New Service, New Century, and M1911 pistols

[Naphtali]

There is an article in the 1990 edition of Gun Digest by John Malloy, titled "Colt's 1909 Military Revolver." There is one throw-away paragraph that has me wondering. On page 126, paragraph one reads:

"Reliability was another quality associated with the 1909. Most students of firearms history know that the semi-automatic pistol that was to become the 1911 Colt defeated its nearest rival in a final endurance test. During the test, the Colt automatic fired 6000 rounds without a malfunction, a performance for which it is deservedly famous. Less well known, however, is the fact that a 1909 revolver was used as a control standard during the tests, and it also turned in a perfect score." (Emphasis added.)

There is no mention of S&W's New Century Hand Ejector revolver in any form. Apparently, the NC HE was either not tested during acceptance tests for the 1909 revolver or it was tested and didn't measure up. What's the real scoop on the status/fate of S&W's big frame New Service competitor in this era?

[Firebird]

I don't believe S&W was asked to be part of any competition. The "New Century" (otherwise known as the triple-lock) was a brand new design and just entering production when the Army finally realized it had to get a 45 caliber pistol back in it's inventory as the few remaining SAA's were worn out. The 1909 Colt revolver was selected as a stop gap by the Army without any competition because from the very beginning it was known to be a temporary solution and Congress had not yet passed the laws of today demanding multiple bids etc.. The pistol design that was to become the Model 1911 had already gone through several years of Army testing,. and the design was being modified yet again in 1909 to meet more new criteria demanded by the Army; among them being the grip safety, something Browning didn't want to add but the Army demanded it. The only reason for the model 1909 revolver was that the Army was simply taking far to long to approve a design that Browning & Colt had introduced to the civilian market in 1905.

[Geraldo]

This has nothing to do with the New Century, but I thought you might find it interesting.

Col. Frank Thompkins wrote several appendices to his book, Chasing Villa. In the first, he wrote about what equipment worked and what didn't, and he felt that the ".45 caliber Colt revolver" is a better choice than the 1911 automatic because of the possiblity of jamming and the reliance on magazines that could be lost.

He doesn't specify whether the Colt revolver he is refering to is the SAA, the 1909, or the .45acp 1917, but given the timing of Punitive Expedition, it's probable that he meant the 1909.

[Patrick L]

In the Cartridge Corner column in Handloader, they discuss the .45 Cartridge of 1909.