Colt vs Smith & Wesson "Bullseye" Revolvers

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SwampWolf

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Back in the day when I was a serious Bullseye competitor (during the sixties and early seventies), when revolvers were still relevant and iron sights mandatory, the two companies to be reckoned with when it came to target shooting was Colt and Smith & Wesson. The revolvers made for Bullseye competition from these two companies were impeccable firearms and both had their devoted fans.

So I'm wondering if any of you old timers had a strong liking for either company's offerings (Colt, with its Officer's Model Match/Officer's Model Special and Smith & Wesson, with its K-22/K-38 Masterpieces-later, Models 17 and 14 respectively) over the other and, if so, what was/is your reasoning? I've competed with both brands over the years and have developed my own preferences but I'm curious as to what other opinions were developed and why.
 
I don't consider myself an old timer but it's a model 14 for me. Something about the size weight and balance that still sits well with me. Colt's never appealed to me, even back in the mid 70s when I was in my early 20s.
 
I grew up on a Model 14-3 I bought used when I was around 22ish. Man is it accurate. Many years later I got a Colt OMM, and while it shoots very well, I still shoot the 14-3 better. I also shoot the 14-5 I bought about 10 years ago better. Bought it for 4300 something off of BG. Wow was I happy. Would love to own a 4" 14-5, but have never seen one.

I am by no means a Bullseye talent type handgun shooter, I just really like them and shoot the Smiths better. I love my 1905 .38 Spl target too. I haven't had that one more than a couple of years, but man is it a sweet shooter.
 
Walkalong said:
...Would love to own a 4" 14-5, but have never seen one...
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I am not sure which -# but a run was made for the Dayton Ohio police department. There were also additional runs of 4” Model 14s. However, any 4” M14 will be hard to find. Most folks are happy with the 4” Model 15. I used one for my duty PPC revolver.

Kevin
 
I grew up with S&W double action revolvers. I started competition with a M17 and then a M14. Eventually I got a custom revolver built on a M64 frame. I ended my competitive streak with a M25-2. Along the way I tried Colt Products, specifically the Python, the 1917, the Officers Model (?) and the old Trooper. I could never come to terms with the action or the distance from backstrap to trigger.

I still have a couple of S&W revolvers but no Colts.

Kevin
 
I flirted with bullseye for a time. Could only afford S&W guns. Later I acquired colts but by then I'd moved on to the faster action type sports. I love both brands but am a colt guy at heart.
 
Well, I don't consider myself an "Old Timer" either, but I had experience back "in the day." When I first began target shooting, I had a Ruger Blackhawk for my centerfire revolver, a Colt M1917 for my .45, and a borrowed K-22 for rimfire matches. Getting into the game more deeply, I bought a Ruger Mk.I for my rimfire. However, since that was a long delivery item at that time, I opted for a Colt Officers Model Match in .22 rimfire. I liked the grip and balance of that gun that I later got a matching revolver in .38 Special. The M1917 was no match grade revolver by any means, and I eventually dropped out of .45 competition.

The Colt stocks really fit my hand as is from the factory and I never considered target stocks. Loved the OMM and have been through several even after I left target competition.

Elmer Keith and handgun hunting and really fire-breathin' .44s swayed me from competion shooting! Last matches I fired in were the Winter Matches of 1960.


Bob Wright

P.S. I was really a "country bumpkin" when I broke into bullseye shooting. I wrapped my Ruger and Smith & Wesson (borrowed) in a towel and carried them in a cardboard shoe box. My "kit" consisted of two boxes of cartridges, .38 and .22, a small screwdriver, and a roll of Red Cross brand cotton. Cotton plugs were our ear protection, then. A couple of the more knowledgeable shooters had store bought ear plugs.
 
