COLT DSII nickle Plated with Stag grips!! HELP!!

[Master Blaster]

I was in the local target master sunday and I saw two things that have tempted me sorely.

1. They have a new counter woman who looks like she is a Playboy Model, I wanted to stand there and talk guns with her all day, but I had my son and daughter with me and they were running slightly wild (4 and 6), and we were on our way to the grocery store two miles in the opposite direction!!!

2. In the case they had a Colt DSII I think in .357 magnum with a 2 or 3 inch barrel, bright nickle plate and stag grips. In Texas they call this a barbeque gun I think. It was as purty as the counter lady, but I was afraid to touch it cause my wife would kill me, well maybe not,

It appeared to be NIB straight from COLT, some type of special model. The price was $449!!!!!!

Anyone have any idea what this gun might be and if this is a good price???

I think it was a DSII but not 100% sure.

Thanks

 

[Master Blaster]

http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976279509.htm

I think I found the answer to my question on Gunsamerica.

Its a lawman MKIII anyone have one????

 

[dfariswheel]

The Mark III series was Colt's replacement for all the older Colt revolvers. Colt couldn't compete with the older guns due to the extensive hand fitting required. In 1969 all old type revolvers except the Python, were discontinued and the new Colt "J" frame series was introduced.

These new guns were the first revolver to use stainless steel springs, and sintered steel parts. The "J" frames were the first revolvers ever built that used little or no hand fitted parts. While not true drop in, they required very little fitting.

Unlike old Colt revolvers, the "J" frame guns cannot have parts adjusted or refitted when they wear. The parts have a thin glass-hard case hardened coating, and any cutting or polishing will break through the thin "crust", ruining the part. The guns are intended to have worn parts simply replaced.

The sole weakness of the "J" frame guns, is that a few firing pins MAY be too hard. If the gun is dry fired too much, the pin might break. The gun MUST be returned to Colt for pin replacement since it requires special tooling to remove and replace the pin.
Any non-factory attempt to change out a firing pin will damage the gun's finish, and can damage or ruin the frame.

No less an authority than Jerry Kunhausen thinks the Colt Mark III-King Cobra series guns may be the strongest mid-sized DA revolvers ever made, due to Colts high quality forged and heat-treated frames and cylinders. These guns are built like a tank.

The lawman Mark III was Colt's fixed sight Magnum revolver of those days.
They came with a heavy 4" barrel with exposed ejector rod, and two different 2" barreled versions. The early version had a heavy 2" barrel with an exposed ejector rod. The later post-1972 version had a shrouded 2" barrel that looks like the Detective Special.
Both 2" guns had a rounded butt.

Finishes were Bright blue, bright nickel, and satin Electroless nickel, also called "Coltguard".

The Lawman is surprisingly accurate, and was at the time, the shortest barreled Magnum revolver in production.

Considering that the Lawman was a "budget" gun, quality is amazing by today's standards. Fit, finish, and bluing is excellent.

 

[Gordon]

My early style 2" Lawman nickle with stag grips resides in my bedside holster for 10 years. It is VERY well made and smooooth actioned I knew it had sintered parts but Hell they will be working long after I don't. It shoots 5" at 25yds with 158grain bullets, dead on!One ragged hole at 10 yds IF I cock it for single action fire.

 

[mainmech48]

The DSII was the successor to the Detective Special. The lockwork was redesigned and updated, with different type mainspring, firing pin, etc.

Are you sure it's nickle plated? I think that they were all made of high-polish stainless steel, but I could be mistaken.

Stag grips are probably an aftermarket replacement. Genuine Sambar stag is getting hard to find since the Indian government embargo on export went into effect a couple of years ago. Really beautiful stuff, and getting to be real expensive when you can find it.

Around here, $449 would be about market rate for an ANIB specimen. They only produced them for a couple of years before Colt pretty much abandoned the handgun business that built the company.