Major Characteristics and Unique Features of the “1960 NEW MODEL ARMY”

Major Characteristics and Unique Features of the “1960 NEW MODEL ARMY”

This newly produced Belgian Colt Army M 1860 or “1960 NEW MODEL ARMY” (NMA) as termed by some was manufactured by Fabriques d’Armes Unies de Liège (FAUL) from 1959 through 1973. FAUL was the corporation succeeding the famous Belgium consortium of 7 gun makers around Jean Baptiste Hanquet with the April 1853 license to manufacture Samuel Colt’s C&B revolvers (COLT BREVETE). The Hanquet family behind the company has a proud gun history back to 1796.

FAUL used high quality forged carbon steel of particular hardness for barrels, cylinders, frames, back-straps, loading presses, etc., whereas the trigger-guards were brass, as were the originals.

Only during the later years of production a few guns were made from stainless steel. The stainless steel alloy is of the magnetic kind.

In the early years of production back-straps were welded together from three separate parts but were cast during the outer years.

Backstrap of S/N 3035 welded together from 3 separate parts

Cast backstrap of S/N 11691

Bores of the Belgian Colts have constant twist, shallow rifling and usually 7 grooves and lands. A number of

Bore of S/N 12371

early production pistols with 6 grooves and lands are known.

During the later years of production FAUL experimented with 8 groove/land barrels as found in many regular NMAs and Marshals of 1972/73 manufacture. Left is typical barrel with 8 grooves/lands of S/N 12371.

Barrel groove diameter is .445/.446.

Chamber Sizes - Diameter of the Centaures are adjusted the same as the barrel groove diameter, i. e. .445/.446. This important aspect sets them apart from almost all modern made cap & ballers and determines the good accuracy of the Belgians.

The recommended ball size is .451 .diameter.

Any differences here? No, it is not rebated, round cylinders compared to the fluted one on the far right. Take a closer look:

Chamber of S/N 87

Chambers of S/N 676 (l) & 925 (r)

Chamber of S/N 4612

Chambers of S/N 11691 (l) & 12043 (r)

Right you are! It is the interior depth of the chambers. They do not only seem to have different lengths or depths rather, they actually have as our pard Lucasia FROCS 18 recently discovered!

Chamber Size – Interior Depth: To qualify and quantify Lucasia’s observations chambers of all different Centaure models, variations and also a few sub-variations over a wide range of serial numbers were measured (regular NMAs S/N 87 through 18408, Civilians, all variations Cavalry models, Marshals, factory engraved variants), thanks to the pards all around the globe. Measurements taken were

a. distance of the rim of the chamber to the bottom/base of the nipple

b. distance of the rim of the chamber to the shoulder/step above the base of the nipple.

Most pards used the extension pin of a (digital) caliper for their measurements. “Suspect” or appearantly “off” measurements due to different types of nipples installed (3 threads early type, 4 threads “regular” type, 5 threads replacement nipples), obvious tolerances in production, not properly calibrated digital calipers (not “zeroed”) and other erroneous data were excluded from the final math.

It should be noted that the Centaure chambers have this pronounced shoulder or step mentioned before. However, the Belgians used drills with differently shaped tips, from relatively pointed to quite flat, to cut these shoulders.

Give or take the fraction of a mite of a millimeter or an inch here are the surprising results:

# Distance of rim to base of the nipples is about the same in all models and over all serial numbers, averaging at ca. 33,24 mm/1.309 in.

# Distance of rim to shoulder, however, is a different story altogether. Depending on the depths of the shoulder this determines the volume of the chamber. Three groups of significantly different lengths (volumes) of the chambers were found and categorized. They can be related to serial numbers and/or year of production.

· Large chambers: in early production (1959) models to S/N 2684 (1963) for sure but possibly as high as into the low 3000s. This includes the rare Civilians and early Cavalry Models with their fluted cylinders.

The distance from the rim of the chamber to the shoulder averages 30,06 mm/1.183 in (range from 29,08 mm/1.144 in of C752 to 30,99 mm/1.220 in in S/N 87).

