Found this piece in the display case of a local gun store for $400 and felt compelled to buy it because of the rollmark despite not knowing much about this particular model. It's a heavy barrel variant. Only cosmetic blemishes was typical wear at the tip of the barrel, a tiny wear spot on the grip checkering and my greasy finger prints. I think it didn't move for the price it was at because of some lead build up in the barrel that the gun store attendant was willing to scrub out for me. Serial number puts it at in the late 30s/early 40s timeframe. Seriously thinking about investing in a pair of Keith Brown's Ropers for this find.

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These are great shooters. I have one in .22 and one in .38 from the same era (not HBs though). I predict you will enjoy it.

once you shoot you will love it. the trigger is different than the smiths,but i learned on a colt so they don't bother me a bit. btw, i have over a dozen in different calibers and bbl lengths.

Great Guns and great shooters as well.
You'll love it. If not, PM me and i'll buy it.
Thats a good score.

Chuck

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They hold no Quarter

Smokin' deal on a great old Colt.

That is a fine revolver there. Love the heavy barrel crosses.

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I am a sheep dog!
1601 (ret)

It appears that you knew enough about 'em to recognize a great buy when you saw it! You stole that one my friend. Congrats.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

+1 to what they've all said. I paid a bit more for mine several years back, and it has far less bluing left on it than yours. Like the later Python, it is a hand fitted/built gun, the action should be buttery smooth. It's one of my favorite all-time guns.



Here is mine. It came with these Sanbar stags, but they have sharp edges and I found them to be very uncomfortable to hold, so later I managed to locate a set of correct wood grips, just like yours.

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Geoff. Since 1960.

Yours is in somewhat better condition than mine, but I only hope yours shoots as well as mine does. Talk about lock up like a bank vault! I did take it and a K38 to the range and side by side they shot to a tie. I do prefer the S&W trigger over the Colt.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

You stole it for sure congrats. These run between $695 to $1,200 depending on condition and the year of manufacture. Its a 41 frame and its a 22cal i love it.

The Colt Official Police(s) and Targets can handle .38-44 loads (158 grain bullet at 1150fps) easily...if necessary. I load mine to about 1,000 fps (plenty 'nuff) as I carry them in the woods from time to time.

Ya'll got some nice ones. Original poster got real lucky! I like the stags too.

I hope to get a Target soon someday. Recently saw a .22 with Sanderson stocks in a local gunshop selling for $690.00. It was rather pristine. I didn't have the money and do not want a .22 but I would have bought it for trade.

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

First pistol I bought after coming home from Vietnam was a Colt Officers Match Pistol. I bought it from one of the well known gun dealers in town who always had a great collection of quality firearms. It was sitting in his display case with the rather high price of $150 on it. I asked to see it and noticed that it had a nicely built ramp sight installed with "King" stamped up near the front sight, had the pistol grip insert and looked like just the thing to roll cans off the log. I paid the $150 with a couple boxes of cartridges thrown in and enjoyed shooting it for a couple years. Then I tried a friends .357 magnum and had to have one. Went back out to old Ed's place and took the .38 along for an upgrade, I saw a then brand-new Colt Trooper for a rather princely sum of around $180 or so and thought I had nothing to loose and asked if he would consider a trade. He looked the old .38 over and said "straight across?" I felt a slight weakness in his voice and said "Throw in a box of shells?" He said "Done." I walked out of the shop feeling like I'd swung a good deal. The Trooper truly wasn't quite the pistol the old one was but had the capability to fire .357 mag which was all I cared about. A couple of months later a friend asked if I wanted to go out to Ed's to "look around", always enjoying a chance to look over his collection I went along for the ride. Went in and looked over the counter and what do I see shining back at me but my old Colt Officers Match with a price of $350.00, that was what a Python was going for. I asked "Hey Ed whats the story on this old pistol I traded you?" Ed said, "You probably didn't know but King died."
Some lessons you learn the hard way, I still liked and respected old Ed and missed him and that bunch of good old boys that haunted his shop. Part of the reason this website has an interest to me is there are some of you guys that remind of that bunch. I always enjoy your stories and experiences in the same manner I did visiting with them back then.
I hope you enjoy that old pistol and hang on to it to maybe pass down to either you kids or grandkids to initiate them into a classic centerfire revolver. I've come to appreciate the vintage Smith and Wessons for their quality but still admire the earlier Colts.

Big mistake.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

Here's mine, from 1938, with Ropers:









I like the hammer a lot. Not sure who made the hammer, though Roper and King have both been suggested to me. I think it more likely that whoever made it was not particularly famous, but he sure was an artist.

WOW! Beautiful!
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country