Colt Special 38
- Thread starter Darnel
- Start date
- Status
Lucky Derby
Member
Need more info. Is it a Police Positive Special, A Detective Special, an Army Special, or some other colt model that fires .38 special?
Lots of Colts have the word "Special" in the name, and many others that don't have "special" in the name but fire the .38 Special cartridge.
Post a pic if possible and a list of markings on the gn and tell us where the markings are.
edited to add, Just realized I answered you in this thread:
http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=6643116#post6643116
Lots of Colts have the word "Special" in the name, and many others that don't have "special" in the name but fire the .38 Special cartridge.
Post a pic if possible and a list of markings on the gn and tell us where the markings are.
edited to add, Just realized I answered you in this thread:
http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=6643116#post6643116
Last edited:
MMCSRET
Member
Need more information. What is the full nomenclature? Patent dates and a picture will make identification possible. With that S/N and caliber marking it could be one of several models and dates.
Sniper X
Member
Does it look like this?
bannockburn
Member
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2007
- Messages
- 26,297
Darnel
If it's a Police Positive Special then it was probably made in 1926. Detective Specials shared the serial number range with the Police Positive Specials but Colt did not begin this practice until 1927. If your revolver is the larger Army Special model, then it would have been built in 1911.
If it's a Police Positive Special then it was probably made in 1926. Detective Specials shared the serial number range with the Police Positive Specials but Colt did not begin this practice until 1927. If your revolver is the larger Army Special model, then it would have been built in 1911.
Last edited:
Sniper X
Member
I know a guy with an Army Special .38, he called Clot and they said any .38spl even +p. No problems.
Sniper X
Member
The Colt Army Special was the perfected result of the Colt New Army & Navy revolvers made from 1889 to 1908.
These were the very first swing-out cylinder, double action revolvers, and are the direct ancestor of all the Colt's that followed.
The Army Special was introduced in 1908 and manufactured up until 1927.
It was used as the basis for every Colt mid-frame revolver to follow up until 1969, and variations of it were made as the Colt Official Police, Officer's Models, Trooper, 357 Model, Python, and others.
The Army Special name was advertising wishful naming, since the Army didn't buy it.
So, in 1927 Colt changed the name from "Army Special" to "Official Police" and manufactured the gun from 1927 to 1969.
The Army Special/Official Police was THE police revolver from 1908 to at least the mid-1960's, with a very great many police departments and private guard companies buying it.
The Army Special was made in a variety of obsolete and more modern calibers including the .32-20, .38 Colt Short and Long, the .41 Colt, and the .38 Special.
Standard finishes were bright blue and bright nickel, with hard black "Gutta Percha" rubber grips with molded-in checkering and Colt logos and checkered walnut with Silver Colt medallions after 1924.
If in good condition the Army Special is a fine shooter, and like all the Colt's using the Army Special action, are noted for excellent accuracy.
The Army Special frame and action design was made by Colt almost unchanged right up the final Colt Pythons made in 2003.
Many parts from a 2003 Python will interchange with a 1908 Army Special.
Look familiar to anyone here?
These were the very first swing-out cylinder, double action revolvers, and are the direct ancestor of all the Colt's that followed.
The Army Special was introduced in 1908 and manufactured up until 1927.
It was used as the basis for every Colt mid-frame revolver to follow up until 1969, and variations of it were made as the Colt Official Police, Officer's Models, Trooper, 357 Model, Python, and others.
The Army Special name was advertising wishful naming, since the Army didn't buy it.
So, in 1927 Colt changed the name from "Army Special" to "Official Police" and manufactured the gun from 1927 to 1969.
The Army Special/Official Police was THE police revolver from 1908 to at least the mid-1960's, with a very great many police departments and private guard companies buying it.
The Army Special was made in a variety of obsolete and more modern calibers including the .32-20, .38 Colt Short and Long, the .41 Colt, and the .38 Special.
Standard finishes were bright blue and bright nickel, with hard black "Gutta Percha" rubber grips with molded-in checkering and Colt logos and checkered walnut with Silver Colt medallions after 1924.
If in good condition the Army Special is a fine shooter, and like all the Colt's using the Army Special action, are noted for excellent accuracy.
The Army Special frame and action design was made by Colt almost unchanged right up the final Colt Pythons made in 2003.
Many parts from a 2003 Python will interchange with a 1908 Army Special.
Look familiar to anyone here?
