Colt Officers Model Match 22 LR

[KalamazooKid]

I went "across the street” to test the waters with this nice example from 1966. It's big and heavy but obviously very well made and tested over time. Can't wait to get it out for some shooting this weekend. I'd like to see more of them!

[mikeruns]

A handesome Colt there! I too, have a Colt rimfire(my only Colt)...it is a 6" Peacemaker convertible like one my Dad owned-his only handgun-which slipped through my fingers, only to be replaced a few years ago by a minty unused one...that was the handgun I learned on so it was a sentimental buy.
I remember staring through the glass at local gun stores as a kid and seeing the Colt Diamondback rimfires staring back at me with their uninspiring price tags around $300 I think? in the mid to late 70's... and figured I would never handle one....they are beautiful and I hope you enjoy it! Maybe I will seek one out too in the future as I have lots of k22s' and other rimfire assortments and may secretly love and covet the rimfires' these days...I always say a guy could have a worse hobby :-)

[27 Man]

Very nice Colt. I have an Officer’s Model .38 Special with the heavy barrel from the thirties. Mine has a lanyard ring which I had never seen before on an OM.

[rockquarry]

I have a couple of the Officer's Model Match .22s, a 1957 model and a 1968. Big and heavy for a .22, but I think those are advantages for many of us. These guns will shoot at least as well as a Model 17 S&W, but that's based on shooting only one M17 that I bought new in the '70s.

I use CCI Standard Velocity ammo in all .22s, but something else may work as well or better in your revolver. Of the Colt double-action .22s, I've found the old Trooper .22s will do about as well as the OMM with a little less weight. Both will easily outshoot a couple of Diamondback .22s that I've been shooting for years.

Many criticize the double-action on Colt revolvers, claiming the S&W is much better. That may be true. I've never fired many of my revolvers using double-action. The Officer's Model Match guns really shine when shooting Bullseye style (strong hand only, single-action) at 25 yards, or 50 if you're really good - I'm not.

[Patrick L]

You know, I know where there's a reasonably priced one of those. I "crossed the street" as you say last summer with the 1968 Trooper . 357 I picked up. That . 22 OMM might just need to join its big brother with all those Smith's in my safe.

[cmansguns]

Many years ago I just kept seeing more and more Smith & Wesson's that caught my eye so began my descent on the slippery slope.

I started selling off the Colts (and there were many in those days) and acquiring S & W's. I had a 1969 Colt OMM 22 still as new in box with the little Colt logo keychain fob style screwdriver (SAT) still sealed in cellophane. That gun had just sat as a safe queen, while its 1962 Colt OMM 38 got the heck shot out of it. They, along with the other Colts were just no longer my focus, and I have not missed them at all, especially with all the Smiths I can chose from for 22 rimfire action (M-17, K22 Masterpiece, 22/32 HFT, Outdoorsman) and 38 Special action (M-14, 36, 60, 637, even a US Navy Victory).

I do have to admit though, that the Colts always were nice handling and looking guns, and with that prancing pony they still command top dollars when found for sale.

Just as an aside.........the Colt OMM 38 was a dead equal to my Model 14 for accuracy in my hands, triggers were both butter smooth (in SA) which was most of my plinking/paper punching time. Don't know about the OMM 22 as it didn't come out of the box during my ownership.

Glad you found one and will shoot it. They are still top drawer guns that you cannot go wrong with.

[Walter Rego]

I have a pair of Colt OMM's, one in .22 and one in .38 Special. I like the DA triggers in my S&W K-22 and K-38 Masterpieces better, but the SA pulls are about the same. They were Colt's premier target revolvers and had carefully fitted actions. I have never gotten around to doing a comprehensive test for accuracy pitting both brands and calibers against each other but would be surprised if there were enough differences in group size to make me want to sell the losing brand guns.

[sodacan]

Here's my Colt Officers Model Special, 4th issue (top) in 22lr along with its 38 special sibling. For me, it's the most accurate revolver I own. This model was only built from 1949-52. Things that set it apart from other OM models are the heavy barrel, and the Coltmaster rear sight which was the only used on this model. They came standard with Coltwood plastic stocks, which are not much to talk about. The 22 has the duo-tone finish with matte finished cylinder flutes and parts of the frame. This gun pretty much relegated my 1966, 17-2 to safe queen. That 1966 version is a beauty. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do mine.

