Couple Colt Detective Specials

[Checkman]

In the past few years I've become rather enamored of Colt DA revolvers. In particular the non-Mk III actions (though I have no issue with the Mk III models). The post-73 DS (top) was gifted to me by my grandfather for my 16th birthday in 1984. He purchased it new in 1975. Those are the wood grips that came with it (most of the time they sit in my safe and Pachmayr Grippers are on the DS). A few times over the past thirty-six years it almost slipped away from me, but I gained control of my senses and held onto it. The older DS was won by me at auction last year. A search of the serial number shows that it was manufactured in 1968. I think they make a nice pair.

[FrankB]

I bought a MINT 1952 Colt Detective Special a couple of years ago. It locked up tight as a bank vault, but some members here kept saying that Colt DS revolvers would go out of time a lot, and without an ounce of warning. I agonized about the possibility of ruining a very fine gun, and finally sold it here last year. Damn Shame.....

[Paul D]

I bought a MINT 1952 Colt Detective Special a couple of years ago. It locked up tight as a bank vault, but some members here kept saying that Colt DS revolvers would go out of time a lot, and without an ounce of warning. I agonized about the possibility of ruining a very fine gun, and finally sold it here last year. Damn Shame.....

I used to agonized over this too. However, my guns are are like my kid's artwork or my piano playing: nobody will ever love them more than me so I might as well enjoy it. So I got a set of Kuhnhausen books and the stuff below and keep shooting and worry about it breaking later.

https://everygunpart.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/1800x/1e386634f2ce5c795af49ee647379926/C/o/Colt-Detective-Special-blued_VgL6Z.jpg

[Dave T]

Parts is parts! That's a smart move on your part, Paul. Good thinking to see the value in that de-milled revolver.

Dave

[Checkman]

I bought a MINT 1952 Colt Detective Special a couple of years ago. It locked up tight as a bank vault, but some members here kept saying that Colt DS revolvers would go out of time a lot, and without an ounce of warning. I agonized about the possibility of ruining a very fine gun, and finally sold it here last year. Damn Shame.....

I don't carry my Colts and I don't shoot them all the time. However I've talked to a few old-timers who carried and shot Colts in the past. In a couple cases thousands of rounds fired through their respective Colt revolvers. The feeling was the myth about Colt revolvers being fragile was nothing more. I do know that for many years Colt was considered to make a stronger revolver. Colt used higher grade steel then S&W (one reason why Colt was more expensive) and was held in high regard.

However as I stated at the beginning I don't carry my Colt revolvers. They're part of my collection and are taken out to the range a few times a year. At the range I fire factory ammo and usually just plain old 158 grain LRN 38 Special.

My "real-world" handgun is a Glock 19 which I take care of, but I don't pamper.

[03RN]

I really miss my detective special. I think it was a 48'.

Pulled it a half dozen times while working in New Haven. Ironic a couple times were while chasing druggies and dogs from the old winchester plant

[Duelist]

Had a 1970 very similar to that 1968. Really liked that gun. All my other revolvers are S&W, and I decided I needed something else more and I didn’t want to put wear on the old girl, so I sold it for well over 2x what I paid for it and moved on.

I would enjoy having another someday, but will probably stick to my S&W hoarding habit.

[deputyG23]

116649
I picked this one up several years ago at the Richmond gun show.
Pros:
Fits my hand better than any J Smith and almost as good as my K frame RB Smiths;
Six shots versus five from my Js;
Very mechanically accurate;
Cons:
Trigger pull stacks a bit at the end of the stroke;
Front sight visually washes out in certain lighting conditions;
Stock grips do not always allow for one stroke ejection of empty cases.

All that being said, I have started carrying it as a belt gun now that I am retired from LE.
Along with a pocket Smith five shooter, a 2x2x2 ammo pouch of spare 158 grain LHPs and a speed strip of Ranger Bonded 130 grain cartridges, I think it will serve well if I do my part.
I need to paint the front sight and either replace or modify the grips to allow clean ejection of cases.

[mikey357]

DeputyG23, that's a NICE D-Frame you have there! You're right about the Front Sight "Washing Out" in a lot of lighting conditions--My way around that with the "New Style" Colt Front Sight is to have my Gunsmith serrate the Front Sight blade--IIRC, he does that @ 40 LPI...

As far as the durability of the D-Frames go, I have shot a coupla' older Cobras loose with just standard-pressure .38's, but have yet to "Loosen Up" any of my three Detective Specials, even shooting a modest amount of Plus-P ammo thru them from time to time...

[Malamute]

... You're right about the Front Sight "Washing Out" in a lot of lighting conditions--My way around that with the "New Style" Colt Front Sight is to ...


116662

The Traffic Cone orange, a bottle of white nail polish for undercoat and a small bottle of acetone nail polish remover will take care of the sights for many years. I re-do them after months of pocket carry nick or wear it a bit.

