laststandonzombieisland

Following a bad showing of U.S. military handguns in the battles with Islamic rebels in the Philippines after 1900, the War Department went looking for a new generation of harder-hitting guns. This led to the 1907 pistol trials in which no less than ten revolvers and semi-autos competed.

One of the standout designs was John Browning’s Colt 1907, of which some 205 were shipped to the Army to try out.

Here is an unabridged copy of the results:

DIGEST OF WAR DEPARTMENT TESTS OF AUTOMATIC PISTOLS

The board of officers appointed by the Secretary of War (Special Order No. 305, Dec. 28, 1906) to test automatic pistols and revolvers met at the Springfield Armory, Springfield, Mass., on January 15, 1907. The board consisted of: Col. Philip Reade, 23rd Infantry; Maj. Joseph T. Dickman, 13th Cavalry; Capt. Guy H. Preston, 13th Cavalry; Capt. Ernest D. Scott, Artillery Corps, and Capt. John H. Rice, Ordnance Department.

The weapons referred to the board by the Chief of Ordnance for examination and test with their weights (unloaded) were as follows:

Automatic Pistols, Caliber .45		Lbs.		Oz.
The Colt		2		2½
The Luger		2		8
The Savage		2		3
The Knoble (single action)		2		11½
The Knoble (double action)		2		10½
The Bergmann		2		3½
The White-Merrill		2		6½
Double Action Revolvers, Caliber .45
The Colt		2		7
The Smith & Wesson		2		6
Automatic Revolver, Caliber .45
The Webley-Fosbury		2		10

 

Programme of Tests of Automatic Pistols[21]

1. Examination of pistol as to design, appearance, balance, suitability for mounted troops, etc.

[Pg 207]2. Special examination as to safety features.

3. Dismounting and assembling. The times required for each of the following operations:

(a) To dismount the breech and magazine mechanism, with the exception of the magazine catch.

(b) To complete dismounting.

(c) To assemble, except the breech and magazine mechanism.

(d) To complete assembling.

4. The number of—

(a) Pins and screws.

(b) Small springs.

(c) Other parts.

5. The number and kind of tools required to dismount and assemble.
6. Twenty rounds to be fired to observe working of pistol. The above tests will be made with the pistol in the hands of and operated by the inventor or his representative, if present.
7. Velocity at 25 feet, mean of 5 shots.
8. Accuracy and penetration at 75 feet; 10 shots for accuracy, 5 for penetration.
9. Rapidity with accuracy; target 6 by 2 feet, range 100 feet. Number of shots fired to be three times the capacity of clip. Pistol fired from hand. Time and number of hits to be noted in each case. To be conducted by representative of company, if present. Firing to begin with chamber and magazine empty, and clips or holders arranged as desired by firer.
10. Rapidity at will. Same as preceding test, except that the pistol will be fired without aim into a butt at short range, and hits will not be considered.
11. Endurance. Pistol will then be fired deliberately 500 rounds as a self-loader, cooling after each 50 rounds.
12. Velocity. Same as paragraph 7, above.
13. Decreased charges. Pistol to be fired 12 rounds as a self-loader with cartridge in which the powder charge has been decreased so that the first four will give pressure of 25 per cent. less, the second four 15 per cent. less, and the last four 10 per cent. less than the service pressure.
14. Excessive charges. Pistol to be fired 5 times as a single loader, with cartridges in which the charge of[Pg 208] powder is increased to produce a pressure in the chamber 25 per cent. greater than the regular pressure.
15. Pierced primers. Pistol will be fired once with a cartridge in which the primer has been thinned so as to insure piercing. Two rounds will then be fired to observe action.
16. Dust. With the mechanism closed and both ends of the barrel tightly corked pistol will be exposed, in a box prepared for that purpose, to a blast of fine sand for one minute. The surplus sand may then be removed by blowing thereon, jarring the piece, or wiping with the bare hand only.

The Magazine should be—

(a) Empty when exposed to dust.

(b) Loaded when exposed to dust.

In both cases pistol should be used as a self-loader, and in the second the cartridge may be removed and wiped, then reloaded. In case of self-loading failures to work in either case the piece will be tried by operating by hand.

