Colt barrel

[Walt]

This .44 Spl New Frontier was purchased used years ago. I have often wondered about the two sets of roll marks. A factory-shortened barrel?

[Sixgun]

That's fine Walt.......I have 2 with the 7.5 barrel, one in 44 Spl. and the other in 44-40 and the barrel legends are identical to yours...starts about an inch from the frame. I also have extra cylinders for each gun making both of them dual calibered guns. Same thing with a Colt Shooting Master in 44 Spl that has a complete cylinder and crane for the 44-40...one screw and instant change.

All factory 44 Spls.---006

[Walt]

Sixgun, the second picture shows the rollmark on top of the barrel starting underneath the front sight base, partially covered up. Is that something Colt would have done with a 5 1/2" barrel?

[Mike Armstrong]

That Shooting Master .44 combo is just plain delicious. I've seen and handled a few Shooting Master .38s and a factory .45 ACP;, but that one must be nearly unique!

[Sixgun]

Sixgun, the second picture shows the rollmark on top of the barrel starting underneath the front sight base, partially covered up. Is that something Colt would have done with a 5 1/2" barrel?

....you brought that to my attention as I missed that.....the sight appears factory ........Colt, like Winchester and Marlin never covered up lettering in any way so it's my guess it was cut down from 7.5"......get a magnifying glass and look at the muzzle as there should be no machining marks.

The sight is set back from the muzzle as it should be.

Check and see that the barrel length is exactly 5.5"....from the muzzle to the end of the barrel where it protrudes from the frame. It could have been cut short.

Colt would also move the roll mark back on 5.5 inch barrels so that didn't happen the same as they did on 4 and 3/4" SA barrels using a two line address....

My guess is that it was cut down......Colt has a strong QC dept.....it still ain't no biggie as it would be on a first gen Colt.

Take a pic of the muzzle and let me see it. I noticed some marks above the lettering on the side of the barrel...maybe it's the pic...

[Walt]

Sixgun, is this the aspect of the muzzle you were lookng for?
The barrel is within 1/64" of being 5 1/2" long.

[Sixgun]

Yea Walt....looks right to me and compares with mine. I took a micrometer and measured from the muzzle face to the front of the sight and got .125.

Measure yours and see if it's been set back further..could be a factory mistake.....not sure if I have the books that detail the rollmark on different barrels concerning the New Frontiers. I have the single action armies.....

I'm gonna take the dog out for our walk and I'll check back later......may have the books as I have a million of them.

You could do a little preliminary research by typing in "roll marking on Colt New Frontier single actions by barrel length". One good thing about the internet as there's always someone else with the same question.------006

[Walt]

The front sight is exactly .125" back from the muzzle.
I found an auction site picture of a 7 1/2" barreled New Frontier and the rollmark on top of the barrel is exactly like mine but obviously not covered. I'm convinced the barrel was shortened. I guess I could have looked at a 7 1/2" New Frontier I have in .45 Colt. Thanks for your expertise!

https://www.legacy-collectibles.com/ani ... 20mfg.html

[Sixgun]

Your welcome Walt.....I love the old pre war guns and can speak for them.....what I can't speak for, I have books. Winchester, Colt, Marlin, Smith, some Remington's and early Rugers......nothing else interests me except AR's and a few other "guns of quality".

[Walt]

Sixgun, I have guns from all the manufacturers you name but none of them are very old. I do have a 3 screw 7 1/2" SBH which is a sweet gun. Also I have a Colt SP-1 (triangular fore end and no forward assist) but I'm not much of a semi auto guy. Probably got a couple dozen of them but rarely shoot them cuz I hate picking up brass.

[Sixgun]

Sixgun, I have guns from all the manufacturers you name but none of them are very old. I do have a 3 screw 7 1/2" SBH which is a sweet gun. Also I have a Colt SP-1 (triangular fore end and no forward assist) but I'm not much of a semi auto guy. Probably got a couple dozen of them but rarely shoot them cuz I hate picking up brass.

On the .223 brass....just shoot em and scrap em......I have a couple of 5 gallon buckets full so they get one reload and I'll pick up the majority of them and throw em in the scrap bucket.

Walt,
I got into this game heavy at about 18. It all started because I was watching a western called the "High Chaparral" and in one episode "Blue Boy" says to his dad upon opening a crate of rifles, "just what we need, Winchesters in 44"....We'll, at that time I was about 14 and KNEW the only Winchester ever made was a 30-30 and laughed......then I started studying...hard....not on school work, but old guns...and haven't stopped........that was over a half century ago.

Yea....got a few AR's too, not many, 5?...but two of them came right out of the Colt factory archives vault, back when I had the connections....but my favorite is the "Mighty BAR" semi auto made it's GI parts but an investment cast receiver by Ohio Ordnance. Even had a special scope mount fashioned for it......MOA out to 500 meters.---006

[Walt]

I had seen a couple of photos of your BAR before. Must be a heck of a gun. Your pictures are always excellent....thanks!