Named after the famous shooting range in England, the Colt Bisley revolver was developed as the company's entry into the late 19th century competitive shooting market. For its accuracy, fit, and speed on the draw, the Bisley soon found a home in the holsters of countless cowboys, lawmen, and gunslingers in the twilight of the Old West.

Thanks to its history, innovation, and comparative rarity relative to its Single Action Army sibling, the Colt Bisley revolver has become a sought-after gun with collectors today. Numerous examples of the Bisley and its Colt Target Flattop predecessor can be found in Rock Island Auction Company's August 15-17 Premier Auction in Bedford, Texas.

The Colt Flattop Target

In 1873, Colt unveiled the Single Action Army. The famous wheelgun would dominate America's revolver market for decades and see countless styles and iterations. One of the specialized variants of the model was the Flattop Target introduced in 1888, referred to as the "flat top or target frame."

As a Colt advertisement described, "the frame has a flat top instead of the half-round top through which is a lateral sliding bar rear wind-gauge sight which is capable of fine adjustment. The front sight is arranged by a base attached to the barrel into which are fitted fine pin-head sights. Several sights of different heights are provided which enable the marksmen to use various loads from the light gallery charge up to the full charge."

Target pistol shooting had become steadily more popular in the late 1880s, especially after the National Rifle Association of the UK opened up the Wimbledon Commons in England. These competitive shooting matches became a British national pastime.

1890 marked the opening of a new shooting range at Bisley, about 30 miles southwest of London. Colt revolvers won 14 of 16 prizes in the first series of matches, including the famous Walter Winans taking first place using a Colt 1878.

Age of the Target Revolver

A report from 1890 noted that "the Colt revolvers are leading all others. This is a dismal year for the Webleys. Not only has the Colt won all prizes in the Officer’s revolver matches at Bisley, but it also carried off all but the smallest prize at Dublin, and at Edinburgh Midlothian Rifle Association revolver competitions took all, without exception. It is now, by all fair-minded men over here, conceded to be ahead of any English revolver.”

Colt marketed the Single Action Army for target shooting in a number of chamberings including .32 Colt, .32 S&W, .23-44, .38-44, .44 Russian, .44 Special, and exceptional rarities like .22 rimfire. According to 'The Book of Colt Firearms' by R.L. Wilson and 'The 36 Calibers of the Colt Single Action Army' by David M. Brown, Colt manufactured 200 First Generation Single Action Army revolvers in .22 rimfire, with 93 of these being the Flattop Target Model.

In addition to his Colt Model 1878 DA, Walter Winans employed single action revolvers like the Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 chambered in .44 Russian, favoring the platform for its adjustable trigger. This combination of model and caliber won Winans the "Any" Revolver competition at Bisley in 1895 and 1896, as well as numerous events around England.

Author and Colt historian David Brown noted that "The .44 Russian cartridge had become popular in several competitive revolvers, so Colt made it also in the Single Action. They were not mass produced, were made on special orders only, so the caliber also is considered rare."

The Colt Flattop Target Model would be produced in 22 different calibers, including popular British rounds like .450 Boxer/Eley. In 'The Official Record of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver 1872-1895' authors Don Wilkerson, Carol Wilkerson, and Kathy Hoyt account for a total of only 275 Single Action Army Flattop Target revolvers in .450 Boxer/Eley.

In addition to its .450 Eley chambering, the Colt Flattop Target example pictured below includes rare features like Colt's London Agency address at 14 Pall Mall marked atop the barrel as well as British proofs on the underside of the barrel and the cylinder flutes.

'The Book of Colt Firearms' states that only 925 standard frame Colt Flattop Target revolvers were produced in all calibers between 1888 and 1896, going on to become one of the most highly sought after revolvers in the collecting pursuit. The Bisley Target Model effectively replaced the Flattop by 1894 and would build upon its predecessor's design.

Birth of the Colt Bisley

A small handful of Flattop Target revolvers were ordered in an extended "long grip configuration" like the extremely rare example below. These lengthened grips were the predecessor that led to the design of the Bisley Target revolvers. The larger Bisley grip and its sharper drop was intended to offer greater stability by nestling deeper in a shooter's hand so the gun doesn’t rock back under recoil.

Some of the Bisley configuration's main updates intended to aid in target shooting included a wider trigger with a greater curve, a lower, flatter, and wider knurled hammer spur, and a new grip frame that curved higher behind the trigger guard. 976 Bisleys revolvers were built on the flattop frame, often dubbed the Bisley Flattop Target Model. These examples included adjustable front and rear sights.

In England, the Bisley Target Model was advertised as "Colt's New ‘95 Model, .455 Cal. Army And Target Revolver In One. Takes the standard service cartridge. No pistol shoots more accurately, quickly, or is as durable in construction. Every pistol guaranteed. Everyone should try it before buying a military, match, or frontier revolver."

The positive reception of this revolver inspired Colt's Patent Mfg Co. to adopt the "Bisley" designation for a standard Bisley Model that maintained the distinct hammer, trigger, and humpback grip shape while being offered with Single Action Army sights. These are roll-stamped on the left side of the barrel with "(BISLEY MODEL)" followed by the caliber, except in the case of revolvers chambered in .44-40. Instead, these are marked "COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER" below the familiar "(BISLEY MODEL)" legend.

