THIRD, CAVALRY OR WADE HAMPTON MODEL: only 4-screw frame variant. Early
pistols from 1960 to 1963 have 7,5”, late versions from 1971/72 sport 8”
barrels.
This 4-screw frame model is dubbed Cavalry
Model in Europe. In the USA some call it Wade Hampton Model after
famous C.S. general who is said to have suggested the fluted cylinder design to
Sam Colt.
In most specimens the 4th or
guiding screws extent out from the frame providing a platform for the
attachment of the shoulder stock. Probably only around a thousand of these
pistols were manufactured in a separate block of serial numbers with “F” prefix
(“F” for fluted or more likely four screw frame) starting with
F1. The only finish available from the factory was blue and case colors.
This model owes its being to the USA’s
National Rifle Association’s efforts in amending existing outmoded laws
regarding stocked pistols. Cavalry Models are collector’s items and those with
original matching stock are particularly thought after. But they are fun to
shoot, too.
A detachable shoulder stock with matching serial
numbers could be had as an accessory of the 1st, 2nd and
4th variation. A few such pistol combos are reported with
mismatching stocks. This could indicate that some customers but also the
dealers back then were not as concerned about matching serial numbers as we are
today. During the 1960s and early 1970s the clients wanted a cool shooter and
not a collector’s piece.
If we develop that scenario a bit further we can also
assume that a number of buyers wanted just the pistol without stock. As a consequence
your friendly US gun dealer would eventually build up an inventory of shoulder
stocks…and sell them as good as he could…
# to those original Cavalry pistol buyers that decided
only later after the purchase was made that they still wanted their stock … but
then found out to their dismay that the one with the matching number was sold
in the meantime. So, they just grabbed A stock available no matter the serial
number…
|
|
|
# or the RNMA owner who wanted to shoot his 3-screw Centaure with a shoulder stock attached…which works just
fine. Hence Centennial
Arms Corp. of Chicago’s (CACC) early 1960s ads are offering extra stocks for
the Cavalry model and RNMA…including specimens without serial number, see
left pictures: Note mark MADE IN BELGIUM! |
3.1. – 1st
Variation: features a 7,5”
barrel, fluted cylinder, manufactured between 1960
and ca. 1963, marketed from 1961 only. The 4th screw protrudes ca. 6
mm/.236 in from
the frame. This provides a secure platform for the stock. Serial numbers
are #F1 through ca. #F999 but a total of ca. 900 only made. For the balance see
2nd variation Cavalry Model.
The lowest
documented revolver in our survey is #F1 (pictures below), the highest #F946.
|
#F1: first
Cavalry Model made in 1960. Note rampant centaur |
Top of butt plate. |
…& bottom tang stamped #F1 |
Very few Cavalry
pistols were sold in display cases with accessories like #F12 pictured below
left.
“Long” guiding or 4th
screws were standard in the 1st and 2nd variation Cavalries
like #F12 center below, but a few came with
relatively short srews like #F946 (below right). The
latter version is usually found in variants without shoulder stock.
|
#F7 cased with
accessories |
#F12 typical
“long” 4th srews… |
…but some pistols like #F946 came
with short ones… |
Some pistols have
the mark MADE IN BELGIUM on the butt AND on the left side of the barrel lug.
The stock had its
serials with prefix in one line on top of the butt plate and often on the
bottom of the tang as well matching the pistol. Yoke and butt plate were made
of brass. The brass of a number of stocks is stamped MADE
IN BELGIUM on the left side.
|
#F845 with barrel
marking MADE IN BELGIUM… |
…which
is repeated on the stock as well |
All currently know
1st, 2nd and 4th variation Cavalry Models were
discovered in the USA except for #F82 which is the 1st variation
below. She was sold at German Auction House Hermann Historica
a few years ago but is believed to be imported from the USA years ago.
|
#F82 nickel finish on
cylinder & loading lever believed to be aftermarket. Crescent shaped
front sight was added by a previous owner |
Cavalry pistol #490
(below) was found with not matching stock #F400.
|
#F490 with shoulder stock #F490 |
Likewise #F651 (below)
was found with mismatching stock #F340. After a complete disassembly of these
stocks interesting marks were discovered.
