Colt OP Shooter?

[420Stainless]

I purchased an Official Police on impulse. I checked it out in the store: Lock up is positive and cylinder alignment appears to be very good for all 6, cylinder gap looks good, no push off, bore and cylinder holes are clean with very little wear, ...etc. It is cosmetically challanged with quite a bit of wear on the external surfaces of the cylinder although the frame and barrel retain most of their finish. I assumed when I purchased it that the grips are not of Colt origin. Serial number checks out around 1930 on the proofhouse site. I bought it to shoot (a Fuff moment came over me) but didn't learn the age until after the purchase. Any obvious safety or collector reasons not to shoot it?

 

[MrBorland]

Nice gun. Although I can't answer your questions on the collectibility of the gun, the grips look to me like custom made Herrett Shooting Stars. If it were me, I'd shoot it a bit, but it wouldn't be my primary range gun. I bet it shoots nice. Congrats.

http://www.herrett-stocks.com/cshtstrl.htm

 

[Stoney]

There are lots of Colt OP revolvers around, nothing rare about your model. Stick to mild loads shoot it and enjoy.

 

[420Stainless]

There are lots of Colt OP revolvers around, nothing rare about your model. Stick to mild loads shoot it and enjoy.

Yeah. I read that there were over 400,000 made - so I knew they weren't rare. But sometimes the good folks on this forum notice unique features that I have no knowledge of. I'm looking forward to cleaning her up this weekend and taking her to the range soon. Just wanted to make sure from people who know more about them before I go and put more wear on her. Thank you for your help.

the grips look to me like custom made Herrett Shooting Stars

They seem to fit together well. I haven't taken them off yet to see if there are any markings on the inside. Thank you for giving a clue about what sort of grips they are.

 

[Old Fuff]

A Fuff moment????

If that gun is too old to shoot the poor Ol' Fuff is in trouble...

Actually it would probably be safe with most Plus-P loads, because Colt advertised that it could stand up to S&W's .38/44 load that the originator only used in their N-frame models. But given it's age and the difficulity finding repair parts (and qualified 'smiths to fit them) I would recommend being gentle. I think the stocks were probably made by Steve Herrett, and as such they are better then what came on it. They are beginning to come up as collectables, but not setting any records, so I see no reason to make it a safe queen. Unlike Smith & Wessons of that era it has a positive hammer block, and is safe to carry with the cylinder fully loaded.

 

[420Stainless]

Thanks Old Fuff. I used to be one of those folks who didn't have a use for a full size .38. Lately I been enjoying my 6" barreled 28-2 with both magnum and special loads. I guess a few years of reading your posts extolling the virtues of well crafted revolvers that are held at a lower value due to the longer barrels finally got to me. Counting my 6.5" H&R 922, I now have 3 revolvers with longish barrels and one of those pointy things on the hammer.

 

[Old Fuff]

Do understand, when this revolver was made during or about 1930, skilled, experienced workers were available for what we would now call - low wages. Therefore Colt and others could lavish handwork and fitting on it that would be unthinkable today. No present manufacturer could do today what they did then, and sell the revolver for a price you could afford. In fact at the time the price of materials was equal to or more then the labor costs. Today the material is a trifle compared to the labor. Every piece in it (except the aftermarket stocks) was made in the Colt factory, with no exceptions – including springs, pins, and screws. They sub-contracted nothing. Every part is made from tool steel, and the frame and much of the lockwork are made from machined steel forgings. At the time investment casting and metal injected molding were unknown, and bean-counter cost cutting and quality shortcuts simply didn’t happen. Each and every Colt handgun was test fired and targeted.

And you got all of this for a song…

 

[Starter52]

+1 to Old Fuff!

The Official Police is an excellent revolver. Old-world craftsmanship all the way. I have a 5" from 1941 and it is my favorite fixed-sight service revolver.

 

[Stoney]

The Colt OP is one of my favorite classic revolvers. I have a few myself.Enjoy it and shoot well.

 

[Cosmoline]

These are VERY nice revolvers with a growing following. It's more than strong enough for +p loads, assuming it's a .38 Special.

