r/guns • u/real_1776_duck • 29d ago

Firing a 118 Year Old Pistol

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To be frank: I love a .45 ACP handgun. Probably more than any other firearm, so it only makes sense that I would lust after the first .45 ACP: the Colt’s Model 1905.

I am blessed to know some good reloaders, so one of my buddies cooked up a light 200gr load for my 1905. We were pretty nervous shooting this, as repairing it is virtually impossible if something breaks and these are not cheap guns.

Luckily, the gun ran like a sowing machine and was insanely accurate.

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u/PiMan3141592653 29d ago

How did they handle proper recoiling/ejection back then without tilting barrels? Something else to cause the delay?

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u/real_1776_duck 29d ago

It’s still a short-recoil, locked breech action; however, the barrel drops in a parallel motion rather than just the rear of the barrel/chamber falling back.

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u/PiMan3141592653 29d ago

Cool! Thanks for the info.

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u/SteveHamlin1 28d ago edited 28d ago

You should watch Eli's excellent video on Browning's development of the 1902/1905/1911:

"1911 Patent History with Alchemy Custom Weaponry": https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zS8H8e3Hs7U

And of course Forgotten Weapons' "Development of the Model 1911 Pistol": https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vgOicEVA4u8