Another Detective Special Added to the Ranks

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Kramer Krazy

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All these recent posts about Colt Detective Specials had me itching to find one. :D Actually, I've been casually watching them since they reintroduced them in 1993....or was it '91 or '92? Anyway, I have found several of the newer ones with the shrouded extractor, but I stumbled across one about 4 months ago that is older (without the shroud). I looked at it last Friday and thought about it over the weekend. I picked it up today. :D

I estimate it to be about 70% and the original hammer has been replaced (I was given the original hammer assembly with the gun). It was replaced because the firing pin is chewed up, as it looks like someone took a file to it. The replacement hammer is not bobbed, but the original one is. The serial number is "B406xx", and it also came with the original wood grips. I was curious if any of you know what year this thing was made? I've been looking at a bunch of older Colt revolvers over the last few months, and when I saw this one at $275, after seeing several newer ones in the $450-$575 range, I figured I'd grab this one. It cleaned up really well, and I can't wait to shoot it.....So, anyone know the date of manufacture for this? Thanks.
 
Your Colt Detective Special was made in 1971, and is one of the last ones with the original round-style barrel.

The only question I would ask is, "was the replacement hammer correctly fitted?" Colt parts are not drop-in, or least usualy they aren't. When your gun was made each one was individually put together by a skilled assembler who hand fitted each part. While this made for great revolvers it eventually put Colt out of the business because of the labor expenses.

I'd say you got a great deal. At that price I'd jump for any D.S. in sound shape.
 
The hammer was installed by a "gunsmith", but I don't know which one around here. I checked the hammer/timing/cylinder play and whatever else I could think of on it before I bought it. Everything seemed fine to me without actually having my Python and/or Anaconda with me to compare them. I'm hoping to shoot it tonight, if I get off of work early enough.

I'm surprised the gunsmith didn't just press out the original pin and replace just the firing pin (mounted on the hammer), instead of replacing the complete hammer assembly (the hammer strut, strut spring, and hammer stirrup are still attached to the old one). Is it possible to just replace the firing pin on these? If so, I may have to repair the original hammer assembly, if I can find the parts necessary.

After a mild cleaning and a good coating of oil, the gun cleaned up very nicely.
 
Yes, you can buy a firing pin and rivet, and I see no reason not to repair the old hammer if it's O.K. otherwise.

When purchased as spare parts, the hammer usually coume as an assembly with the associated small parts. This may be the reason the gunsmith did what he did. He, or the gun's former owner may have also been trying to make the revolver more attractive to a potential buyer by returning it to the original configuration.

Everything may be fine. Go shoot it and find out. :D
 
Didn't take it to the range, yet, but I just couldn't resist shooting it. Grabbed an empty Tide detergent bottle and found a deserted area in the country. It was low light conditions (using headlights of the car), and I fired off a cylinder at abtou 15 yrds before going out to eat. I hit the bottle 5 out of 6 times and tried three rounds in single action and three in double. Everything checked out fine. The trigger pull feels smooth, building in tension as I pull the trigger, and it releases the hammer a little sooner in trigger pull than my Python and Anaconda appear to in DA. It felt really nice.........after dinner, I let my wife shoot at the Tide bottle, and she hit it 4 out of 6 times (all on SA). We were both surprised how nice the gun felt, the trigger pull, and the lack of recoil for a little snubby (we've both only shot 4" and longer revolvers). I think my wife is interested in a little snubby, now. :uhoh: :D
 
You must stop this madness at once! What you are doing is highly addictive, and now you have sunk so low that you’re getting your wife involved. Hopefully if there are any children they will never find out. :uhoh:

Under no circumstances should you tell members of your extended family, friends, co-workers, or other associates that you can hit anything short of a barn at any distance over three feet with that little Colt. Otherwise they will have you committed. It would be best if you disassembled it and dropped the parts off a bridge. :scrutiny:

Or on the other hand you could send it to me … :evil: :D
 
Um....er.......well..... :D :neener:

My wife wasn't into firearms at all (had fired a few when she was younger) until I started to take her shooting back in late Oct when she was too pregnant to get on the motorcycle. :eek: Since then, she's shot just about every gun I own, and we've even picked up a Ruger 10/22 and a S&W 5903 9mm auto for her.

I've let her shoot my Python, Anaconda, and Vaquero, and reguardless what she shoots, she loves it. :D She really liked shooting my Anaconda 44 Mag (with 44 mag ammo), and she gets a kick out of the looks on people's faces when she tells them that she's shot my 44 mag and liked it! Now, if she can find the money, she has been talking about picking up one of those S&W .500 in an 8 3/8" barrel. I'm think she probably will end up with one in the near future.

On top of this, since I've got the "Colt thing" going (own 7, now), she's thinking of doing the "S&W thing" for her little collection that will probably happen. Since she liked the little Detective Special so much, I think an older S&W snub nosed 38 is in her future, too. If not for any other reason, they seem to be more plentiful and a bit less expensive than the Colts. :scrutiny:

As for the little one, I still haven't bought her first gun, but I keep thinking of a Ruger 10/22 Anniversary model, since the Anniversary is a 2004 model, and so is my daughter. ;)
 
I finally got to take the little snubby to the range last night. I shot three cylinders at both single action and double action. I was shooting about 10-12 yards, freehand, standing and taking less than four seconds between shots. Not too surprising, I got similar results. On the 18-round group of single action, I shot a 3.5" group. For the 18-round group of double action, I shot a 3.5" group. :D The biggest problem I had with it were the sights were difficult to see. I think I'll paint the front sight and outline the rear sight. Also, the gun was VERY pointable with the factory wood grips......on a side note, we have come to the conclusion that my wife shoots more accurately when she fires a round every two seconds or less. When she waits longer than two seconds, she flinches more, her eyes get blurry, and she has a tendancy to get shakey. She blistered the hell out of a life-size silouette in the 9 and 10 rings with her S&W 5903 (9mm) from 7, 10, and 15 yards with the less-than-two-seconds-per-shot rate. Made me proud. :D
 
Ah always said them snubbie Colts were no good. Always out of time, and ya' cant hit nothing beyond three feet or so.

Maybe if your lucky your can get rid of it before your friends find out ... :neener: :D :D
 
Boy have I got bad news for you ... :uhoh:

These wim'min ... Well you'll find out .... When SHE starts looking at snubbies, look out! :eek: :D
 
I just picked up a set of those $3.99 rubber grips from CDNN for my little Detective Special ( http://cdnninvestments.com/detspecrubch1.html ). They are shaped like the newer generation grips, and are much fuller than the stock, wood grips. When replacing the grips, I discovered that the grips on the gun were, in fact, the originals, since they had the last three digits of the serial number written on the inside. These $3.99 grips needed a slight trimming of some mold flashing, but they fit perfectly and feel really good, too. Now, I just have to plan another trip to the range to test them out. :D

BTW, I also ordered a Winchester spotters scope, for when I'm on the rifle range, and I figured for the scope, case, and tripod, it was a great bargin at their sale price of $49.99 ( http://cdnninvestments.com/wiva15spscne.html ).
 
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