What colt have I inherited?

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mopar92

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It a revolver, .32 caliber, says " .32 colt np ctg
Detective special" on the left side of barrel when you are muzzle down range... It's not too beat up, a little rust on the top rib above the cylinder, but many other parts of the gun are 100%.... If I wanted to shoot ammo through this, what ammo should I run through it. I've read on this site that it's misleading as to what ammo to shoot.
 
Thanks guys. I assume they made a billion of these? I dont have any rare guns!
 
Open the cylinder and look inside on the front of the frame for the serial number. Then go to the following link to see what year it was made.

http://proofhouse.com/colt/index.html

Then go to the next link for some information about it. It's a nice revolver.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Detective_Special

Yours would be a first (1927-1945) or second (1946-1972) series detective special. They are actually collectible if in good condition. It was mainly used by policemen as a backup weapon. They stopped making the .32 with the third series in 1973, although a few second series were made on special order later. I have a .32 NP second series made in 1975, so it's worth checking into.
 
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yeah, 7973 puts it right between on that website. Thanks for the web links guys. I have no urge to sell this. Im not a gun broker, but based on the bore, blueing and condition, it's a solid 7 of 10 (perfect). The bridge above the barrel on the right side is down to the metal, and a the bluing is missing only there. The entire rest of the gun is perfect. No dings, no scratches, no barrel blue wear, no sight wear, no nothing wear. The grips are original looking, and mint as mint gets. Thanks for the help guys.
 
Packed away in the safe... I'll dig it out tonight and snap some pics of it tomorrow...
 
from earlier today for Grizzly who called me a liar( for not taking a picture). Man, your pistol is in great shape. Mine has some pitting on the barrel end, and a little on that rib as I listed... The brown flakes you see in the pic are NOT rust. It is flakes of brown paper bag that the gun was cosmolined and stuck in. Ive about got the cosmoline off, and just gun oil on now... shew. That cosmoline is a PITA to get off if it's been on there for 30 years. Just gummy.
 

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I like it. Looking forward to more pics. Didn't mean to impugn your honesty, just get you to post pics. :neener: I love those guns. :eek:

Congratulations
 
Take some pics after you get the gunk off. It can take a while. Sounds like a good gun to shoot, just enough wear that it's not a true collector. Grizzly's gun looks too purty to shoot!
 
mopar92 said:
It's a strange pistol... How powerful is that .32?
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Roughly equivalent to the Daisy Red Rider <cough>. Maybe I exaggerate, but it's not the bullet power, it's the gun that's neat. To me the DS sort of represents an epic battle with S&W for the police market. Colt lost out and went on to focus on the military market. Then the Glock came along and S&W is now left with the private market. There's a whole history wrapped up in there involving cowboy guns, a secret .44 mag, the entry of Ruger, and a revolution in the handgun industry.

To Jesse: Not only too purdy to shoot, the durn thing don't even feel broke in yet. So I got another one for shooting that has had a more honest life of service.

ColtDetectiveSpecial2-1.jpg

The box the purdy one came in is kind of interesting. If you look on the label the caliber (.38) is scribbled out and .32 written in as an option. Evidently when they made this second series in '75 they didn't have any of the old labels left over. :)

75DSboxend.jpg
 
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