These early cylinders have the largest capacity of all Centaure pistols.

· Mid-size chambers: slightly smaller than the early chambers and from S/N 3128 (1965) to ca. S/N 6558 (1967). The change from the large chambers was probably made sometime in the period 1964/65, between S/N 2684 and S/N 3128.

The distance from the rim to the shoulder averages 27,35 mm/1.076 in with a range of 25,91/1.020 in in pistol S/N 5652 to 28,50 mm/1.122 in of S/N 4601.

Looking at it from the shooter’s angle these chambers have 89 % of the volume of the above early ones!

If you need knock-down power in your shooting like for some CAS stages a Belgian with a cylinder sporting the early or mid-sized chambers is the way to go.

· Small chambers: from ca. S/N 7266 (1968) to the end of the production (1973). Actually the change from the mid-size to the small chamber was probably implemented sometime during the second half of 1967, between S/N 6558 and S/N 7266.

The average distance from the rim of the chamber to the shoulder is only 22,75 mm/.896 in. Distances range from as small as 21,30 mm/0.839 of F11117 to as “big” as 23,37 mm/0.920 in of S/N 9934.

All models, variations and sub-variations made during this period have these small chambers, no matter if the

# steel is of the carbon or stainless alloy kind,

# cylinder is rebated or fluted,

# barrel length is 8” or 5,5”,

# finish is of the blued/CCH or stainless look/”in the white” variety.

These small size chambers accommodate only 70 % of the powder of the early large ones.

If bulls eye shooting is your sport with light loads under round balls for best accuracy a Centaure equipped with a cylinder with small chambers is the ticket.

Having established these 3 different chamber sizes the question here is about the WHY? Why did FAUL reduce the depth of the chambers? And why in 2 steps? Has the position of the bolt notch anything to do with these changes? The deepest points of the 6 bolt notches are positioned ca. 32.75 mm/1.289 in from the rim of the cylinder towards the nipples, on the exterior of the smaller, rear portion of the cylinder. But their square cuts begin already ca. 29,55 mm/1.163 in and end ca. 35,95/1.415 in from the rim. That would place part of the notches over the rear portion of the early large chambers, would weaken the chamber walls there. Through the change to the mid-size and later to the small chambers these bolt notches were now safely behind the chambers. And there is something else. Above measurements compared to chambers of a 1^st gen. Colt Army S/N 4553 provide another perspective. Disregarding the fact that Colt Army .44 cal. chambers have a greater diameter than the Centaures because they are actually a .45 caliber (we knew that already, didn’t we?), in our specimen from the Civil War era the distance from the rim to the piston base is 33,60 mm/1.323 in. This is close to what you find in your Centaure (33,24 mm/1.309 in). But here the similarity ends because the Colt does not have a shoulder like the Centaure, just a small radius which begins ca. 2 mm/.079 in above the base of the chamber! In other words this Colt Army has an even bigger chamber volume than the early Centaures…and 6 weak spots in the rear portion of their chamber walls!

So, one could speculate that the smaller Centaure chambers compared to the 1^st gen. Colt Armies were a safety measure introduced by the Belgians to offset advances in 20^th century black powder technology…?! What do you think? Please, share your thoughts with the pards & pardettes over at the forum.

“If you measure this distance on the exterior of the cylinder starting at the rim and going toward the nipple, you will find that the distance from the rim to be beginning of the rebate shoulder is exactly the same as the interior depth of the chamber from the rim to the shoulder” notes Chain-Fire FROCS #14 and continues: “Therefore, it is my assumption and belief that this chamber design was developed to strengthen the rebated portion of the cylinder – thus preventing burst cylinders in this area. This feature may have proven particularly beneficial for fluted cylinder chambers which have especially thin chamber walls in this area.”

For reasons unknown today the position of ratchet teeth on the back of the cylinder was changed during the production life of the Belgians. In

· later production models the ratchet teeth usually line up centered on each nipple. This is observed from ca. S/N 3000 or around 1965, whereas

· they were rotated clockwise a good amount in early regular NMAs, Civilian Models (C-prefix) and 1^st variation Cavalry Models (F-prefix).

