What size frame for 1950 colt Detective

[Mike in pa]

I picked up a 1950 colt detective special. I'm trying to find out the frame size. Would it be the large frame or small one. Also where is a good place to buy the original grips for it once I find out what size the frame is. The grips that are on the gun now seem to be coltwood from what I read. Thanks Mike

 

[Old Fuff]

The Detective Special is a Colt "D-frame," and Colt letters have no relationship to those used by Smith & Wesson. Your revolver is a "full-frame" or "long frame" - meaning that the stocks are slabs that fit on the sides of the frame. After 1963 Colt shortened the handle part of the frame, and the stocks wrap around the bottom. The two styles do not interchange. Finding original walnut stocks for the pre-1963 revolvers can be difficult, and usually expensive.

Try E-Bay and www.gunbroker.com

 

[Archie]

Original grips

Prior to the Second World War, the Detective Special had wood grips. From 1948 (or so) to 1955 (or so), the factory grips on the Detective Special were the red composite plastic grips. (Coltwood? I never did remember the cutesy trade names for stuff.) So what are on the gun may well be original.

Colt went back to wood grips in 1955 (or so). Later, as Old Fuff relates...

 

[dfariswheel]

The Colt Detective Special is a small frame revolver.
Colt called it the "D" frame.

Here's what we mean by "full grip frame" or "stubby grip frame".
The later stubby frame grips wrap under the bottom to give a full size grip.
Yours is the full frame, and finding grips for it is difficult since Colt stopped making the full frame in 1966 and went to the stubby:

 

[Derry 1946]

Dfariswheel: Enlightening as always. Thanks!