|
#F651 was
recently discovered with stock #F340 |
Note pencilled “3”
under the butt plate and bottom tang mortise, and “3” stamped on inside of
brass parts. SILE is stamped on the wood under the butt plate.
|
Shoulder stock
#F340 bottom tang... |
…and butt plate
top strap |
||
|
Stock of #F340
& #F400: note 3 SILE marks and 3 |
Butt
plate of #F340 & #F400: note stamp 3 |
||
|
Bottom tang
mortise of F340: note pencilled 3 |
Yoke of #F340
& #F400: note 3 |
||
Chain-Fire adds
further observations and offers interesting background information regarding
F802 (below pics): “The numeric portion of the serial number 802 plus 34 is written in
pencil on the wood underneath the butt plate. Additionally, the underlined word
SILE
is stamped in block letters into the wood.”
“SILE Distributors, Inc. was located in Meriden, CT.
Between the late 1950s and mid 1990s they acted as importer for a multitude of
foreign firearms and military surplus, were distributor for a host of
American firearms companies and
marketer of firearms under their own
private brand.”
|
Stock of #F802:
note S/N 802 without prefix F. and 34. Stamp SILE could
identify SILE as manufacturer of the wood |
Butt plate of
#F802: note stamp 34 on
inside |
“It is also my understanding that SILE was a source
for the manufacture of stocks for other firearms manufacturers. So, perhaps
FAUL outsourced the manufacture of their shoulder stocks to SILE.”
“This might make sense given the fact that shoulder
stocks were produced in limited numbers. Therefore, rather than tool up for a
limited run of shoulder stocks, perhaps SILE did the work and during the
manufacturing process they applied their logo stamp to the butt…”
|
Bottom tang
mortise of #F802: note pencilled
S/N 802 without prefix F, and 34 |
Yoke of #F802: note stamp 34 on inside |
The “3” of #F340 and
#F400, or the “34” of #F802 stamped on the inside of yoke and butt plate and
pencilled in the wood then could be some kind of assembly number but also the
code or ID of a contract manufacturer of the cast brass parts…
Pards & Pardettes, what do
you make of this? Do you have similar marks and stamps on the shoulder stocks
of your Cavalry Model?
|
Custom engraved
F946, with unusual case hardened cylinder, English fit wooden case with red
interior. Bullet mold is Belgian, flask Italian! |
The barrel markings
of this 1st variation read
“1960 NEW
MODEL ARMY“
“1960 NEW MODEL ARMY” CENTENNIAL TRADE MARK CHICAGO U.S.A
If imitation is the
sincerest form of flattery then this one of a kind “colterized” Centaure
Cavalry Model with ivory stocks will get the nod. This is the work of famous
gunsmith Thomas Haas. Haas was THE Colt restoration expert back in the days and
regularly visited Shore Galleries.
|
Serial number is #5414. Digits are
stamped in true Colt manner. Pistol and stock are engraved. Note barrel marking - ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW YORK U.S.
AMERICA - |
He became a friend with
Sigmund Shore and William B. Edwards. As was only recently discovered, Haas actually
colterized a couple of different Centaures
models for the Shore Collection, see also the MOTHERLOAD page.
|
3.2 – 2nd Variation: like the 1st
variation but with a rebated cylinder roll-engraved with a naval scene. We
believe this scene is of the Centaure proprietary one
not of the Ormsby kind. Pictorial proof for this
variation exists from a 1962 ad published in Guns Magazine. The only known specimen is
F620 from the USA but no pictures |
Cavalry Model 2nd variation |
are
currently available for further analysis. Specimens of this 2nd
variation are found in the same range of serial numbers as the 1st
variation. I believe no more than ca. 50 such pistols were made for the US
market during the early 1960s.
The centaur in the
logo on this 1st and 2nd variation Cavalry models is of
the rampant kind.
FAQ: Why this short production run of the 2nd variation
Cavalry Model?
