHNOGRAPHICAL, SOCIAL AND COMMERCIAL HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINE
ARCHIPELAGO EMBRACING THE WHOLE PERIOD OF SPANISH RULE WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE SUCCEEDING AMERICAN INSULAR GOVERNMENT
BY JOHN FOREMAN (1906).

Among the most repeated stories within Filipino martial arts (FMA) circles is how the fanatical Muslim warriors of Mindanao affected the development of the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol.

Robert A. Fulton, in his research paper titled The Legend of the Colt .45 Semi-Automatic Pistol and the Moros, wrote that while the Moros were indeed the reason for the development of a handgun with more stopping power than the .38 caliber revolver, the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol in actuality was not used in the Americans’ campaigns in Mindanao during the turn of the 20th century. The .45 caliber handguns that were actually used against the fanatical Moro warriors were the Colt .45 Model 1902 and DA Model 1909 revolvers. Fulton is also the author of the book Moroland: The History of Uncle Sam and the Moros 1899-1920.

Fulton’s paper includes accounts on the use of the .45 caliber handgun of American troops fighting the Moros, and it reads, “In mid-1903, the jurisdiction of Philippine Constabulary was extended to the lands of the Moros through a newly-formed subsidiary organization called Moro Constabulary. In early 1904 the Moro Constabulary fought side-by-side with the US Army while serving as scouts against the Moros. In his annual report of June 1904, General Leonard Wood stated what he thought was obvious to anyone paying attention, ‘It is thought that the .45 caliber revolver [meaning Constabulary Model 1902] is the one that should be issued to troops throughout the Army . . . Instances have repeatedly been reported during the past year where natives have been shot through and through several times with a .38 caliber revolver, and have come on, cutting up the unfortunate individual armed with it . . . The .45 caliber revolver stops a man on his tracks, usually knocking him down . . . “

The .45 caliber
handguns that were
actually used against
the Moro warriors
were the Colt .45
Model 1902 and DA
Model 1909 revolvers.

Besides the .45 caliber revolver, Wood also requested that soldiers assigned for outpost duty and as an advance guard be furnished with 12 gauge Winchester repeating shotguns.

Fulton wrote that in 1908, the Bureau of Ordnance finally approved the Colt .45 DA Model 1909 as the new service revolver of American troops. On the invention of the magazine-fed, semiautomatic Colt .45 Model 1911, he pointed out, “In March of 1911 the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol was selected as the official sidearm of the armed forces of the United States, replacing the M1909 revolver. But it would not be put into production for another year. However the new M1911 did not reach US Army units just after they had fought their last battle against the Moros in mid-1913.”

The Colt .45 caliber
Model 1911 semiautomatic
pistol in
actuality was not used
in the Americans’
campaigns in Mindanao
during the turn of the
20th century.
ALL IMAGES ARE FROM
PROJECT GUTENBERG

The juramentado, a Moro warrior with a blade in hand on a suicidal killing rampage against targeted enemies is a phenomenon unique to Mindanao. The term juramentado came from the Spanish word juramentar, which means “one who takes an oath.” Among the Tausugs, the term for this practice is parrang sabbil. In his book Parrang Sabbil: Ritual Suicide Among the Tausugs of Jolo released in 1973, Thomas Keifer explained the etymology of the term, “The words parrang sabbil are borrowed from Malay [perang sabif], parrang [Malay perang] meaning “war” and sabil [short for Arabic sabil Allah], “in the path of God”. A person who dies in the path of God is considered a martyr [shahid], and is entitled to the immediate rewards of heaven.”

Keifer wrote that there were two forms of parrang sabbil, it can be done by a single person or a group, attacking a Christian settlement or a military camp with the intention of killing and being killed. He traces the origin of the practice during the middle 19th century upon the Spanish intrusion of the island of Jolo. It continued during the American period and occasionally occurred by the end of the Second World War. Keifer clearly differentiated parrang sabbil from the classic Malaysian pattern of “running amok.” On this he wrote, “The so-called amok is usually described as a pattern of uncontrollable violent behavior directed randomly without apparent regard for the consequences. As such, it is usually regarded as an indication of psychological imbalance.”

