The first one, pictured with the New Service, has been my EDC for the last five years. It was made in 1994, and is a 4th issue, unless you're a real fanatic, in which case it's a 5th issue. It's being phased out as my EDC in favor of my newly acquired 4006. The DS will still go occasionally in a jacket pocket.
The other is my "true" 1st issue, made in 1933, which was the year they went from square to round butt.
The DS is my favorite snubby!
I like all 3 of them, but man that 1st issue is perfect! I like both the RB and SB. That is so nice! Beautiful gun!
Had to put good years on the Cobra..
It bit me the first time I shot it....
Still have the original wood grips.
I really like that DS. I want one myself. If put the old school grips on it, it looks great. I posted a picture of one with them on the thread somewhere. Looks amazing. I saw one with a bobbed hammer online, it was blued and in mint condition with a bobbed hammer, and to put those grips on it, I'd carry it all the time. Very nice sir.
I love my Model 640 but I sure wish it was easy to shoot as my Dick Special. This one just piles 'em up in the 10 ring on a silhouette target at 7 yards without hardly trying.
I picked this one up in August. Not shown is a vintage black, exposed-trigger holster. It came with the Pachmayr grips installed, so the original stocks still look pretty good. It's from either 1964 or 1967. It seems Colt used the same serial number several times. That serial number is also in common with a 1911 at some point.
I picked this one up in August. Not shown is a vintage black, exposed-trigger holster. It came with the Pachmayr grips installed, so the original stocks still look pretty good. It's from either 1964 or 1967. It seems Colt used the same serial number several times. That serial number is also in common with a 1911 at some point.
This one is from around 1961. Coltwood grips shown are not original, but I later traded them even for a minty pair of correct checkered wood grips.
That's nice! Glad to hear you got the wood grips. I've seen a couple DS's for sale online that were really nice but had the Coltwood grips. Not a big fan of those. They aren't terrible, they beat a lot of other grips in my opinion, but I love the walnut.
I picked this one up in August. Not shown is a vintage black, exposed-trigger holster. It came with the Pachmayr grips installed, so the original stocks still look pretty good. It's from either 1964 or 1967. It seems Colt used the same serial number several times. That serial number is also in common with a 1911 at some point.
That's cool! 8 had just learned about the hammer with the hole. Guess it looked too much like a Smith so they changed it. I love that both companies made great revolvers, but not only were they great, but were so different in the most mynute ways. Cylinders going opposite directions, also one is a pull release, the other push. Hole in the hammer and not. Completely exposed rods (in the early days of Colt) and smith having shrouds and lugs at the end, and yet both were classic works of art. Amazing.
I was under the impression that the square butt was phased out in 1933. According to proofhouse.com/colt, the square butt models with the 466xxx serial number were made in the late 30's, #4763xx was made between '41 and '42, and #4780xx was made between '42 and '43.
Those are the ship dates. There were some small early shipments to military organizations that were round butts but the bigger contracts from the Ordnance Dept. during WWII specified the older square butt configuration.
Purchased this early SS version of the Detective Special many years ago.
IIRC Colt didn't want to brand it as the DS2 yet to avoid confusion during the transition and instead named it the SF-VI in the interim.
Supposedly these have the lightest trigger pull of any production Colt revolver.
This one has never been fired but I can confirm the trigger pull is VERY LIGHT.
Last edited by Engine49guy; 11-14-2018 at 10:15 PM.
Picked this one up at Tulsa last week. A 75 year old guy came to the table, asked if anyone wanted to buy old Colts. He had two ACE's, a "unfired" det spl from 1930, a 1928 commercial 1911 in original box, and a Rem Rand 1943. He didn't know alot about them, but his Dad had bought them and he knew his guns.Someone got to him first and bought an early 1930's 38 super. All were in nice condition, he had called Colt, described them and got prices from Colt. (apparently Colt doesn't give phone appraisals, so ...) I can't agree with this process, but he was not taking a nickle less than what he got over the phone. We paid up. Couldn't abide watching them walk away. I got one of the ACE's and the Det Spl, my buddy bought the 1928 Commercial model. The Det Spl came with a document printed off the internet about Harry Ward, chief of police 1930-1934. Also Brigadier General of the Iowa National Guard. A hand written note said this info went with the Det Spl. Nothing else to tie this gun in with Harry Ward.