7. Rust. The mechanism will be thoroughly cleansed of grease by boiling in a solution of soda, the ends of the barrel tightly corked and the pistol then placed in a saturated solution of sal-ammoniac for five minutes. After being hung up indoors for 22 hours, five shots will be fired into a sand butt, using pistol as a self-loader. In case the self-loading mechanism fails to work, the pistol will then be tried by operating by hand.
8. Supplementary Tests. Any piece which successfully passes the foregoing tests may be subjected to such supplementary tests, or repetitions of previous ones, to further determine its endurance or other qualities as may be prescribed by the Chief of Ordnance or by the board.

General Remarks. During the above tests the pistol will be entirely in the hands of the board, except when specifically stated otherwise, and no alterations or repairs other than those possible on the ground will be allowed, except by special permission of the board. If the pistol fails in any test the remainder of the programme may be discontinued in the discretion of the board.

In case of misfires the cartridges will be opened to determine cause, and if due to the ammunition the test will be repeated.

The board thoroughly tested the merits of the various[Pg 209] arms submitted to them, and reported in 1907 the conclusion that in principle the automatic pistol was better suited for service use than the revolver.

The board also recommended a .45-caliber pistol. At the same time it was stated that the automatic pistol had not been sufficiently developed in reliability to warrant its adoption. A service test was ordered, and the Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company and the Savage Arms Company submitted automatic pistols according to specifications.

Two troops of cavalry were assigned to make this test and the report showed that neither pistol had reached a desired proficiency. The matter was then turned over to the Ordnance Department for further experiment. Both of the arms companies were given time to improve their pistols under the direction of Brig.-Gen. William Crozier, Chief of Ordnance; Lieut.-Col. John T. Thompson, Ordnance Department, and Capt. Gilbert H. Stewart, Ordnance Department. After a number of informal tests by these officers, which demonstrated that the arms companies had approached the standard set by the Ordnance Department, a new board of officers was appointed to determine which of the two pistols should be adopted. This board consisted of Majors Kenneth Morton and Walter G. Penfield and Lieutenants C. A. Meals and Arthur D. Minick, Ordnance Department.

Two pistols were submitted to the board, one by the Savage Arms Company, the other by the Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company, and the tests were conducted in March, 1911. The ammunition used was of recent manufacture by the Union Metallic Cartridge Company, had a jacketed 230-grain bullet, and was loaded to give a muzzle velocity of 800 f.s. The weight of the Savage was found to be 2 lbs. 8 oz.; the Colt 2 lbs. 7 oz. The mechanical safety of both is convenient for operation with the thumb of the firing hand. Time required to complete dismounting, Savage 29.6 seconds, Colt 24.5 seconds.; to assemble, except the magazine, Savage 5 min. 10.5 sec., Colt 4 min. 50 sec.; to complete assembling, additional time, Savage 28.5 sec., Colt 12.5 sec. The number of parts in each pistol was then counted, and found to be as follows: Total components, Savage 40, including four in magazine; Colt 61, including seven in magazine. The number and kind of tools required to dismount and[Pg 210] assemble the pistols were: Colt, one screwdriver; Savage, one combination tool (one screwdriver, two drifts).

Fifty rounds from each pistol were fired deliberately into a butt to observe the operation. The two pistols functioned normally. The Savage pistol ejected the empty shells upward and to the front, while the Colt ejected upward and to the right and rear. The velocity of each pistol was measured at twenty-five feet, and the mean of five shots was: Savage, 849.4 ft. per second; Colt, 828.0 ft. per second. Two targets of ten shots from each pistol were made for accuracy at seventy-five feet, using a muzzle rest, with the resulting mean radii of dispersion: Savage, first target 1.97″, second target 1.97″, mean 1.97″; Colt, first target .89″, second target .82″, mean 0.8555″.

Three magazines full of cartridges were fired from each pistol at a target six feet by two feet, 100 feet distant, to test the rapidity and accuracy. The firing was begun with the chamber empty and three full magazines for each pistol with it on the table. Results:

		Savage			Colt
Time		35	sec.		28	sec.
Number of shots		24	“		21	“
Hits		22	“		21	“
Mean radii		7.27	“		5.85	“

The pistols were next fired for rapidity by the same persons into a butt at short range and no hits considered: Savage, 24 shots, time 16 sec.; Colt, 21 shots, time 12 sec. In all the above tests the pistols functioned normally.

