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Safe ammo for old Colt .38

QuillPen77

QuillPen77

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I have an old US Army 1892 Colt that's supposed to use .38 Long Colt ammo.....I was told this revolver at some point had a more modern barrel put on it possibly so that it could fire more modern ammo?
As far as I know my father always shot either bird shot, or .38 specials through this revolver though he did have a box of wadcutters I found after he passed away.

I basically just want to know what would be safe to use with this revolver....should I buy a case of Long Colt ammo, and would that be safe with this barrel?

Any help is much appreciated
 

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I’d take it to a gunsmith and get the barrel slugged to check bore diameter.


.38 Colt was a heeled bullet with a larger diameter than the .38 S&W or .38 Special…so while one can shoot them through a .38 Colt barrel, it’s not necessarily a good thing.

It does look like a more modern barrel, though, maybe off a Police Positive or something like that.
 
The Colt Model 1892, also known as the "New Army & Navy" revolver, with a serial number like 7514, was manufactured around 1892–1893 based on historical production data.

.38 Long Colt (most likely for your revolver, given its military context).
If your revolver uses the older heeled bullet design (pre-1901), modern .38 Long Colt ammo may not be accurate due to bore size differences.

If your revolver is an early model (pre-1900), it was designed for black powder. Use black powder loads or low-pressure smokeless equivalents to avoid excessive wear or damage.


Early .38 Long Colt revolvers used a heeled bullet (where the bullet's base fits inside the case, and the exposed portion matches the bore diameter). Post-1901 models transitioned to inside-lubed bullets with a .357" diameter,

.38 Short Colt: For older revolvers or to reduce stress on the firearm, .38 Short Colt can be used safely, as it’s a shorter, lower-pressure version of the .38 Long Colt.

I would second a slugging of the barrel and a gunsmith inspection.
 
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