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Picked up an old pair of Colt branded Pachs for the Detective Special. I threw up in my mouth a little at the price, but they were mint on card. The wood grips are classic, but just too small for me. These make this one shootable. It might be my EDC post-retirement.
http://a4.pbase.com/g10/64/521964/2/...5.D7j6N7ii.jpg
I just picked up an old cobra with those on it. They are awesome and they don't hurt concealability.
Try the hogue wood grips. You have to remove the pin in the frame; but worth it.
Those Colt branded Pachmayrs are among the best grips that can be found for a Detective Special. If you carry it, please post whether you do anything with the front sight.
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Put the Pachys on a Colt DS like yours and my qual scores went up as my times went down. First of the "compacs" that Pachmayr built and probably still the best.
I know nothing about the grips or this revolver, but the photo made my mouth hang open. Beautiful.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trooper224
Well, the new grips helped a bit, but not enough. I still pull the shots off to the left and the trigger still pinches the shit out of my trigger finger. It looks like this one will stay on the "ain't it cool" vintage shelf in the safe. In all honesty, that's not a real heartbreak. It's in really nice shape and I was hesitant to trash the finish by making it a routine carry piece.
Mine is one of the few guns I own that has gone up in value since I bought it. Yours will likely do the same. It will also be difficult to find parts or otherwise get repairs accomplished if that need arises, so that is probably a wise decision.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trooper224
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The grips split the difference between a 2 finger boot grip and a full 3 finger grip, with the pinky curled partially under the grip, but still contributing to the grip. They are excellent for concealed carry, but are a bit big for pocket carry (as is the Colt).Quote:
Originally Posted by Enel
The gun was probably one of the best choices for concealed carry when revolvers were common as primary weapons. It provides 6 shots in a package that is not much bigger than a J frame, but will take K frame speedloaders. The ejector rod is longer than that of a 2” S&W, resulting in better ejection. Triggers are generally good but with some stacking. If one is issued a K frame .38, carrying this as a backup permitted using the same speedloaders. Inherent accuracy is excellent for such a short gun.
The biggest disadvantage is that the front sight is nearly worthless in any less than perfect lighting conditions. That extreme ramp reflects light and disappears quite easily. When I can see the sight, mine shoots about 13” high at 25 yards, but is right on for windage.
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Great Colt! Too bad it isnt going to work for you.
A 1980s Agent adopted me, it came with the same style Pachs. I absolutely love them, and I'm not generally a Pach fan on most things. They are perfect on the D frame Colts. I pocket carry mine daily, in Carhartts and Bean jeans, they work fine with a speedloader in the same pocket to help keep the gun oriented in the pocket correctly. 2 speed strips fit in the watch pocket back to back nicely also.
Bright orange nail polish works well on the front sight.
Mine hits about an inch low and inch right at 15 yards, close enough for my use. I keep the first round up a birdshot in the summer, its always in my pocket around the yard and such, even if I have a belt gun on.
Sniffing around the net, I have 2 full sets of spare internal parts for it, I'm set. I thought Id bob a hammer for it, but after getting used to putting my thumb behind the hammer when drawing it, I havent messed with the hammer grind and swap.
When I bought it a few years ago my wife was with me. She said, "you won't be able to shoot that, it's too small." I told her, "I know, but it's cool." It will remain in the safe next to the minty Police Positive that never gets shot for the same reason. At ten yards, this one is good on elevation but about two inches left. I could make that work, but it offends the old bullseye shooter in me. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Malamute
At 10 yards mine is not bad, but the difference at 25 is incredible.
When I used to carry mine, I went shooting with a friend who brought 3 bowling pins and a Ruger P89. After setting up the pins at 10–15 yards and missing them with a magazine full of ammo, he invited me to give it a try. Fortunately the sun was well positioned not to reflect off the front sight (behind me is usually best). Aiming at the bottom of each pin, I knocked all 3 down with 3 shots total. Had the sun been in a different position, I would probably have emptied the gun at the pins with no effect.
I had a local gunsmith put an orange epoxy insert in my front sight. It helps a little, but not really enough.
The agent is likely better since the bead blasted finish is likely much better at keeping the sight visible if it is not painted.
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My results at ten yards were such that I didn't even bother to take it out to twenty five. A guns accuracy performance at twenty five yards is one of my defining standards for a carry gun. I could tell there was no point in wasting ammunition.Quote:
Originally Posted by BillSWPA
Many of the silver Colt medallion (always two piece) D frame grips like you appear to have are much lighter in actual weight than the same dimension Pachmyr's with the gold medallion. The ones I have encountered with the silver medallion were actually made by a defunct group in NC, not Pachmyer although it is impossible to tell them apart from the outside. I really prefer those when I can find them.