A barong Sword

The following words are Keifer’s description of the elaborate preparatory ritual of the juramentado: “The preparatory rituals for a single individual act of parrang sabbil were quite complex, but basically were all extensions of the need to insure that the corpse of the sabbil would be properly prepared to enter the afterlife. Accordingly, all of the normal rituals for a corpse— or at least those which were feasible—were done for the suicide while he was still alive. Religious officials would bathe his body in the same manner as they would a corpse: three times facing east, three times facing west, and three times on his back. Dirt would be removed from the anus and other bodily orifices to insure complete ritual purity. The head would be- shaven, eyebrows plucked, and fingernails neatly trimmed. Finally, the suicide would be dressed in a suit of shroud-like white clothing specially prepared for the occasion. As is common in other Moslem rituals, the state of purity created by these rituals could be immediately broken by contact with women, bodily elimination, or any other unclean act. While not derived from the normal rituals for a corpse, one preparatory act is interesting as a reflection of the masochistic and quasi-sexual attitude which underlay much of the institution. The penis of the sabbil was bound tightly in an erect position to ensure the success of .the mission. While this might reasonably be interpreted as simply an instance of homeopathic magic (upright penis equals upright body) designed to ensure that the sabbil does not fall too quickly, the potential implications go even deeper. For a man to be in a state of ritual purity and nevertheless have an upright penis—albeit a magical one—is quite incongruous with Moslem ritual practice. Why this should be so is a puzzle, but it may be a reflection of a theme I will pursue in more detail below: that the peculiar value of the institution of sabbil for the Tausug is that it unites two otherwise disparate roles in their culture—the man of piety and the man of action.”

The book A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago Embracing the Whole Period of Spanish Rule with an Account of the Succeeding American Insular Government by John Foreman, published in 1906 mentioned how the juramentados posed a constant threat to a community: “Every few days a juramentado would enter the town and attack a white man with his bárong in broad daylight. There was nothing furtive in his movements, no hiding under cover to take his victim unawares, but a straight, bold frontal attack. Bárong in hand, a Moro once chased a soldier though the street, upstairs into a billiard-room, and down the other steps, where he was shot dead by a sentinel. At another time a juramentado obtained access into the town by crawling through a drain-pipe, and chased two soldiers until he was killed.”

A harrowing encounter with a Moro juramentado is vividly described in Victor Hurley’s Swish of the Kris, and it reads, “While they were tying these prisoners beneath the house, a Moro in a near-by field was plowing rice with a carabao. They heard him shout as he leaped to attack with a barong. “Timbuck aco,” he was shouting; “shoot me.” He came with long bounding strides, headed straight for the waiting patrol. Four of the soldiers opened fire on the advancing Moro in support of Lieutenant Ellsey. A stream of hot lead poured into his body, but the Moro never faltered. He came nearer, slower now, but still on his feet. The barong was upraised as he headed for Lieutenant Ellsey. Ellsey fired his last shot, and the Moro still came. Ten feet from the officer a Krag bullet thudded into the amuck’s spine. His legs gave away. As he fell, he hurled his barong before he died. The patrol stripped the dead man and turned him over. Twelve bullet holes were in his body. Ellsey had escaped decapitation by only ten feet.”

The Colt New Service was introduced in 1898. It was an up-sized and strengthened Colt M1892 and Colt Firearms first large caliber revolver with a swing-out hand ejector cylinder. It was made in the popular large caliber revolver cartridges of the day: .38-40, .44-40, .44 Russian, .44 Special, .45 Colt, and .455 Webley. It was made with a blued finish or nickel plating, and with a 4″, 4½”, 5″, 5½”, 6″, and 7½” barrels. It also came with walnut or hard rubber grips.

Model 1909 [ edit ]

The Colt M1892 revolver was thought of as a decent handgun for its time, but complaints soon arose concerning the .38 Long Colts stopping power. Beginning in 1899, combat reports from the Philippines campaign showed that the .38 caliber bullets repeatedly failed to stop Moro fighters, even when shot multiple times at close range. [4] The complaints caused the U.S. Army to hurriedly re-issue the now retired .45 caliber Colt Single Action Army revolvers with newly shorten 5½” barrels. These old war horses handily stopped the kris and bolo wielding fighters and played a central role in the Army’s decision to replace the M1892 with the .45 caliber New Service revolver in 1909. [5] It also played a key role in the Army’s decision to adopt the .45 ACP M1911 Colt pistol. [6] The Model 1909 in .45 Colt with a 5½” barrel, was adopted by the U.S. Armed Forces as the “Model 1909 U.S. Army”, the “Model 1909 U.S. Navy” and the “USMC Model 1909”. [1]

British .455 Webley Model [ edit ]

In 1899 Canada acquired a number of New Service revolvers (chambered in .45 Colt) for Boer War service, to supplement its existing M1878 Colt Double Action revolvers in the same caliber. [7] In 1904/5 the North-West Mounted Police in Canada also adopted the Colt New Service to replace the less-than satisfactory Enfield Mk II revolver in service since 1882. [8]

New Service revolvers, designated as Pistol, Colt, .455-inch 5.5-inch barrel Mk. I, chambered for the .455 Webley cartridge were acquired for issue as “substitute standard” by the British War Department during World War I. [9] British Empire Colt New Service Revolvers were stamped “NEW SERVICE .455 ELEY” on the barrel, [10] to differentiate them from the .45 Colt versions used by the US (and Canada).