Colt Bisley Features

Since the Bisley Flattop Target Model was developed for the British competitive shooting market, .455 Eley became the platform's most common initial chambering. .32-20 (32 WCF) and .38-40 (38 WCF) also saw high demand due to their perceived accuracy and modest recoil. These latter two calibers became the most popular chamberings for the standard Bisley Model.

While nearly half of First Generation Colt Single Action Army revolvers across all variants were chambered in .45 Colt (.45 Long Colt), this caliber only ranked third for the Bisley Model. Of the 44,350 standard-frame Bisleys produced between 1894 and 1915, more than 31% were chambered in .32-20 and another 27% were chambered in .38-40.

Like the Flattop Target, the Colt Bisley was serialized as a standard Colt SAA. Though the 7 1/2 inch barrel length was initially popular for the Bisley, 5 1/2 and 4 3/4 inch lengths became increasingly favored as the model branched off from its target shooting roots and was embraced in a personal defense role.

Colt Bisley Sheriff's Model

Fewer than 600 ejectorless First Generation Single Action Army revolvers were produced in total according to 'The Official Record of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver, 1873-1895.' Dubbed "Sheriff’s Model," "Storekeeper’s Model," and "Banker's Special,"  these revolvers had shortened barrels and lacked ejector rods and rod housings, offering an easy to draw close-quarters option in situations that didn't require a rapid reload.

Colt Bisley Sheriff's Models are exceedingly rare and one of the most sought after guns in the collecting field. The example below is featured in 'The Book of Colt Firearms,' where the authors estimate "less than a dozen" were made. In the 30th Anniversary Edition of 'A Study of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver' from 2006, authors Graham, Kopec, and Moore note that, "As of this updated revision, there are now nine known original, ejectorless, short barreled Bisley Model revolvers."

Colt Bisley Special Features

As R.L. Wilson observed, "Engraved Bisley revolvers are very rare, and Colt factory records indicate that less than 60 were made." As with other Colt SAA variants, Bisleys in blue finish were standard, while nickel, silver, and gold plating could be supplied on special order. The latter two are particularly scarce for the model and were almost exclusively restricted to engraved Bisleys.

Carved pearl or ivory grips were another special order feature that few Bisleys received from the factory. Steer head motifs, like the carving on the example above are a seldom seen, and the example below with a eagle carved pearl grip is an even more elusive design.

The Bisley pictured below also features a factory inscription on the grip strap, a feature found on fewer than 40 known examples. With 98% of its silver finish remaining, crisp detailed engraving, eagle carved pearl grips, and an inscription to a decorated Arizona lawman from "the City of Tuscon in 1909," this revolver enjoys a one-of-a-kind combination of features that would make it a crown jewel in any advanced collection.

Colt Bisley Legacy

As author Alan Garbers notes in an article for Guns Magazine, "While a few Bisleys were shipped across the “Big Pond,” many more made their way west into the hands of cowboys, outlaws and lawmen and firearm historians say the majority of the Bisleys went to the arid Southwest."

Pancho Villa owned several Bisley revolvers. Outlaw Bill Miner, known as the "The Grey Fox," was known for carrying a Bisley, and actor Richard Farnsworth toted a Bisley in an 1982 film based on the famous bandit.

Writer, ranger, and Westerner Walter Rogers, who wrote ‘The Trail Drivers of Texas’ in 1913, favored his Bisley over the "Army Model S.A. Colt" and commented that "In repeat shots, it is much slower than the Army Model, but it can be used with amazing speed on the draw and first shot, and is very accurate."

Rogers had modified his Bisley, as many gunsmiths of his era were inclined to do, including Harold Croft and Elmer Keith. In the mid-1920s, Keith famously incorporated the Colt Bisley backstrap into his legendary "#5" revolver.

Bill Ruger would release the Ruger Bisley in 1984, a single action sixgun that offered a modernized take on the nearly 100 year old Colt design. The Freedom Arms Model 83 also features a similar grip shape to the Colt Bisley.

The period between 1890 and 1910 was the height of the Colt Single Action Army, seeing over half of the 357,859 First Gen SAAs produced. The Bisley was at the height of its popularity as well, but sales dried up by 1912. One year later, the Bisley was removed from the Colt catalog and only available by special order with parts assembled from the remaining inventory.

The Colt SAA continued as a target shooting platform with custom examples like the 1926 shipped example below with a professionally mounted Colt-King Super Target sight rib, a blade front sight with red bead, adjustable notch rear sight, a wide custom trigger, and a short action hammer with a light trigger release that takes inspiration from the Bisley.

Colt Bisley Revolvers for Sale

The Colt Bisley design has inspired numerous modern models and custom revolvers. Replicas that closely capture the style of the original Bisley are offered by companies like Cimarron. While all of these options are well worth exploring for any single action firearms fan, there's nothing like adding an original example of the Colt Bisley to your gun collection, and Rock Island Auction Company offers the finest selection you'll find.

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