Dupont RSQ

1909-1911 Dupont RSQ Smokeless

(Brief Overview, may include errors/incomplete data) 

The purpose of this data is to first, show it was used in the 44-40 for revolvers as a handloading option between 1909 and 1911, second is to give food for thought (aside from the strong vs weak steal) on why the issue with smokeless powder and Colt's revolvers between 1900-1906, 1909...which could have actually been between fast burning vs slow burning powders. UMC and Peters manufactured the 45 Colt cartridge during that time using a slower burning rifle powder.

The below information is very basic. Although I want it to be accurate and complete, it will be focused on the smokeless powder transition between Bullseye and RSQ for the 45 Colt by Frankford Arsenal between 1898 and 1909 as well as maybe why the use of the 38 Long Colt rather than the 45 Colt from the start. I will be adding to and correcting errors as I gain accurate data. These details will be new to me...so go easy on the inaccuracies or incomplete data/discriptions.

The governments transition from the 45 Colt, to the 38 Long Colt, then back to the 45 Colt...and eventually to the 45 ACP cartridge.

• 1875 - 38 Long Colt (black Powder)

• 1892 - 38 Long Colt, enters military service (black powder)

• 1898 - Colt introduces the Colt Model 1898 Double Action Revolver as the M1898 chambered for the 45 Colt. Reported using 4.5gr of Bullseye smokeless powder resulting in borderline high pressures.

• 1901 - 

• 1902 - The 38 Long Colt reported introduced, and is used by the government in the M1902 Colt New Service...appears to be Bullseye smokeless powder.

• 1903 - 

• 1904 - 

• 1905 - WRACo 45 A.C. (auto) cartridge. Winchester box labels dated as early as June, 1906 and shows as "45 Automatic Colt"

• 1906 - 

• 1907 - 

• 1908 - 

• 1909-till April - The M1909 45 Colt cartridge by Frankford Arsenal, the full length cartridge, (smaller) rim intended to be used in the SAA and DAA and loaded with 4gr.5 of Bullseye. It has been reported that any charge over 4.5gr of Bullseye resulted in high chamber pressures and government loading machines occasionally duping double charges resulting in the revolvers exploding when fired.

• March-1909 - Switched to RQS smokeless powder and increasing the rim diameter to .365"-.450". This solved the extraction problem in the M1909 but limiting the SAA and DAA loading to only every other chamber. RSQ was offered to the public from 1909 to 1911 or until supplies exhausted. Same with Frankford Arsenal, and used until 1913, WWI and until exhausted or removed from service. RSQ is still mentioned as "recently introduced" as late as 1920. RSQ still advertised in magazines as late as 1935.

My many questions surrounding the 1900-1909 45 Colt smokeless SAGA issues starts around the introduction of the Colt New Service Revolver Model in 1898. It would appear that the 45 Colt cartridge was loaded with 4.5gr of Bullseye smokeless powder and borderline on high pressures. It also appears that the 45 Colt cartridge had issues being ejected from the New Service Revolvers.

The 38 Long Colt was proven inferior to the larger caliber cartridges during the Philippine War. As we all know this war ended in 1902 but yet it was supposed to be why the 45 Colt returned in the Model 1909. There is a pretty big date gap between 1902 to 1909...and even 1898. It would appear that when the military wanted the 45 Colt back by 1902, the smokeless powder problems had already started back in the M1898. Maybe with the government wanting the 45 Colt back, Maybe it took Colt from 1989 to 1909 to come up with a revolver design, powder type and charge to satisfy the government's needs. The government was also using the fast burning Bullseye smokeless pistol powder (introduced in 1898) rather than the slower burning powder of Dupont's No.2 rifle powder of which was being used by Winchester. I feel this is certainly a major contributing factor to the problem and why the Colt New Service Revolver was not being used with the 45 Colt cartridge in 1898 to begin with. The Dupont no. 2 rifle powder was a bulk powder and filled the same space as black powder. Most importantly it created less pressures than black powder. The documentation clearly points this out. So why Bullseye? Was the government just wanting to spend less money and why they settles for the 38 Long Colt and very low charge of Bullseye rather than the larger 45 cartridge which needed a higher charge of slower burning powder?$$$

During this time, the 45 Auto was also being used by 1905 with Browning's wonderful invention of which I would safely assume used Bullseye smokeless pistol powder. While Winchester was using smokeless rifle powder (Dupont No.2) for the 44 Winchester with excellent results in the Winchester Model 73' and for the Model 92' ( as well as High Velocity loads...Laflin & Rand Sharpshooter rife powder..by 1903..in the Model 92',  Colt was still learning why fast burning pistol powders were "dangerous" and inadvertently proving to the world why the 44 Winchester cartridge was and is always a rifle cartridge...best used with rifle powders in a rifle? I think I'll lean towrdes the aforementioned small product low cost theory!

Even during early 1909 use, the US Government's loading machines kept dropping an occasional "double charge" of Bullseye (introduced in 1989) in their M1909 45 Colt loads. Most of the time they would blow the gun with the first shot. DuPont came up with a replacement powder called RSQ. One could fire six consecutive double charged 38 caliber loads before it got ugly. Being "rescued" by DuPont, Major K. K. V. Casey requested it be called "RSQ"......Resque! I have seen box examples as early as 1910. However, some say thyat the RSQ really stood for "Revolver, Special Quality"  which makes more sense. The powder was reported dropped two years later with the Model 1911 but I have seen boxes dated as late as 1913. It has also been mentioned that the development of RSQ may have involved Schultz smokeless powder. There was the shotgun powder as well as the 1909 rifle powder. I think I'll lean toward a slower burning version of the 1909 rifle powder., also influenced by Capt. Casey, or at least used by him with great success in rifle competitions.

Winchester yielded to this Colt Pistol issue by noting "Not For Pistols" on their Red Label 44 Winchester smokeless load box labels. However, UMC continued to load smokeless factory loads for the 45 Colt revolvers...as so advertised in catalogs, from 1896 through the 1900 to 1909 dates with only one no listing in 1901 and maybe 1902.

When you start connecting all of the dots, it is evident that the fast burning Bullseye smokeless powder was not a nice powder for the 45 Colt cartridge. What smokeless 45 Colt cartridges were manufactured during 1896 to 1909 were loaded with slower burning rifle powders such as Laflin & Rand Sporting Rifle Smokeless, Dupont's No.2 Smokeless Rifle Powder,  as well as maybe Schultz shotgun (or rifle) powder and Kings Smokeless Rifle Powder. Peters used Kings in their 44-40 cartridges. More can be seen here: Chasing The 45 Colt Cartridge 

As was said, RSQ was discontinued in 1911 but the replacement powder (or at least the sister powder) may have been Dupont Pistol #3 from 1912 to 1921. A 6gr charge was used in the 45 ACP with a 230gr bullet. However, it appears that at least Frankford or contract manufactures still used Bullseye for the Government 45 ACP cartridges up at at least or maybe past 1917. I have not researched beyond this information.

According to Sharp's 1937 handloading manual, the 44-40 could be loaded with 6.0gr of RSQ and a 200gr factory lead bullet for revolver use. Velocity was reported at 800fps (with corrosive primers).