My New-To-Me Colt Detective Special

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TMann

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Just picked this little guy up from a local gun shop. The finish on the gun is immaculate...which makes me think that it was probably refinished. Also, the grips, which are obviously not stock, are a little on the large size for a possible carry gun. I'll have to look into getting those swapped out at some point. When dry firing, the cylinder locks up REALLY tight. I've never owned/shot a Colt revolver before, so maybe that's par for the course. Still, it makes my S&W 442 feel kind of sloppy by comparison. :D

All in all, I'm pretty pleased. I had been looking for a Colt DA/Agent/Cobra for a while, and I was happy to find one locally for a very reasonable price.

TMann

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Very nice!

Do you think you could post a pic of the D.S and 442 side by side for a size comparison? I have a 6 shot .38 with the same frame size and barrel length and Im curious if the J frame is really much smaller (as in, would the purchase of a J frame for extra concealability be justified when I already have a 6 round snubby?).
 
I own a twin to your DS, mine has never been refinished and is the same as yours. The lettering is sharp and the color is identical, I conclude that yours is original. I have several different revolvers in the same class as the DS, but the DS is the finest in every way. Mine prefers and functions best with 125 gr. bullets. I load my own so I don't know about expensive, store bought ammunition. Good carrying and shooting!!!
 
TMann, congratulations on a great find. As MMCSRET said, the finish on your DS looks original. I have owned several in that same condition.

As you said, the lockup on the Colt is tight. That is how it should be.

You should be able to find a set of factory grips on GunBroker or possibly from Numrich (www.gunpartscorp.com). You should also consider either Eagle or Badger boot grips. Both offer excellent concealability. I am personally partial to Badger grips, as I have dealt with Jim Badger on many occasions and he is a great guy to work with.

Enjoy your Colt. Just be careful, they tend to multiply :)
 
RevolvingGarbage: I'll try to take a photo of the two guns tonight. My impression of the two gun is that the 442 feels a lot smaller because a) it is quite a bit lighter, and b) the grips on the Smith are a lot smaller than the ones on the Colt.

MMCSRET and Texas Colt: Thanks for the input on the gun's finish. The finish is in such good shape that I assumed that it couldn't be original. But maybe I just got lucky. :D Unfortunately, that leads me to the question of whether I want to be using this Colt as a carry gun and risk marring the finish. I usually carry my 442 in a pocket holster, but I had envisioned getting a nice IWB for the Colt. Hmm. I'll have to think about that one.

TMann
 
Comparison picture - J frame and Colt Detective Special

RevolvingGarbage asked:

Do you think you could post a pic of the D.S and 442 side by side for a size comparison? I have a 6 shot .38 with the same frame size and barrel length and Im curious if the J frame is really much smaller (as in, would the purchase of a J frame for extra concealability be justified when I already have a 6 round snubby?).
Click to expand...

Here is my Detective Special next to my J frame model 36, which is the same size as a 442. Note that the J frame has 2 finger boot grips while the Colt has 3 finger Hogue grips, which makes the Colt look bigger. In actual fact the Colt is slightly larger, but not much.

ColtDSandSW36.jpg
 
That doesn't look like a reblue to me. It's a later generation of DS's with the ejector rod shroud so it may have just been sitting in a box. Check your SN to find the date of manufacture. It's probably younger than you're thinking.

For a more compact grip go with factory plus a Tyler T-Grip.
 
Also, for a more compact grip, Craig Spegel made a run of grips for the Colt DS recently...
 
Nice one, I picked up this older Colt a few years ago. It is used but in great shape.

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Here's my wife's Colt DS with a set of 2009 Spegels (from the most recent run, Bolivian rosewood):
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Mine with 1998 Spegels:
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To the OP, it might be worth it to check in with Craig to see if he still has any grips lying about...
 
Love that Dick special. You got a nice one. Here's mine after many years if carry and a newly added shroud.

dick_special.jpg
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. I guess that I'm going to start keeping my eyes open for a nice IWB holster and a set of new grips.

I took a couple of photos this evening of my DS and my 442. I superimposed the two pics on top of each other, using the lines on the counter as reference points. The 442 is pictured as a black silhouette, while the DS is pictured as the white silhouette. I tried to line up the triggers on top of each other.

As you can see from the pics the Detective Special is slightly taller and longer than the 442, and the hammer sits much higher than the covered hammer of the 442. However, if one were to put similar stocks on the two guns, the overall dimensions would be similar.

So after looking at this picture, I am starting to think that an Agent or Cobra with a bobbed hammer would make a very nice, 6-shot pocket gun. Hmm. It might be time to start browsing at my local gun shops...

TMann

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After being a S&W guy all my life I know how they open your eyes...
Congratulations. Actions so smooth.
I love mine even if the cylinder spins backwards..
 
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I love the look of the old pencil barrel but the exposed ejector seems vulnerable to me. I see no need for a bobbed hammer and am interested in putting a real hammer on my 36 (or trading it for a Colt)
 
I love the look of the old pencil barrel but the exposed ejector seems vulnerable to me.
Click to expand...

After checking the chambers to be sure they are unloaded, look at the ejector rod from the front and see if you can find a way to hit the rod without the barrel blocking the blow... :scrutiny:
 
Well one option is to get a hammer as a part (they show up on Gunbroker) and bob it, then with some fitting you can have the same revolver both bobbed and with the spur.
 
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