IMHO it is a fair guestimate that Roncarati of Liège, FAUL’s contract manufacturer for semi-finished barrels,
frames and cylinders was behind schedule in supplying fluted cylinders for the
Cavalry project for one reason or the other. If at the same time orders of
Centennial Arms Corporation could not be processed for that very reason but an
ample inventory of cylinders was available from the Civilian project with the Centaure proprietary naval scene what management decision
was Mr. Hanquet likely to have taken? Yes, make your
customers happy, complete orders on hand with the cylinders available. Hence this variation.
3.3 – 3rd
Variation: contrary to the 1st and 2nd
variation of the Cavalry Model this re-launch from 1971 has the 8” barrel
of the RNMA. In addition the guiding screws are only protruding 1,88 mm/.074 in from
the frame. These 3rd variations were probably shipped from the
factory without shoulder stocks. Only a few variants are currently known, like
below #F11117, discovered in April 2008. The centaur of the logo is of the
walking kind.
|
#F11117 |
#F11117 “guiding“ screws |
Note right picture above. It provides
details of frame and “guiding” screws: longer screw for the right, shorter one
for the left side of frame. Also note that F prefix (below left) of the 3rd
but also 4th variation Cavalry Model is stamped above the serial
number on the barrel lug only, not on frame or trigger-guard like you would
find on earlier variations.
|
Serial number on barrel with F prefix, on frame and
trigger-guard without prefix |
Cylinder has matching S/N 117 |
Below strange looking 4 screw Centaure
#F11295 was sold by a German dealer through Egun auction March 2009. One previous owner had her
nickel plated. This pistol had a rebated, plain cylinder installed and not the
fluted one usually found with Cavalry Models.
|
#F11295 |
S/N on barrel with F prefix, none on frame and
trigger-guard |
All regularly numbered parts of the pistols are
stamped with matching numbers except for the cylinder: the correct proof mark
of the Liège Proof house is present but the digits
“650” are stamped on the breech side.
OAL of the “guiding” screws of #F11295 is 6,88 mm/.271
in (right) and 4,86 mm/.191 in (left).
Interestingly, the number of grooves in the barrel is 7 for #F11117 but 8 for #F11295.
|
Correct proof mark on cylinder |
Cylinder marked #650 |
Guiding screw protrudes only marginally over frame |
It is my assumption that the original fluted cylinder
of #F11295 was lost somewhere along the road years ago. The currently installed
cylinder is either a replacement or came originally with the pistol as an extra
cylinder.
|
From Bärbel Harlos, Germany catalog 1973 |
Back then you had the option to have
this variation enhanced with two medallions inlaid into upper end of the
grip. With the Centaure
logo medallions the pistol had to be specially ordered through your German
dealer. |
But the discoveries did not end here. A
3.4 – 4th Variation: almost identical to the 3rd variation but the guiding
screws extend 6,5 mm/.255 in from the frame.
Like the 3rd variation the centaur of the logo is of the walking
kind. Pistol comes with a matching stock.
|
#F11166 |
Butt plate |
Currently 2
pistols were reported from the USA namely above #F11166 and #F11226, both with
matching shoulder stock. Serial number on the butt plate is stamped in 2 lines!
In addition, shoulder stock #F11118 sans pistol was
found February 2010.
|
Stock of #F11166:
could this be hash marks for 23? |
Butt plate of
#F11166: note 23 |
Is “23” another assembly number or the ID for another
contract manufacturer of wood and brass of the shoulder stock?
|
Bottom tang mortise of #F11166: no marks |
Yoke of #F11166: note 23 |
One thing is for
sure: these shoulder stocks are a great field for new discoveries and we have a
lot more to learn. Please, share your ideas with us over at the FROCS forum.
Barrel marking of the 2nd and 3rd
variation reads
CENTENNIAL TRADE
MARK "1960 NEW MODEL ARMY"
Pricing: 1962 a Cavalry Model
complete with detachable shoulder stock would have cost you US $ 139.95,
whereas just the pistol would have been 89.95, the stock only 59.95 at
Centennial Arms Corporation, Chicago. 1964 the complete set would have been
already 144.50!
German importer and dealer would let you
have the 3rd variation Cavalry Model with centaure
logo inlaid into the grip 1972 at DM 337,50.
WDN/March 13, 2010
© 2007 Wolf D. Niederastroth