In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
Colt Lawman Mk III ?Air Crew? Revolver (9/16/2001)
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
Colt Lawman Mk III "Air Crew" RevolverSpeer/CCI's J. Allan Jones explains it all for us!
As one of the few people in the world who has fired one of these, I felt that I should engrave my brief experience with this unusual revolver against that distant time that I am no longer able to share. In June 1971, I was hired by the Dallas County Institute of Forensic Science as a Firearms Examiner in the Crime Lab section. During the first six months of my employment, a Colt representative showed up wanting to demonstrate a new concept in the war on air piracy. He carried a standard hard case for handguns. "...a reasonably normal Colt Lawman Mk III with ... two black plastic cylinders." He started his presentation by stating that there was no way that a U.S. Marshal could be on every flight, but that every flight had an aircrew that could be trained and armed. Security and control concerns questioned arming the crew with convention firearms, but a firearm that could only be loaded with special ammunition could reduce these concerns. The firearm and ammo could be safely stored separately, but quickly combined when needed. The gun would not work with standard ammunition, and the ammunition would not work with standard firearms. When the sales rep opened the case, we saw a reasonably normal Colt Lawman Mk III with its cylinder removed, and two black plastic cylinders. The frame lug (the projection on the left side of the frame that prevents the cylinder from sliding backwards during loading) was ground off. The rep explained that the cylinders were made of Delrin plastic. The revolver was modified so that a conventional cylinder could not be easily retrofitted, thus improving security. There seems to have been at least two different cylinder designs, one completely of Delrin, the other a hybrid of plastic and metal.The holes adjacent the case heads measure approximately one centimeter deep and serve no clear purpose other than to perhaps prevent cracking. - D.S. The cylinders were similar in design to those from a Colt percussion revolver. No cartridge case was used. Powder and bullet were introduced from the front, and the rear of the cylinder held conventional small pistol primers. Each cylinder could be quickly installed on the revolver; once it was mounted and swung closed, the standard thumb latch held the cylinder securely.One of the cylinders was loaded with conventional 158 grain lead round nose bullets; the second held bullets that appeared to be white-colored wadcutters. The rep said the "wadcutters" were bullets made of plaster of Paris. The idea behind the plaster bullets was they would not penetrate or otherwise seriously damage the airframe, but were driven at very high velocity for enhanced anti-personnel effects.The rep has a sample of the plaster bullet that had not yet been loaded. The plaster was molded into a 38 caliber "H"-style polyethylene wad. My recollection is that the assembly weighed about four grains. Rubber bullets were not mentioned during the meeting.We adjourned to our "temporary" shooting range where a primitive Oehler model 10 chronograph was available. Firing the plaster bullets showed velocities in the range of 1700-1800 ft./sec., corresponding to energies between 26 and 29 foot-pounds.Lacking a gelatin block at the time, we had no way to evaluate the terminal effects of this special bullet. Our "gut feeling" was that the bullet would be marginal for torso shots, but could be effective for head shots. Even without cranial penetration, one of these anywhere on the head would likely take a skyjacker out of the fight long enough to be restrained.I questioned the rep about reloading the cylinders. He first responded that the concept was that crews be trained with conventional Colt Mk III revolvers and standard ammunition. I renewed my question and he showed me a loading tool that was similar to those tools supplied today for loading cap and ball versions of the Colt SAA. A metal base plate had two stations and a pivoting lever between them. Station 1 had six recesses that held new primers. A decapped cylinder (he did not show me a decapping tool) was placed over the primers and the lever was swung over the cylinder. A drop rod pivoted to the lever entered the center hole of the cylinder, and pressure on the lever seated all six primers simultaneously.After powder charging, the cylinder was placed on Station 2 for bullet seating. So positioned, each chamber could, with appropriate rotation, be brought under the lever's rod, which doubled as a seater. I believe the holes in the rear face of the cylinder were used to align each chamber with the seater.The Colt rep left after his informal presentation, and we never heard any more about this project.10 September 2001