Just don't reblue it or monkey with it too much. It's a keeper as is.

 

[420Stainless]

Stoney,

Your Official Police, as well as your photography, are beautiful.

I would recommend being gentle

Do not fear. Only target loads. All my defensive practice is with various .45s (ACP and Colt) or with a pocket .380. The only problem is, I'm having so much fun with revolvers lately that I'm starting to neglect my carry weapons.

I think the stocks were probably made by Steve Herrett

the grips look to me like custom made Herrett Shooting Stars

That may be an unexpected bonus, although I am not a collector. Since I bought it with the intention to shoot I wasn't too worried about the stocks. I pulled them off and one panel is stamped "Genuine Herrett's Model RP" and there is the number 4 inside a circle also stamped on the same panel.

 

[Old Fuff]

Since I bought it with the intention to shoot I wasn't too worried about the stocks.

Steve Herrett's fine stocks were originally purchased by shooters (including the Old Fuff) who knew they were advantageous over the factory grips when it came to shooting. They may have become collectable, but this has in no way reduced the reason they were bought and used in the first place.

 

[SaxonPig]

The OP is very sturdy. Frame size is actually what would be called "41 size" and is the same as the .357 Magnum Troopers and Pythons.

Shoot it all you want. You'll only wear out your trigger finger.

 

[MrBorland]

Someone enlighten me - what was the original thinking behind combining such a long barrel with fixed sights? Is it a long-barreled police service revolver or a fixed-sighted target revolver? Po-tay-toe or Po-tah-toe? When were adjustable rear sights introduced? I recall the original pre-war K-22s had adjustable sights, but were they the 1st? Just tryin' to learn something new and I don't have access to Supica & Nahas at the moment.

 

[XavierBreath]

I don't know the reasons for certain, but adjustable sights were not that common back in 1930. They were likely viewed as fragile and best suited for a firearm that was kept in a box rather than carried. This way of thinking is still alive today, in fact.

Handguns were carried in holsters on one's hip back then, not transported in boxes and gun boots from safes to range tables like many are today. Many led a rough life, and had to be durable. The longer sight radius/barrel, coupled with the fixed rear sight aided in accuracy, assuming the sights were aligned properly. Elevation might have been an issue, but a couple of notches filed into the half moon front sight at specific ranges could cover that as well. Some revolvers from this era had drift adjustable rear sights placed by gunsmiths. The M&P could be ordered with adjustable sights prior to WWII.

Again, I don't know for certain, but it seems adjustable sights became popular after WWII with more folks competing in Camp Perry type events. Help me here Fuff.......

My old Official Police

 

[Old Fuff]

X-Breath:

That's a nice Colt ya' got, but you should at least put a decent set of stocks on it...

Back when men were real men... police or military service revolvers were expected to have long barrels, and they did. Plain clothes detectives sometimes carried long barrels too, but more often pocket revolvers, chambered in .32 S&W long or .38 S&W with 3 to 4 inch barrels. The advantage in long barrels (5 to 6 inches) was better balance, better ballistics, and longer sight radius. They didn't need adjustable sights because in those days each revolver was targeted in at the factory. There is absolutely nothing wrong with fixed sight where point of aim = point of impact.

Fortunately the "long toms" are usually discounted today in relation to similar revolvers with shorter barrels. DON'T ANYONE TELL THE GREAT UNWASHED GUN BUYERS OUT THERE ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE THE OLD FUFF SOMETIMES MAKES A KILLING!!! IGNORENCE IS BLISS - REMEMBER THAT...

Adjustable sights go back to at least the late 1880's so far as S&W and Colt are concerned, but they were always special order items. In the case of Colt, the rear sight could be adjusted sideways for windage, and the front for elevation. Fully adjustable rear sights showed up just after World War Two.

Just for grins, go down to your local VHS / DVD movie rental store, and see if you can find some made-in-the-1930's / black & white /crime thrillers. Then observe the handguns that are used. Great fun, and cheap entertainment.