Colt Model 1900
Colt's Manufacturing Company · Pistol · Discontinued · 1900
Also known as: Colt Automatic Pistol Model 1900, Colt Browning Model 1900, Colt Sight Safety
Overview
The Colt Model 1900 was the first commercial semi-automatic pistol made by Colt and the first of John Browning's locked-breech automatic pistol designs to reach production, chambered in the new .38 ACP cartridge. It used a short-recoil action with a twin parallel-link tilting barrel that drew the barrel straight down to unlock the breech. Its most distinctive feature was a pivoting rear sight that doubled as a manual safety: pressing the sight down locked the firing mechanism. Tested by the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy in 1900-1901, the Model 1900 established the mechanical lineage that led through the Models 1902 and 1905 to the M1911.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 990 g (34.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 229 mm (9.02") |
| Barrel Length | 152 mm (5.98") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 7 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 384 m/s (1260 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 624 J (460 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 45 m (49 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .38 ACP · primary — also known as .38 Automatic Colt Pistol, .38 Auto, 9x23mmSR
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Pivoting Sight Safety, Half Cock Notch
- Features: Exposed Hammer, Twin Link Dropping Barrel, Pivoting Rear Sight Safety, Lanyard Ring
Service history
Operators
- United States Army (trials) · adopted 1900
- United States Navy (trials) · adopted 1900
Production
Estimated total produced: 4,274 · Production years: 1900-1902
Roughly 3,500 made in the first two years; total of about 4,274 pistols. Approximately 200 delivered to Springfield Armory for U.S. Army trials and fewer than 50 to the U.S. Navy.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: John Moses Browning
Discontinued: 1902
Notes
The sight-safety was mechanically sound but impractical, as it could not be reached by the firing hand in a normal grip; later Model 1900 examples and the follow-on Model 1902 dropped it. Weight (~990 g / ~35 oz) and overall length (~229 mm) are approximate, as early production specs varied. .38 ACP muzzle figures here reflect the original 130-grain Colt load (~1,260 fps / ~460 ft-lbs).
Background
The Model 1900 was Browning's first locked-breech automatic to enter production and Colt's entry into the self-loading pistol market. Its quirky pivoting sight-safety made it a transitional design; combat lessons and trials pushed Colt and the U.S. Army through successive refinements toward a larger .45 caliber, culminating in the M1911.