Great find and I bet they work well for you.
My results at 25 yards with mine are not what I would proudly post here, to say the least. Trying to aim 13” below what I want to hit complicates the issues already present with the short sight radius and terrible front sight.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trooper224
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Ahh so, you suffer from the problem many people do with a D-Frame, not enough flare at the palm end of the grips.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trooper224
The two best D-Frame grips ever made aren't made anymore (the current VZs for the new gen Cobras are close to as good as the old ones, but don't fit the old guns...:mad:).
The Fitz Ten-O were basically mass-produced, bakelite, copies of generally medium sized Ropers (see pic). Which are by far, the best shooting grips ever made for a D-Frame, except maybe actual Ropers, and like actual Ropers they are almost impossible to find and the bakelite isn't super durable. The set I have below never sees much shooting time, because it took me five years to find these. I really need to send them to a grip maker and have them re-made in micarta or wood, I keep threatening to laser scan them and have a bunch 3D printed or CNCed out of micarta or G10. Which I was going to do when the New Cobra came out, except Colt changed the dimensions 'enough' that old and new grips won't interchange, so there wasn't much point.
The second best grips were made by Colt - these. Unlike the common D-Frame grips of this type (with checkering), these smooth grips flare out at the base half-again as much as their brethren. These plus a T-Grip make for one of the best shooting and feeling combinations out there. I try to buy every set I find of these at a decent price, simply because they are pretty rare. Typically, they are found on 3rd issue Detectives and 2nd Issue Agents, but a lot of those guns also came with the square butt-type semi-boot grip (which is hot garbage in my hands, but to others is a dream).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trooper224
I don't know what is about those grips on a DS, but they make it look perfect. :cool:
Those Fitz grips are really nice. Unfortunately, I haven't yet been able to find a pair of the old Fitz plastic/bakelite grips that haven't warped to one degree or another. I'd love to have some in wood. I know Fitz made some of their target grips in wood, but I haven't seen any of the "combat" styles in wood.
Have you tried the Herretts on it?Quote:
Originally Posted by Trooper224
No, I haven't. I think I've experimented with this one as much as I care to. It's gone back into the collectable section of the safe, which is probably best.Quote:
Originally Posted by Malamute
Crimson Trace really needs to make a LaserGrip that fits Detective Specials. That would potentially solve a lot og grip and sight issues simultaneously.
I talked with CT about this idea a dozen years ago or so now. And was told then, "Our business plan does not allow us to pursue development of grips for guns that are no longer in production, we just don't sell enough to recoup R&D."Quote:
Originally Posted by BillSWPA
I had hoped that with the revival of the Cobra, that this would come to pass, but Colt changed the frame dimensions sufficiently that new and old model grips won't interchange, so even with a CT grip for the new "D-Frame" it wouldn't work.
Unfortunately Crimson Trace is probably correct. As much as I would like a LaserGrip for my own Detective Special, the truth is that if it were offered, I would have a really hard time justifying the purchase. I have not carried a revolver in many years, and putting such grips on this gun would not persuade me to carry it instead of a Glock 26 that is easier to hide, easier to shoot well under more conditions, holds a greater number of more powerful cartridges, is faster to reload, etc. Neither my wife nor daughter has much interest in revolvers. I doubt my son's interest in revolvers will be any greater when he is mature enough to begin shooting. As a training aid, a red laser is worthless outdoors in good light, and green would be more expensive and harder to justify.Quote:
Originally Posted by RevolverRob
Is the difference enough that a little application of Bubba-izing could make a new Cobra grip fit a DS?Quote:
Originally Posted by RevolverRobI talked with CT about this idea a dozen years ago or so now. And was told then, "Our business plan does not allow us to pursue development of grips for guns that are no longer in production, we just don't sell enough to recoup R&D."Quote:
Originally Posted by BillSWPA
I had hoped that with the revival of the Cobra, that this would come to pass, but Colt changed the frame dimensions sufficiently that new and old model grips won't interchange, so even with a CT grip for the new "D-Frame" it wouldn't work.
I'm way out of my lane here, but I can't help thinking that 3D printing should make producing a one-off merely exorbitant (relative to the price of a set for an in-production gun) but not completely unaffordable.
3D printing would make it easy to have any shape you want. The problem is that the less expensive 3D printable plastics are not incredibly heat resistant.Quote:
Originally Posted by Drang
If a “universal” base laser unit and a “universal” rubber backstrap were developed as part of the manufacturing process, the remainder of the grip could potentially be printed of an appropriate harder plastic, and then those two pieces added after printing.
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