As one of the few people in the world who has fired one of these, I felt that I should engrave my brief experience with this unusual revolver against that distant time that I am no longer able to share. In June 1971, I was hired by the Dallas County Institute of Forensic Science as a Firearms Examiner in the Crime Lab section. During the first six months of my employment, a Colt representative showed up wanting to demonstrate a new concept in the war on air piracy. He carried a standard hard case for handguns. "...a reasonably normal Colt Lawman Mk III with ... two black plastic cylinders." He started his presentation by stating that there was no way that a U.S. Marshal could be on every flight, but that every flight had an aircrew that could be trained and armed. Security and control concerns questioned arming the crew with convention firearms, but a firearm that could only be loaded with special ammunition could reduce these concerns. The firearm and ammo could be safely stored separately, but quickly combined when needed. The gun would not work with standard ammunition, and the ammunition would not work with standard firearms. When the sales rep opened the case, we saw a reasonably normal Colt Lawman Mk III with its cylinder removed, and two black plastic cylinders. The frame lug (the projection on the left side of the frame that prevents the cylinder from sliding backwards during loading) was ground off. The rep explained that the cylinders were made of Delrin plastic. The revolver was modified so that a conventional cylinder could not be easily retrofitted, thus improving security. There seems to have been at least two different cylinder designs, one completely of Delrin, the other a hybrid of plastic and metal.The holes adjacent the case heads measure approximately one centimeter deep and serve no clear purpose other than to perhaps prevent cracking. - D.S. The cylinders were similar in design to those from a Colt percussion revolver. No cartridge case was used. Powder and bullet were introduced from the front, and the rear of the cylinder held conventional small pistol primers. Each cylinder could be quickly installed on the revolver; once it was mounted and swung closed, the standard thumb latch held the cylinder securely.One of the cylinders was loaded with conventional 158 grain lead round nose bullets; the second held bullets that appeared to be white-colored wadcutters. The rep said the "wadcutters" were bullets made of plaster of Paris. The idea behind the plaster bullets was they would not penetrate or otherwise seriously damage the airframe, but were driven at very high velocity for enhanced anti-personnel effects.The rep has a sample of the plaster bullet that had not yet been loaded. The plaster was molded into a 38 caliber "H"-style polyethylene wad. My recollection is that the assembly weighed about four grains. Rubber bullets were not mentioned during the meeting.We adjourned to our "temporary" shooting range where a primitive Oehler model 10 chronograph was available. Firing the plaster bullets showed velocities in the range of 1700-1800 ft./sec., corresponding to energies between 26 and 29 foot-pounds.Lacking a gelatin block at the time, we had no way to evaluate the terminal effects of this special bullet. Our "gut feeling" was that the bullet would be marginal for torso shots, but could be effective for head shots. Even without cranial penetration, one of these anywhere on the head would likely take a skyjacker out of the fight long enough to be restrained.I questioned the rep about reloading the cylinders. He first responded that the concept was that crews be trained with conventional Colt Mk III revolvers and standard ammunition. I renewed my question and he showed me a loading tool that was similar to those tools supplied today for loading cap and ball versions of the Colt SAA. A metal base plate had two stations and a pivoting lever between them. Station 1 had six recesses that held new primers. A decapped cylinder (he did not show me a decapping tool) was placed over the primers and the lever was swung over the cylinder. A drop rod pivoted to the lever entered the center hole of the cylinder, and pressure on the lever seated all six primers simultaneously.After powder charging, the cylinder was placed on Station 2 for bullet seating. So positioned, each chamber could, with appropriate rotation, be brought under the lever's rod, which doubled as a seater. I believe the holes in the rear face of the cylinder were used to align each chamber with the seater.The Colt rep left after his informal presentation, and we never heard any more about this project.10 September 2001
Comments