I lament the extinction of Colt handguns.

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I have a nice 3rd Gen Detective Special. It's in great shape and is my favorite carry revolver. It's nearly identical in size to my Ruger SP101 but it carries an extra round.

Unfortunately, I always have these nagging concerns about shooting it too much, as it seems that gunsmiths that have experience with Colt revolvers are few and far between nowadays. I hate thinking of this gun as a "collector's item", but it certainly feels that way.

TMann
 
I hate thinking of this gun as a "collector's item", but it certainly feels that way
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A- Colt still works on them
B- why deny yourself one of the finest carry revolvers ever made
C- they are quite hearty. I doubt you could shoot it loose.
 
I occasionally carry a late 1950's era Detective Special, and although it shows its age it it still as tight as a drum and in perfect time. Shooting isn't what causes most of the problems. Owner abuse, in particularly flipping the cylinder in and out is what does them in.

The Detective Special is nothing more or less then a Police Positive Special with a two-inch barrel. The Police Positive Special was introduced in 1908, and what few changes that were made thereafter were minor. If they couldn't stand up to normal use they would have been gone, or substantially changed by the end of World War One.
 
I have an old, HEAVILY used Cobra.

NO blue across the bottom of the frame, it has faded purple. Was used A LOT before I bought it.

The old girl (1955) shoots like a champ.
 
What saddens me, and I am usually very harshly realistic about Colt, is that they have greatly improved their products in the last few years and produce an excellent SAA. Vastly superior to any prior 3rd generation gun. They are also producing an excellent 1911 in various formats, as well as their pocket autos. They have also reintroduced the wonderful New Frontier and in configurations difficult to obtain in 2nd and earlier 3rd generation guns. Yet people still start threads like this and talk as if they do not produce a single handgun. A quick search at Davidson's for Colt handguns reveals FIFTY FIVE different models and variations. Problem seems to be that they can't make them fast enough.

Maybe you guys that only shoot DA's need to get out more???
 
Guillermo said:
Ah, put so much more eloquently
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If it had been said that way instead of as, maybe one day they will care about civilians again, there would have been no confusion.

It sounds to me like the OP equates not making the gun he wants with not caring about all civilians. Which is not the case at all. I know civilians buying new Colt ARs, 1911s, Defenders, and Mustangs. It seems they still cater to a niche of civilians.
 
I'm pretty sure Ruger, Taurus, & Charter Arms would disagree
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None try to compete.

Ruger prices their guns 10-15% cheaper than the similar Smith.
Taurus and Charter are down from there.

They have all established their nitch...and it is not against each other.
 
A quick search at Davidson's for Colt handguns reveals FIFTY FIVE different models and variations. Problem seems to be that they can't make them fast enough.
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They have three basic platforms, two of which are artifacts that first saw the light of day in 1873 and 1911 respectively. The third (Pocket Mustang) is based on a Spanish Star design that they bought the rights to after the 1968 GCA was passed.

They have no pistols or revolvers chambered in .22 rimfire, no modern military/police service pistols, nor compact versions of same, no double action/hand ejector revolvers of any kind. In short they are more of a large custom shop rather then the world-class manufacturer they once were. Then too insult to injury, their principal products are duplicated by numerous competitors who turn out more product and make more money then they do,

Ya’ can’t sugar coat this kind of truth.
 
Hope? Really?


They've not wanted to try anything new for decades. What's going to make them change now?



You want to know how the world has turned? Smith and Wesson refused to do anything Colt. They developed their own guns and cartridges to compete with in the heyday of IPSC rather than try to do a better 1911 pattern. The rivalry was intense, and it was mean.

Smith and Wesson management proclaimed they would never produce a 1911, and they threw away LOTS of money trying to R&D and manufacture competition guns that went nowhere.


Today Smith and Wesson produces 1911s, and fine ones at that. Colt no longer makes DA revolvers. The world has turned.


There's hope left for Smith and Wesson. Colt, sadly no. They gave up the fight and any hope of being cutting edge a long, long time ago. That's not something you get back. The culture of an enterprise is very difficult to change.
 
Colt made their mistake when they had the military contract for the service rifle and pretty much told the consumer they didn't need their business. That is when they quit manufacturing their handguns.

When they lost their contract with the military, they didn't have the consumer to fall back on and started their decline in the industry. At one time they were working on the personal ID trigger system and that didn't help them either. They just made a lot of poor decisions and it backed up on them.
 
jhco50- Bingo! Colt was only interested in military M16 contracts and management was shortsighted.
 
"Hope? Really?"

Sure, as long as they are still in business there's hope for a turnaround. But notice I didn't say there was a good chance or that I was betting on it.

Heck, I still have hope the president will wake up one morning and come to his senses about his approach to the economy and health care. Sort of like Scrooge and his Christmas dreams.
 
This thread reminds me of the Rock Ridge town meeting in Blazing Saddles (Howard Johnson is right!) - all we need is some Authentic Frontier Gibberish, which I'm sure is around here somewhere...:D
 
I can’t say that I miss Colt revolvers. This was my sampling of Colt models Agent, Three Fifty Seven, Diamondback, and Python. None were keepers.
 
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