A half a century....

[Dagga Boy]

This gives a very good idea of "where things come from". The top gun is a full house King Target Official Police revolver from the mid 1930's. If you wanted to be competitive in the target shooting world and law enforcement competitive shooting (that was huge in this era) or were a serious gun person, this was what you shot. Bullseye was king, and this was maximized for it. It came with a short action, a cockeyed hammer that made single action shooting easier, a full vent rib, and adjustable target sights. It had a small grip frame and the grips were usually replaced with target grips sized for the shooter. You are looking at what gave us the Python. As an immediate reflection, an Uncle who was in the legendary LAPD "Shield class" of 1940 carried a 6" Official Police target that was very similar in function.

Fast forward 50 years, Colt trying to save itself in the police revolver market. The Trooper Mk V. Short Action, tune able trigger (internal parts not sintered metal), a vent rib barrel with adjustable target sights, a small grip frame to allow for grips sized to the shooter, you are looking at the end of the road for this type of gun. Colt was destroyed by the new Smith L frames, and immediately after its demise Ruger dropped the Glock of the revolver world, the GP-100.

The reason I have been so enjoying my resurgence in loving older police guns is feeling and touching history. They tell a story of not just development, but are reflections of training doctrines of their era.

[Hambo]

Here's the best idea I've ever offered you: Nyeti's revolver history show and tell class. I'll be first in line to buy a ticket. I'll even wear gloves and a bib.

[Dagga Boy]

Here is a better angle on the Colt King Super Target Official Police. That "Cockeyed hammer" is what became the norm....target hammers.

[coldcase1984]

Here's the best idea I've ever offered you: Nyeti's revolver history show and tell class. I'll be first in line to buy a ticket. I'll even wear gloves and a bib.

Attend the Revolver Roundup and you'll get to bare-finger them! Groaning is allowed but drooling is frowned upon unless it falls upon you rather than the hand cannons...you'll also become a nascent wheelgun ninja.

[Dagga Boy]

Attend the Revolver Roundup and you'll get to bare-finger them! Groaning is allowed but drooling is frowned upon unless it falls upon you rather than the hand cannons...you'll also become a nascent wheelgun ninja.

And BBQ.....coon fingering with BBQ.....:cool:

[Trooper224]

Love that King OP, absolutely classic. I'd love to be able to show up at work, just once, with something like that strapped on. Just for style points. Of course, it would be lost on most of the folks I now work with as they wouldn't know what it was.

[Dagga Boy]

Love that King OP, absolutely classic. I'd love to be able to show up at work, just once, with something like that strapped on. Just for style points. Of course, it would be lost on most of the folks I now work with as they wouldn't know what it was.

When this came up for sale, I got a hold of Wayne to talk me out of it as the voice of reason.....his response was "buy it right now!". I did. It actually came from Colt's archivist. It is a piece of history lost on most. The amount of blueing wear also indicates it belonged to a serious user.

[Trooper224]

When this came up for sale, I got a hold of Wayne to talk me out of it as the voice of reason.....his response was "buy it right now!". I did. It actually came from Colt's archivist. It is a piece of history lost on most. The amount of blueing wear also indicates it belonged to a serious user.

A retired Trooper I know has a very nice Officers Model Match that he refuses to sell me. Bastard.

[Sherman A. House DDS]

When this came up for sale, I got a hold of Wayne to talk me out of it as the voice of reason.....his response was "buy it right now!". I did. It actually came from Colt's archivist. It is a piece of history lost on most. The amount of blueing wear also indicates it belonged to a serious user.

Well done man!

[LSP972]

Simply gorgeous, DB. That bad boy dates back to the days of Harry Reeves, et.al.


http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2010/7/15/camp-perry-harry-reeves-revolver-match/

.

[TCinVA]

Very cool, dude.

[LHS]

Awesome.

[Paul D]

A retired Trooper I know has a very nice Officers Model Match that he refuses to sell me. Bastard.

I don't blame him! (Please excuse to poor photography)

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i45/pnduong/IMG_2744_zpsgiowsgye.jpg

[Hambo]

And BBQ.....coon fingering with BBQ.....:cool:

I'm hooked. And of course I'll need a revolver or two of my own to use...