Lucky Derby
Member
Now that we know it is an Army Special, You can fire modern .38 Special ammo in it as long as it is chambered for the .38 Special cartridge.
If it is chambered for one of the other .38s such as .38 S&W or .38 Long Colt then you need to locate that ammo to shoot in it. Again what do the markings on the gun say?
If it is chambered for one of the other .38s such as .38 S&W or .38 Long Colt then you need to locate that ammo to shoot in it. Again what do the markings on the gun say?
The Colt Army Special wasn’t specifically chambered in either .38 Short Colt, or .38 Long Colt, but you can use either in a .38 Special chamber, which this revolver was (and is) chambered in.
As for shooting, the Old Fuff would point out that this particular revolver is almost 100 years old, and that should call for some special consideration. One point that is too often overlooked is the possibility of a sprung crane (the hinge part the cylinder swings out on). If the crane is badly sprung it is likely the bullet will hit the bore off-center, and this can eventually crack the barrel at the forcing cone.
To check, make sure the chambers are unloaded, and then close and latch the cylinder. Then while looking at the frame from the front, lightly press the cylinder to the left and right to see if the crane moves away from the frame, especially when you are pressing the cylinder to your right.
If so, it needs to be corrected before you do any shooting. Fortunately this is not difficult or particularly expensive, but it requires a gunsmith that is experienced and competent to do such work, and today they are rare birds. If there isn’t such a person in your area (and usually there isn’t) I suggest you try the Colt factory. It’s better to pay for good work then end up with a ruined gun. At the same time the timing should be checked to be sure each chamber “carries up,” or fully rotates from one chamber to the next and is locked by the cylinder bolt when the hammer is cocked. Be sure to check all of the six chambers. If they do not, don’t panic! Part of the reason may be a sprung crane, as mentioned above. Fix one and the other issue sometimes is fixed too.
Over the years Colt did make some internal changes, especially after World War Two, so current Python parts often do not interchange. Finding the correct parts for an Army Special made in 1911 isn’t always as easy as it might seem. Also it should be remembered that at this time, each revolver was individually hand fitted, and most parts do not just drop in.
Ammunition: It was intended to use .38 Special cartridges loaded with 158-grain lead bullets, loaded to a muzzle velocity around 750 FPS, more-or-less depending on barrel length. More powerful rounds were not available or known at the time. Using more powerful ammunition is unlikely to blow up the gun, but they may accelerate wear and cause the gun to go out-of-time. This can usually be fixed, but don’t expect the work to be inexpensive.
Just hope when you reach the same age that this revolver is you’re in equally good shape.
As for shooting, the Old Fuff would point out that this particular revolver is almost 100 years old, and that should call for some special consideration. One point that is too often overlooked is the possibility of a sprung crane (the hinge part the cylinder swings out on). If the crane is badly sprung it is likely the bullet will hit the bore off-center, and this can eventually crack the barrel at the forcing cone.
To check, make sure the chambers are unloaded, and then close and latch the cylinder. Then while looking at the frame from the front, lightly press the cylinder to the left and right to see if the crane moves away from the frame, especially when you are pressing the cylinder to your right.
If so, it needs to be corrected before you do any shooting. Fortunately this is not difficult or particularly expensive, but it requires a gunsmith that is experienced and competent to do such work, and today they are rare birds. If there isn’t such a person in your area (and usually there isn’t) I suggest you try the Colt factory. It’s better to pay for good work then end up with a ruined gun. At the same time the timing should be checked to be sure each chamber “carries up,” or fully rotates from one chamber to the next and is locked by the cylinder bolt when the hammer is cocked. Be sure to check all of the six chambers. If they do not, don’t panic! Part of the reason may be a sprung crane, as mentioned above. Fix one and the other issue sometimes is fixed too.
Over the years Colt did make some internal changes, especially after World War Two, so current Python parts often do not interchange. Finding the correct parts for an Army Special made in 1911 isn’t always as easy as it might seem. Also it should be remembered that at this time, each revolver was individually hand fitted, and most parts do not just drop in.
Ammunition: It was intended to use .38 Special cartridges loaded with 158-grain lead bullets, loaded to a muzzle velocity around 750 FPS, more-or-less depending on barrel length. More powerful rounds were not available or known at the time. Using more powerful ammunition is unlikely to blow up the gun, but they may accelerate wear and cause the gun to go out-of-time. This can usually be fixed, but don’t expect the work to be inexpensive.
Just hope when you reach the same age that this revolver is you’re in equally good shape.
- Status