The two pistols were then thoroughly examined, oiled, and fired deliberately 6,000 rounds each, being cleaned thoroughly, examined and oiled after each 1,000 rounds. Wherever examination showed the least sign of deformation it was noted. Each pistol was fired 100 rounds and then was allowed to cool while the other was fired, giving each pistol at least five minutes to cool. Firing was not begun after cooling until the hand could be placed on the slide over the barrel without discomfort. There was an interval of about two seconds between shots in the same magazine when the pistol functioned normally.

During the firing of the first 1,000, in 1h. 29m., the magazine of each pistol dropped about an inch, due to the fault of the operator. Second 1,000, in 1h. 48m., the Colt functioned perfectly; while the Savage missed fire once, jammed twice and had trouble with the bolt twice. Third[Pg 211] 1,000, in 2h. 2m. the Colt functioned perfectly; in round 2,924 the bolt stop of the Savage broke. Fourth 1,000, in 2h. 1m., the Colt functioned perfectly; with the Savage there was a slight jam and two misfires, the bolt stop was upset. Fifth 1,000, in 2h. 6m., the Colt functioned perfectly; the Savage magazine dropped five times, the bolt stop was further upset and there were two cracks in the bolt. Sixth 1,000, the Colt again functioned perfectly, and there were five misfires with the Savage, two jams, fourteen failures of the bolt to counter recoil fully, and a breakage of the bolt lock spring. Minute examination of the Colt pistol after this test failed to show any broken parts, the only defect being a minute bulging of the frame near the front end of the grooves and a slight upsetting of the bolt stop where it strikes the magazine follower.

The pistols were then fired five times as single loaders in a recoiling rest with cartridges in which the powder charge was increased to give a calculated chamber pressure of twenty-five per cent. greater than normal. The Colt pistol functioned normally. The sear of the Savage broke at the fourth round. A new sear was inserted, also a new sear spring, broken in removing the broken sear. The removal of the broken sear was difficult on account of the design of the pistol, and other parts were deformed in removing the breech plug. Upon reassembling, the pistol functioned normally in the fifth round. Each pistol was fired in a recoiling rest one round, in which the primer had been thinned so as to be pierced by the firing pin. Afterward two rounds were fired automatically. Both pistols functioned satisfactorily. The pistols were then disassembled, cleaned, and thoroughly examined. Both were found to be in good condition, with no broken parts. All misfire cartridges were examined and no defects found.

The shock of recoil of the Savage was found much more severe than of the Colt. The experienced operators who fired several thousand rounds in the endurance test, in alternate five hundreds, estimated the fatigue of firing 500 rounds with the Savage equal to firing 2,000 rounds with the Colt.

“Of the two pistols the board is of the opinion that the Colt’s is superior, because it is more reliable, the more enduring, the more easily disassembled when there are broken parts to be replaced, and the more accurate.[Pg 212] It equals in these qualities the Colt caliber .45 revolver, model 1909, while being superior to that arm in balance, safety, rapidity, accuracy of fire, and interchangeability. The Colt pistol embodies all the features considered essential, desirable, and preferable by the board of officers convened by S. O. 305, W. D., Washington, December 28, 1906, except that there is no automatic indicator showing that the pistol is loaded or indicator showing the number of cartridges remaining in the magazine. There are, however, a few riveted parts, and the board is uncertain whether the pistol would function properly with non-jacketed bullets. The board therefore recommends that Colt caliber .45 automatic pistol of the design submitted to the board for test be adopted for use by foot and mounted troops in the military service in consequence of its marked superiority to the present service revolvers and to any other known pistol, of its extreme reliability and endurance, and of its fulfillment of all essential requirements.”

This report was approved March 23, 1911, by Col. S. E. Blunt, Ord. Dept., U. S. A., commanding Springfield Armory, Mass.

 

Following the results of these tests the War Department ordered 23 Model 1909 Colts for more trials.

This above survivor is at the Woolaroc Museum near Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Note the 84 degree angle grip. This was later changed to the now more common 74 degree grip in 1910 which is still loved today.