[Dagga Boy]

I don't blame him! (Please excuse to poor photography)

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i45/pnduong/IMG_2744_zpsgiowsgye.jpg

Those were always "shooters". The Colts were always renowned for their accuracy. They did great in the medium frame market. Unfortunately, they have always been terrible at reading market changes and demands, and got stomped by S&W starting in the 50's and 60's.

[Trooper224]

....an Uncle who was in the legendary LAPD "Shield class" of 1940

Darryl, please elaborate. I never heard of this.

[Dagga Boy]

Darryl, please elaborate. I never heard of this.

The Shield class was the first recruit class in three years. The earned a competitive appointment, they were the first with the "new" LAPD large shield badges, the new style uniforms, etc. 78 men competed against 6000 for the job. They turned out more Chiefs and Command staff than any class ever. They were the first of the "professional" police officers and very free of the corruption and favoritism of how urban police were hired in years past in large metro areas. Very military based academy and the first with improved serious training. When they were jogging in the hills around the academy they were led by a track star from UCLA named Tom Bradley who later became mayor (obviously, the class was racially integrated as well). Bradley turned into a real piece of crap and was despised by my uncle. On the other hand, the class produced "Two guns Powers", a hero cop and gunfighter, future Chief Ed Davis, and the class was taught by the legendary Lt. Bill Parker who brought a very high level of integrity, professionalism, and was later a legendary Chief himself. That class really changed LAPD to something totally different in that era,,and why LAPD was later so unlike many other big agencies in terms of "how things were done" and with training and cutting edge advances in crime fighting.

[warpedcamshaft]

Yeti... you need to write some books... Or start a blog where you just dump some of this awesome history/deep knowledge stuff.

[Hambo]

Sorry for drifting, but Powers was hard core:

http://articles.latimes.com/2002/dec/09/local/me-powers9

[Mike Pipes]

Sorry for drifting, but Powers was hard core:

http://articles.latimes.com/2002/dec/09/local/me-powers9

Thanks Hambo,good shit there....CYA

[Beat Trash]

When this came up for sale, I got a hold of Wayne to talk me out of it as the voice of reason.....his response was "buy it right now!". I did. It actually came from Colt's archivist. It is a piece of history lost on most. The amount of blueing wear also indicates it belonged to a serious user.

And that's what a good friend should do.

But if he were a better friend, Wayne would have ran out and bought the gun himself, just to help you resist the temptation. He could have let you visit it on weekends...

[FNFAN]

But if he were a better friend, Wayne would have ran out and bought the gun himself, just to help you resist the temptation. He could have let you visit it on weekends...

A truly exceptional friend would have bought it without mention (so as to help the friend avoid any angst...) and just shown up with it at the range shared range session, perhaps sans ammo...

[entropy]

Wow. You guys are brutal.

:cool:

[Wheeler]

A truly exceptional friend would have bought it without mention (so as to help the friend avoid any angst...) and just shown up with it at the range shared range session, perhaps sans ammo...

Perhaps with the qualifier while unzipping the bag with great show and drama, "I had intended to buy this for you but liked it so much I decided to keep it for myself."

[Wayne Dobbs]

And that's what a good friend should do.

But if he were a better friend, Wayne would have ran out and bought the gun himself, just to help you resist the temptation. He could have let you visit it on weekends...

I would love to have a King's Colt, but when Darryl told me about it and the price, I told him to waste no time buying that gun. And while I'd take advantage of a deal, I won't take advantage of a friend.

[Sherman A. House DDS]

I would love to have a King's Colt, but when Darryl told me about it and the price, I told him to waste no time buying that gun. And while I'd take advantage of a deal, I won't take advantage of a friend.

You and Darryl are good guys. That's rare these days!

[jh9]

You and Darryl are good guys. That's rare these days!

Meanwhile, I'm totally a jerk.

<pawn stars>
Hey look, I just talked to my Colt guy and he said that's a 35 dollar bill all day long. But I'm gonna have to get some Elvis grips and a box, and it's gonna just sit in the case for a while. SO best I can do is $20.
</pawn stars>

[Dagga Boy]

I would love to have a King's Colt, but when Darryl told me about it and the price, I told him to waste no time buying that gun. And while I'd take advantage of a deal, I won't take advantage of a friend.

Besides, he can shoot it whenever he wants with a FAR smaller investment.....;). I swear, I buy have this stuff just to watch Wayne shoot these things to their potential. I will enjoy watching him shoot some match wadcutters out of the King gun as much as owning the thing.