U.S. Government Issue Colt 1878/1902 Double Action .45 Colt caliber “Alaskan” or “Philippine” Model revolver, correct 6” barrel, serial number 43827, all correct government inspector stamp of "RAC" (Renaldo A. Carr) on the frame, back of the cylinder and trigger guard. Only 4,600 of this distinct variation of the Model 1878 were made and are serial numbered between 43,401 to 48097. This particular Colt has an extremely low number for this model and was probably one of the first of its kind to be issued to troops in the Philippines. The large trigger guard sets this unique model apart from the similar commercial Model 1878, the reason for which, as explained in Wilkerson's excellent book on the Colt 1878, is simply that the main hammer spring wasn't strong enough in the standard commercial Model 1878 Double Action Revolver to reliably ignite the primers on military manufactured .45 Colt ammo. In order to increase the spring power and still make it possible to fire the revolver double action by pulling the trigger to cock and fire the weapon, the trigger had to be lengthened for more leverage and thus the bigger trigger guard! It's as simple as that. This is a good example displaying a deep aged blue patina overall. It has Colt embossed hard rubber grips, lanyard swivel intact and unaltered front sight . It is mechanically fine with a surprisingly excellent bore. This is a very rare U.S. Government issue revolver used during the Philippine Insurrection that is seldom seen on the collector market today. This Colt would be a fitting addition to a Colt or U.S. military arms and armor collection. For a complete representation of condition and for additional images please call 800-686-4216. It is the buyer’s responsibility to view each image and preview the item to determine condition.