The gouge with the Distinguished Revolver crowd seems to be that the Colts will shoot better groups, but the Smiths are much cheaper. $500 will put you into a nice K-38. If you want a Python, toss another $2K into the pot. Triggers are good either way, these are Old School guns. The only problem being that once you get used to a good revolver trigger, you won't be satisfied with the junk on most guns these days.
 
Back when the revolver was King of the Matches from the early 20's to the 50's the Colt Officer's Models held almost all the records and were used by most of the top shooters.

The Colt's on average simply shot tighter groups, and group size was what it was all about.
Many people prefer the S&W double action trigger, but matches were shot single action and most people preferred the Colt single action feel.
 
I can't remember the year now, but remember reading that an Olympic record for pistol was set by a shooter using a K-38 Smith & Wesson.

Bob Wright
 
The K-frame S&W fits my hand better than the older style Colts do, so I'm a S&W guy.

Stay safe.
 
dfariswheel said:
Back when the revolver was King of the Matches from the early 20's to the 50's the Colt Officer's Models held almost all the records and were used by most of the top shooters.

The Colt's on average simply shot tighter groups, and group size was what it was all about.
Many people prefer the S&W double action trigger, but matches were shot single action and most people preferred the Colt single action feel.
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I'm curious as to what evidence there is to verify which brand was used most and held the most records from 1946 (when the S&W "Masterpiece" target revolvers were first introduced) and later. I think Smith & Wesson came on strong during the last decade or two of Bullseye competition (the first centerfire Masterpiece K-frame target revolvers having the "heavy", wider rib barrel weren't available until 1950) when revolvers were still relevant; at least I saw a lot of them on the line at Camp Perry and other target match venues.
As a sad aside to us Buckeyes and to tradition in general, the national pistol matches will no longer be held at Camp Perry; the location of same has been moved to somewhere in Indiana is what I heard.
 
StrawHat said:
I am not sure which -# but a run was made for the Dayton Ohio police department.
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StrawHat, are you from Dayton? I was the first graduating class from Nettie Lee Roth high school in 1961. Before we transitioned from revolvers to "Third Generation" Smith autos, my agency specified K-frame revolvers, chambered in .38 Special and that's what I carried for most of my career.
 
SwampWolf said:
...StrawHat, are you from Dayton?...
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Nope, a little town called Northfield. For decades known for the standardbred reacetrack and now for the “Rocksino” since bought and run by MGM as MGM Northfield. The track is still here

I used to collect “K” frames, specifically 38 Specials. An amazing number of variations of K’s chambered in that cartridge.

My dept issued the M19, but as the Assistant RO, I could carry what suited me as long as I qualified with it and it was a revolver. I carried a 4” M14, an M15, an M10 and the M19 at various times.

Kevin
 
I was not a Bullseye competitor but I enjoy practicing Bullseye style for the challenge and trigger discipline.. The tip of deeply curved trigger on the Colt Officers Model Match actually bites my trigger finger (a result of some arthritic changes) so the S&W Model 14 and 17 are more comfortable for me. I wish I were good enough to discern a difference in accuracy between the two, but alas...
 
I once read that the V spring Colt action gave a mechanical advantage in cocking with less disturbance to the grip.
So I rummaged around and tried it. I can do better with S&W, especially the wide low target hammer. Clear why King's did a good business in Cockeyed Hammers in the bullseye revolver era.
 
I have a Model 14-2 with the single action kit installed. The trigger is great and the gun is very accurate. I could never see the point in spending the extra money for the Colt Python or any other Colt for that matter. I do like Colt's for their beauty and as collectibles, but the shooter in me loves Smiths. Actually, I like em both!!
 
Jim Watson said:
Clear why King's did a good business in Cockeyed Hammers in the bullseye revolver era.
Click to expand...

That's an important point. Because all three stages of fire in Bullseye were almost always committed with single-action trigger pulls, ease of hammer cocking was important. Though not relevant in the Slow Fire stage, good results in Timed and especially Rapid Fire stages benefitted from smooth and easy cocking of the hammer.
 
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