Early type ratchet teeth of S/N 1790

Later type ratchet teeth of S/N 11327

Most revolvers sport 8“ barrels and the so-called 3-screw frame with recoil shield and back-strap cut for stock attachment, like below regular NMA, 1^st variation, 2nd sub-variation S/N 12106

S/N 12106

A number of pistols are found with these general characteristics but without the notch in the toe.

S/N 925 backstrap cut for shoulder stock

Butt of S/N 8563 without notch in the toe

· This is considered good housekeeping practice in line with old Colt’s fashion to use available parts from the inventory.

· I consider them a sub-variation of the regular NMA

Evolution of the Arbor

S/N C418 with square ended arbour with separate deep grease groove (1st version arbor).

1^st version arbour: most of the early production pistols, the Civilian (C-series) and the Cavalry Model (F-series, 1^st variation), feature an arbor with a separate deep grease groove close to the slot for the barrel wedge. This feature is very rare on later pistols. In addition they have the historically correct square ended bottomed arbor. tight in the hole” like 1^st and 2^nd generation Colts.

S/N 4601 with 2^nd version arbor

2^nd version arbor: next in the development from around 1963 was a slightly tapered ended arbor with a separate shallow grease groove, see picture on the left.

S/N 9840 with 3^rd version arbor

3^rd version arbour: the factory altered this feature later to the tapered ended arbor without separate grease groove, see picture on left side.

If these evolutionary steps to the tapered arbor were done to please demanding competition shooters is not known but many of the Belgian Colts were successfully used by target shooters due to their inherent accuracy.

S/N 11899 with 4^th version arbor

4^th version arbour: a couple of the late production pistols have a 4^th version of the arbor, namely square ended again like the 1^st version but without the separate grease groove. S/N 11899 has this type of arbor.

S/N 10522 has been reported in the survey even with a trigger stop (probably aftermarket), see below!

S/N 10522 left side view: see trigger stop

Right side view of S/N 10522

Also the muzzle crown was modified during the life of the Belgian from a flat muzzle crown during the first production runs like original Colt 1860 Army revolvers, as exemplified by S/N C418 from 1960 (left below),

to a rounded one (S/N 12307 from 1972 right).

At the same time the diameter of the barrel at the muzzle was increased from 17,2 mm/.675 in (C418) to 17,4 mm/.686 in (S/N 12307).

FAUL installed low profile period correct front sights in early production revolvers, which was later increased in height at the expense of historical accuracy, possibly to enhance shooting accuracy.

1960 production PC early low profile front sight of C320…

...and 1972 production higher front sight of F11117

However, competitive shooters are a breed of their own. They have their very own ideas about what is best in the front sight department…and below are a couple of examples of Centaures with custom front sights.

Crescent shape front sight of Cavalry Model F82 (t) compared to 1st gen Colt (b)

Crescent shape front sight of S/N 4601 dovetailed on barrel

Front sight of S/N 6150 modified for quick-draw competition? Its dovetailed on barrel

Bead sight of S/N 11327

The usual finish was a modern bluing process resulting in a deep gray-black luster applied to barrel, cylinder and back-strap whereas frame, arbor, hammer and loading press received a color case hardening using a cyanide process. From around 1968 FAUL started trial production of NMAs in high gloss polish/”in the white” finish (stainless look: surface specially heat treated), from 1972 regular NMAs in stainless steel were added to the line.

The wooden grips are of the period correct one-piece kind. Most came with an oiled finish under a layer of protective shellac, but varnished grips could be had.

Some pistols were assembled with a silverish Centaur medallion inlaid in the upper end of both grip panels. This enhancement is often found in factory engraved specimens like in S/N 11851 below left.

Oiled grips of S/N 11851 with centaur medallion in both grip panels

Varnished grips of F85 with aftermarket Colt medallions and carving

Incidentally, even a snubby Marshal S/N 12098 is pretty accurate at 25 meters, see target below!

WDN/February 9, 2009

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