[Babysitr]

Beautiful Colts!! I have an OM special .38 from 1950, and an OMM .22 from 1958...both great shooters....I think they give the Pythons a good run, maybe not there,but some are real close!!

[JohnRippert]

Found one in .38 at a small shop just outside El Campo, Texas a couple years back. Started looking for some wadcutter ammo recently to try it out and you know how that has gone in the ammo chronicles of today. Still have some S&B standard ammo that I will try in it, but I would like to get some match wadcutters and see what I can do with it.

[Sixman4u2]

I have a Colt OOM 22 but it has gold medallions on the grips. Does anyone know if they ever came as such or did someone just replace my grips at some point? Thanks for any input!

[CajunBass]

I've never seen any reason I couldn't like both Smith and Wesson and Colt. I've owned a number of each over the years.

The only Colt DA 22 I've ever owned is this 1955, Official Police, with a 4" barrel. I'd seen 6" ones, but never a 4". I knew it was going home with me as soon as I saw it.





I haven't shot it yet. I plan too, Lord willing, but just haven't yet. The trigger is as smooth as silk (using snap caps).

It's kinda heavy. Those little 22 holes in the cylinder and barrel don't take out a lot of weight. The finish shows some wear and tear, but then so do I. The grips are Franzite. I had originally thought they'd have to go, but darn it, they've grown on me. They're "period" I suppose, and no more than I'll shoot it, they'll do.

[dmar]

Originally Posted by Sixman4u2

I have a Colt OOM 22 but it has gold medallions on the grips. Does anyone know if they ever came as such or did someone just replace my grips at some point? Thanks for any input!

To my knowledge, the .22s should only have silver medallions. The gold medallions were for Pythons.

I’ve got 3 OMM .22s and they are beautiful guns, and will outshoot my model 17s.

[old tanker]

I have an Officers Model Match in .22 a friend I served with in the Army sold me when IHMSA small bore silhouette was a thing. It did very well knocking down 100 meter rams. It still acquits itself well in club Bullseye matches, occasionally besting a Model 41 or two.

He has had seller's remorse, but he'll have to wait.

[DWalt]

Originally Posted by dmar

To my knowledge, the .22s should only have silver medallions. The gold medallions were for Pythons.

I’ve got 3 OMM .22s and they are beautiful guns, and will outshoot my model 17s.

From what I have read, only Pythons had gold grip medallions, all others had silver. I have understood that many of the formerly more common silver medallion grips have been converted to gold by their owners using aftermarket gold medallions. To the point that original silver medallion grips are more difficult to find than original gold medallions, as so many of them have been converted.

I have an OMT, an OMM, an OP, two Army Specials, a 3-5-7, and a .357 Trooper. All are built on essentially identical frames. If I were restricted to having only one handgun, it would be that 3-5-7. Second choice would be the Trooper.

[clang444]

Nice. I have a few Colts too. Here are some (OMM .38 Special, OMM .22lr, 3 5 7, Trooper .22lr}

[hkcavalier]

I have your gun's dad, born in 1933, but with an updated 'outfit.'

[JohnRippert]

Originally Posted by hkcavalier

I have your gun's dad, born in 1933, but with an updated 'outfit.'

Looks like yours needs my grips and mine needs yours.

[hkcavalier]

Originally Posted by JohnRippert

Looks like yours needs my grips and mine needs yours.

I wish mine were the real thing---I dyed some Thai repros to more closely match walnut.

[dsf]

Something a little different -

IMG_0480.jpg

A heavy barrel Officers Model Special. Serial number puts it as about the 75th from last of the line. It has matte edges and cylinder scallops. The grips are a bit different than the usual old model types.

Conventional "1st issue" or later target grips won't fit because the screw hole sits too high. The webbing on the grip frame, through which the screw would pass, is lower on the OMS and blocks the screw. So in addition to the "1st issue, 2nd issue, etc" there is an OMS version.

Most OMS revolvers came with standard stocks or Coltwood" service types. No way of knowing 100% what these came with however the very late production, switchover to OMM same year. I'm going to keep them on, although I do like the standard service and grip adapter as well.

Medallions are silver, hard to tell from the photo.