The Colt New Service was a popular revolver with British officers and many of them had privately purchased their own Colt New Service revolvers in the years prior to World War I as an alternative to the standard-issue Webley Revolver. British Empire and Canadian forces received 60,000 Colt New Service revolvers during World War I and they continued to see official service until the end of World War II. [10]

Colt M1917 revolver [ edit ]

The U.S. Army Model 1917 was created to supplement insufficient stocks of M1911 pistols during World War I. [2] The Colt M1917 Revolver was a New Service with a cylinder bored to take the .45 ACP cartridge and the half-moon clips to hold the rimless cartridges in position. Later production Colt M1917 revolvers had headspacing machined into the cylinder chambers, just as the Smith & Wesson M1917 revolvers had from the start. Newer Colt production could be fired without the half-moon clips, but the empty cartridge cases had to be ejected with a device such as a cleaning rod or pencil, as the cylinder extractor and ejector would pass over the rims of the rimless cartridges. As a result of these issues, a commercial rimmed cartridge the .45 Auto Rim was developed that allowed the M1917 to be fired without the need for moon-clips. After World War I, the revolver gained a strong following among civilian shooters. [3] The M1917s saw action again during World War II, when it was issued to “specialty troops such as tankers and artillery personnel.” [11] During the Korean War they were again issued to support-troops. [11] The M1917s were even used by the “tunnel rats” during the Vietnam War. [11]

Fitz Special [ edit ]

John Henry Fitzgerald first came up with the Fitz Special snubnosed revolver concept around the mid 1920s, when he modified a .38 Special Colt Police Positive Special revolver, whose shortest available barrel length was four inches. [12] He later modified two .45 Colt New Service revolvers in the same manner, [13] and was known to carry the pair in his front pockets.

Fitz Special revolvers are made by taking any standard size Colt revolver, shortening the barrel to two inches, shortening the ejector rod, bobbing the hammer spur, rounding the butt, and removing the front half of the trigger guard. Reshaping the hammer and the butt allows the gun to be drawn quickly with little risk of the weapon snagging on clothing. The halved trigger guard facilitates quick trigger acquisition, even for shooters with large fingers or gloves. [14]

Historians believe that somewhere between 40 and 200 Fitz Specials left the factory, made from various Colt revolvers, by Fitzgerald himself. [15] The Fitz Special was the precursor to the modern snubnosed revolver and specifically the prototype for the Colt Detective Special the first production two-inch snubnosed revolver. Even after the introduction of the Detective Special in 1927, Fitz continued to make custom revolvers for special clients.

Colonels Rex Applegate [16] and Charles Askins were proponents of the Fitz Special, [15] [3] and it would become a popular after-market conversion for many gunsmiths. Charles Lindbergh, William Powell and Clyde Barrow were also known to carry Fitz Specials. [15]

.357 Magnum Models [ edit ]

In 1933, the New Service was chambered for .38 Special, and .44 Russian, other less common calibers were discontinued. In 1936, the New Service was chambered for new .357 Magnum cartridge. As one of the most powerful handgun cartridges available of the time, it was easily capable of penetrating the automobile bodies and body armor used by the gangsters, bank robbers and fugitives of that era. As such, it became instantly popular with Lawmen, State Troopers and Highway Patrolmen. These guns were offered with 4″, 5″ and 6″ barrels. The early models came with checkered walnut grips, while the later models used plastic-like “Coltwood” grips.

With the onset of World War II the Colt New Service was discontinued in 1941. It was the largest revolver ever manufactured by Colt and one of the largest production revolvers of all time until the introduction of the .44 Magnum Colt Anaconda in 1990. There are several generational variants including the “Old Model” (which refers to the first 21,000 units made),”Transitional Model” (which incorporated a hammer-block safety), “Improved Model” (325,000 units) and “Late Model” (manufactured from 1928 to 1941). A “Target Model”, “Shooting Master” and “Deluxe Target Model” were offered as well. [17]