[deputyG23]

116662

The Traffic Cone orange, a bottle of white nail polish for undercoat and a small bottle of acetone nail polish remover will take care of the sights for many years. I re-do them after months of pocket carry nick or wear it a bit.

Thanks!
My wife picked up a bottle each of Testors model paint in white and orange on one of her numerous trips to Hobby Lobby.
Now I have to find it in her art studio....

[revchuck38]

You're right about the Front Sight "Washing Out" in a lot of lighting conditions--My way around that with the "New Style" Colt Front Sight is to have my Gunsmith serrate the Front Sight blade...

I had my gunsmith do the same, then I put on two coats of white and one of fluorescent orange.

[Stephanie B]

116662

The Traffic Cone orange, a bottle of white nail polish for undercoat and a small bottle of acetone nail polish remover will take care of the sights for many years. I re-do them after months of pocket carry nick or wear it a bit.

That is precisely how I painted the sights on mine.

[BillSWPA]

A Detective Special purchased new in 1995 was my first concealed carry gun. I liked everything about it except that front sight. A gunsmith cut out a dovetail taking up almost the entire top half of the ramp on the sight, and filled it with orange epoxy. The result improved visibility somewhat but is still suboptimal. The gun also shoots about a foot above the point of aim at 25 yards with most of the standard pressure remanufactured 3-D brand ammo I used for practice at the time. The 158 gr. LHP +P I used for carry shot a little higher.

My only other complaint was the sharpness of the corners of the hammer spur, which I rounded with a Dremel.

I have considered replacing the front sight with one that has a vertical back surface and which is about 0.05 inch taller than the factory sight. If I were to do so, a gold bead or tritium would likely be included. Having moved on to carrying other guns, it has not been worth the cost. Having learned about how much bullet weight affects point of impact with a revolver, I would also want to try different loads before making a change. Perhaps something else will be closer with the factory sight.

Once while shooting with a friend, the friend placed 4 bowling pins about 10-15 yards away, and proceed to miss with 15 shots from his Ruger P-89. He invited me to try. Aiming slightly above the bottom of the pins, shooting double action, I knocked down 3 pins with 3 shots. These guns are capable of good shooting in light conditions that make the front sight visible.

Before subcompact 9mm semiautos became common, these guns had much in their favor as concealed carry guns. The steel frame and Colt branded Pachmayr grips made them comfortable to shoot and able to handle +P comfortably. Elsewhere on this forum multiple incidents in which 5 was not enough have been discussed, so having 6 was a small improvement. The longer ejector as compared to a comparable S&W was helpful. Unfortunately not much else that size came with decent sights at that time.

[FrankB]

Elsewhere on this forum multiple incidents in which 5 was not enough have been discussed, so having 6 was a small improvement. The longer ejector as compared to a comparable S&W was helpful. Unfortunately not much else that size came with decent sights at that time.

My first carry revolvers were a J frame and Ruger SP101. When I bought a DS, that sixth round seemed magical! After buying 7 and 8 round revolvers, 6 rounds seemed lacking, but I’m happy with the six rounds in my M19. Having a J frame in my jacket pocket is nice, but mostly for driving.

[Malamute]

A Detective Special purchased new in 1995 was my first concealed carry gun. I liked everything about it except that front sight. A gunsmith cut out a dovetail taking up almost the entire top half of the ramp on the sight, and filled it with orange epoxy. The result improved visibility somewhat but is still suboptimal...


The old "red ramp" front sights on S&W revolvers were also an improvement, though only to a certain degree. When I started trying orange nail polish, it took a couple tries to find a truly bright orange. I ended up painting over the red ramp sights, as the Traffic Cone orange was significantly brighter in poor light than the factory red ramp insert as well as any other orange nail polish I tried or the red fiber optic front sight on one of dads pistols. After seeing the difference, and seeing many guns with the colored dovetail insert missing I prefer sights without the insert and just paint them. I also painted the factory night sight on the g19, at least all the parts that werent the actual glow vial. It bridges the in between time when the unpainted sights arent enough but the night sights hasnt quite come into best effect.

My evening skunk patrol walks around the place really makes the orange sights pop in dusk light, to the point I can see them when standard blued irons are invisible in the poor light. The 73 carbine has an orange front sight now also.

[deputyG23]

116742
I did a fifty round practice session with the DS this morning at three, five, seven, and ten yards DA.
Results weren’t terrible considering the front sight was nearly invisible the entire time and speed and accuracy suffered as a result.
The grips are proud on the left side which rubbed a blister on the base of my thumb after thirty-ish rounds which forced me to finish support hand only and assisted support hand. A set of Sile boot grips was located on EBay and ordered.
Need to set up the revolver sight paint spa up this weekend and do at least this one and my pocket J.