You guys are gonna get me in trouble. I've gotten an itch lately to add a snub .38spl to the collection, possibly as carry gun, and this thread just makes me want one even more. Right now the only non-top break revolvers I have are a couple .22lrs.
Picked this one up at Tulsa last week. A 75 year old guy came to the table, asked if anyone wanted to buy old Colts. He had two ACE's, a "unfired" det spl from 1930, a 1928 commercial 1911 in original box, and a Rem Rand 1943. He didn't know alot about them, but his Dad had bought them and he knew his guns.Someone got to him first and bought an early 1930's 38 super. All were in nice condition, he had called Colt, described them and got prices from Colt. (apparently Colt doesn't give phone appraisals, so ...) I can't agree with this process, but he was not taking a nickle less than what he got over the phone. We paid up. Couldn't abide watching them walk away. I got one of the ACE's and the Det Spl, my buddy bought the 1928 Commercial model. The Det Spl came with a document printed off the internet about Harry Ward, chief of police 1930-1934. Also Brigadier General of the Iowa National Guard. A hand written note said this info went with the Det Spl. Nothing else to tie this gun in with Harry Ward.
Can you get good pics of that 1928 Colt .45 auto? Hopefully sharper than the photo here?
Picked this one up at Tulsa last week. A 75 year old guy came to the table, asked if anyone wanted to buy old Colts. He had two ACE's, a "unfired" det spl from 1930, a 1928 commercial 1911 in original box, and a Rem Rand 1943. He didn't know alot about them, but his Dad had bought them and he knew his guns.Someone got to him first and bought an early 1930's 38 super. All were in nice condition, he had called Colt, described them and got prices from Colt. (apparently Colt doesn't give phone appraisals, so ...) I can't agree with this process, but he was not taking a nickle less than what he got over the phone. We paid up. Couldn't abide watching them walk away. I got one of the ACE's and the Det Spl, my buddy bought the 1928 Commercial model. The Det Spl came with a document printed off the internet about Harry Ward, chief of police 1930-1934. Also Brigadier General of the Iowa National Guard. A hand written note said this info went with the Det Spl. Nothing else to tie this gun in with Harry Ward.
Oh my goodness! That is an absolutely perfect DS!! THAT is perfect!
I’m looking for my former service revolver, Colt DS serial #689642, used in a gunfight in 1974. Sorry for hijacking the thread but didn’t want to pass up a chance to ask again. Pls PM me if you have it. The story of this incident was a feature in a Fall 2016 edition of American Handgunner authored by Mass Ayoob. Thanks in advance.
Heck, a colt thread on the SW forum.....I will play. 1974 nickel and 1994 blue
I forgot a 1960s factory shrouded DS.
Not a DS but close enough....an early 4 digit Cobra.
The post-72 Colt DS (top) was given to me for my 16th birthday by my grandfather in 1984. He purchased it new in 1975. Somehow I've held onto it over the past thirty-five years.
The pre-72 DS (bottom) was made in 1967. I got it at an estate auction a few weeks ago. The grips I purchased a few days later. I paid $375.00 for the DS and $60.00 for the grips, but they were worth it.
Please forgive my intrusion but I’m looking for my Colt DS, serial #689642, used in a 1974 gunfight with three armed robbers. Mass Ayoob mentioned it in a 2016 article about the event in American Handgunner. If any of you have it, or want a link to the article, please send me a PM. Thanks in advance.
Finally was able to pick up by Colt Detective Special that I purchased a few months ago. (It's very slow down under to get the appropriate paperwork signed off for a permit to acquire).
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