HISTORY: The Other Model 1873 Revolver. “Colt’s first double action revolver in a service caliber, the M1878 ‘Frontier’, is a far more gracile piece than the MAS. However when compared side-by-side, the more martial nature of the French wheelgun is obvious. For instance, it can easily be field-stripped: Using the cylinder pin as a screwdriver, a single screw is removed, allowing the sideplate to be lifted off. The sideplate retains the left-hand grip panel. Et voila! You have now probably stripped the gun as far as caporal-chef Jacques had any need for taking his gat apart in a foxhole. Taking it down further wouldn’t be hard, provided you have someplace to set the fiddly bits. There is even a handy pivoting lever under the grip panel, complete with a knurled tab for a thumbpiece, that can be used to remove the mainspring. By comparison, the Colt Frontier requires screwdrivers and some needle-nose pliers, and you’d probably best just forget about messing with the lockwork unless your dog tags say ‘Grant Cunningham’.”