In order to put both the .44 Spl. and .45 Colt New Frontier revolvers through their paces, I gathered five different factory loads in each caliber and headed to the shooting range. I tested each gun by firing five-shot groups at 25 yards, using a rest on the shooting bench. Velocities were averaged from five consecutive, five-shot strings, with the PACT chronograph set 15 feet in front of the muzzle. Temperature on the day of my tests was 89 degrees F, and there was no noticeable wind.

All of the .44 Spl. ammunition performed well; however, the nod went to Winchester’s 200-grain Silvertip which ran at 848 fps and gave 1 1/4-inch groups. Nonetheless, my favorite .44 Spl. loads are built around 240- or 250-grain Keith semi-wadcutter bullets running 900 to 950 fps. There is just not much, handgun-wise, that you can’t do with this kind of .44 Spl. load. In my tests, the DoubleTap 240-grain KSWC factory load chronographed at 904 fps and gave 1 1/2-inch groups.

Likewise, the 4 3/4-inch New Frontier, in .45 Colt, shot some very nice groups, too. The tightest group (1 1/4 inches) went to the Black Hills cowboy load consisting of a 250-grain round-nosed, flat-point bullet loping along at 722 fps. The most interesting .45 Colt load, though, was the 225-grain cast wadcutter, defense load from Buffalo Bore. It also gave the highest velocity of 1,056 fps.

Both of these New Frontier single-actions performed flawlessly during my tests. I experienced no malfunctions, failures to fire or other mishaps. The sights were easy to adjust and gave a superior sight picture that was a distinct aid in accurate shooting. The actions were smooth and properly timed, with the triggers breaking cleanly at 3 1/2 pounds. Frankly, both guns were good to go right out of the box although, if one of them was mine, it would quickly get a set of ivory stocks. And that is about all I would do and all the gun would need.

Nowadays, we spend a lot of our time contemplating personal defense guns and issues, and for good reason. Still we should never forget that most of us spend our trigger time at the range because shooting is fun. And the Colt New Frontier is a perfect companion for fun shooting. It’s the kind of handgun you want on your hip when you spend the whole day down on the creek, or hiking in the national forest. The Colt New Frontier is a classic example of American firearm manufacturing at its best, and I can’t imagine a sixgun that better exemplifies our nation’s rich shooting traditions.

Manufacturer: Colt’s Mfg. Co. LLC; (800) 962-2658; www.coltsmfg.com
Action: single-action, center-fire revolver
Caliber: .44 Spl. (tested), .45 Colt (tested)
Barrel lengths: 43⁄4" (tested), 51⁄2" (tested), 7½"
Overall Length: 10¼" (43⁄4" bbl.), 11" (51⁄2" bbl), 13" (71⁄2" bbl.)
Height: 5.2"
Width: 1.7"
Rifling: six-groove: 1:16" LH twist (.45 Colt); 1:12" LH twist 
(.44 Spl.)
Sights: ramp front, Elliason windage and elevation adjustable rear
Finish: blue with color- case hardened frame
Stocks: smooth walnut with Colt medallions
Suggested Retail Price: $1,455