I have an early Colt Commando in what appears to be in unissued condition with wood stocks, serial 78X of over 50,000.
It was likely a Buick plant protection gun as it has Buick and a number stamped on the butt.

I'm more a S&W guy but bought this a few years ago as I figured it had some value. If I were to sell it for more old S&W money of course, where would be a good place to do so and how much would one go for?

Thanks in advance for replies and opinions.

One of the shop's I go to had a mint early one with original wood stock's it went for $700.00 and didn't last long. Are the stock's original ?

I often see Colts on any gun forum I visit.

Also I'm sure the Colt Forum would be a good site for those specifically interested in Colts.

Do you have a photo to post?

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I believe them to be original as they are what I've seen pictured and in same condition as the gun. They have no serial numbers as I just checked nut do have colt medallians.
I see what may be slight holster wear on left side of barrel or it was laid on that side some years and a slight turn ring. I can tell it was fired but probally not much.

I have some photos on my PC but am using my laptop now. I'll try and get some up here tomorrow.

I've wondered if the Buick connection would help or hurt it for a Colt collector (the butt stamp) or maybe those GM collectors would find it attractive as well.
I've been trading off Colts for older S&Ws now but also have an interest in US WWII guns which is why I wound up buying this.

I beleve original grip should be a composite that Colt called ColtWood.

The earliest Colt Commandos were using wood stocks, actually Official Police stocks since they were Official Police models with 2" and 4" barrels. After production was ramped up they changed to the Coltwood stocks. Here's a couple I have. Serial numbers are exactly 200 digits from each other.

I don't think the Buick mark helps or hurts. It's still a Commando and they seem to be a little scarce.

Attached Images

Commandos-1.jpg (54.7 KB, 439 views)

Interesting old revolvers.

Summer before last, I bought a Colt Official Police 4" that the serial number dates to 1944.

You would have thought with Colt being busy making 1911A1 pistols and Colt 'Commando' revolvers, plus whatever else Colt made for the war effort, that the Colt factory wouldn't have had time and materials to pump out civilian 'Official Police' revolvers!

Colt Commandos are very interesting relics from the WWII period. There were about 48,000 of them made from 2/1943 to 9/1945. 7,193 of them (about 15% of production) went to the OSS, or Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner of the CIA, headed by General William "Wild Bill" Donovan. Most of the others went to plant or maritime guard people. I acquired this one a few years ago; it was made in 1943.

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Reddogge;

Does one of your Commando revolvers have a ramp front sight? It appear so in the photograph.

I have a Commando that appears to be all original which has a ramp front sight on a properly marked barrel.






Comparison of the Commando front sight with the front sight on a 1953 Colt Official Police.

I have a Colt Commando which I purchase back in the late '70s, while working at a gun shop in NYC. We took them in trade from an oil company in Texas for $19 bucks each. They purchased S&W Model 64's from us as replacements. I gave the boss $20 bucks and had the owner call Colt for me, we were the largest Colt dealer at the time, to get a history. My gun was mfg'd in 1942, shipped to the Springfield Armory and then to the Oil Company in Texas for their Plant Security.

It is as nice a gun as Paladin's photo posted in this thread, prolly never issued, better than 98% with plastic grips. I can do a Blue Book if anyone is interested, I haven't checked in quite some time.

Busy day and didn't get any pics up but mine is as others shown but for police positive grips and Colt medallians. I may be selling so a value ballpark would be appreciated.

Brian, All,
Here is the Blue Book on the Commando...

COMMANDO MODEL

- .38 Spl. cal., 2 in. (less common), 4 in. (common), or 6 in. (rare) barrel, should have plastic grips, parkerized finish, about 50,000 mfg. 1942-1945, 32 oz., marked "COLT COMMANDO" on barrel, last patent date on barrel was Oct. 5, 1926.
Grading 100% 98% 95% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%
$850 $750 $600 $375 $350 $315 $280 $260 $240 $220 $195 $180

Not too shabby for a gun I paid $20 bucks for in 78.

Thanks Ultra for that info. My dealer had it for a couple years priced at $700 or so as he's in Flint, Michigan and counted on the Buick connection for it to sell. I looked at it many times but wasn't biting at that price and he knew it. One slow sales day he had nothing I wanted so slashed the price and I've owned it since.

bmcgilvray,
No, both of mine have half moons. The lighting or position makes one lool like a ramp but they are identical half moons.

The more recent version of a Colt Commando.

Mine has WPD electropenciled on the sideplate. I can't figure out if it was once issued to Woburn (MA) Police Dept, Worcester (MA) Police Dept, Westfield (NJ) police Dept, or was once owned by Waldemar P. Dingbat. Has anyone cataloged the markings on Colt commandos?

To answer your question, no one has done much to document those type markings on Commandos. Not like Charlie Flick has done on Victory models. Electropencils weren't around in WW2 though. Sounds like something done in the electropencil 70s craze. My parents and inlaws electropenciled anything and everything. It was the hot toy that destroyed countless collectables.

There were both the spark eroding electropencil and the style we commonly see today that marks by scratching a line in the material with a tiny vibrating point. Both were available and in use in the WW2 era.

Along with the drill&tap scope mount, the buffing wheel and the recoil pad,,they sure damaged and devalued alot of guns like reddogge says.

The markings are a series of dots, Sounds like a 'spark eroding' electropencil.

The British got some in .38/200. I read a book about an officer who carried one in Burma, with a Thompson SMG.

I think all the Commonwealth ones had five-inch barrels.

T-Star