My Instructor answered the question in regards to the Detective Special

Cruiser RN · #1 03-24-2009, 04:56 PM

I had a dream last night that was as real as real could be.Abe and I were sitting in the range classroom drinking coffee as we did hundreds of times before and I asked him what should I do with the Detectives Special.He said it is yours now to do with as you wish just wear it on the firing line when you work.That was Abe.He bought the DS to the range saying I was one of the few people that would enjoy and appreciate it.I now know that no matter weather I leave it original or bring it to like new I will be honoring my instructor by carrying,shooting,and enjoying it.Thank you to all that answered my previous thread and pictures will be forthcomming after I get the purchase coupon and possession of the gun.BTW I was able to buy the DS from the estate for only 200 dollars......Peace out and may God Bless....Mike

Cruiser RN · #2 03-24-2009, 04:56 PM

I had a dream last night that was as real as real could be.Abe and I were sitting in the range classroom drinking coffee as we did hundreds of times before and I asked him what should I do with the Detectives Special.He said it is yours now to do with as you wish just wear it on the firing line when you work.That was Abe.He bought the DS to the range saying I was one of the few people that would enjoy and appreciate it.I now know that no matter weather I leave it original or bring it to like new I will be honoring my instructor by carrying,shooting,and enjoying it.Thank you to all that answered my previous thread and pictures will be forthcomming after I get the purchase coupon and possession of the gun.BTW I was able to buy the DS from the estate for only 200 dollars......Peace out and may God Bless....Mike

Duke426 · #3 03-24-2009, 05:19 PM

Mike, that is great that you have peace about whatever you do with your keepsake.

I for one would love to see pictures if and when you can.

Best,
Duke426

perpster · #4 03-24-2009, 08:54 PM

In a similar vein, a neighbor of my father in his 80's whom I never met before asked if I'd be interested in his Colt Banker's Special, which he said was in great condition. I had no interest and not much money and told him I could not afford to pay anywhere near what such a rare gun may be worth. He insisted I take a look, and he insisted I buy it. He gave me a very reasonable price and said basically "Look, I'm in my 80's, I have another carry piece until I pass away. When I do pass away I don't want my wife having to figure out what to do with it or the police taking/destroying it. You take it - you appreciate the gun."

I didn't have the heart to tell him the gun isn't in as great a shape as he thinks, but I made sure to drop in on him and his wife and shoot the breeze next time I was out his way.

DHart · #5 03-24-2009, 11:40 PM

Oh man! The Colt Detective Special is one of my most treasured revolvers of all time! Wonderful guns. Here are a couple of mine. Looking forward to seeing your new one!

photoman · #6 03-25-2009, 07:30 AM

The local pawn shop has a beat up Colt Cobra that I've thought about buying. Any idea what these are worth? Serial number 102xxx.

ladder13 · #7 03-25-2009, 07:40 AM

My one and only DS, picked this up about 10 years ago from NYPD Auxiliary Capt for $200. Less than 200 rds fired and I'm the second owner.

DHart · #8 03-25-2009, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jchampagne:
hey!!! i though that this was the SMITH&WESSON FORUM!!!

Yes it is. And the thread title indicates that it is about the Detective Special. We're just S&W fans who happen to be talking about another gun that we appreciate.

I guess you could contact a moderator and request that the topic be moved, if it bothers you that much... or just move along to something else that interests you more?

Cruiser RN · #9 03-25-2009, 01:40 PM

This is the Smith and Wesson forum but this particular gun is very special to me for the stated reasons.We are all fans of revolvers made by other manufacturers and we share that love here also.I was quite clear about the subject matter in the thread title so if it offends you either don't read it or just move on........Mike

Quote:

Originally posted by jchampagne:

Quote:

Originally posted by DHart:
Oh man! The Colt Detective Special is one of my most treasured revolvers of all time! Wonderful guns. Here are a couple of mine. Looking forward to seeing your new one!

hey!!! i though that this was the SMITH&WESSON FORUM!!!

haggis · #10 03-25-2009, 02:04 PM

Mike,

That big grin

would suggest he's just funnin' with you.

I haven't met many people with a Smith that didn't have a Colt, too (and vice versa).

Buck

photoman · #11 03-25-2009, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by haggis:
I haven't met many people with a Smith that didn't have a Colt, too (and vice versa).

Have many Smiths, no Colts. Been watching Humphrey Bogart lately and really want an old Colt snub.

j38 · #12 03-25-2009, 09:37 PM

Believe me - everyone should own a Colt DS. This one has seen some pocket time.

Regards,

Jerry

DHart · #13 03-25-2009, 09:48 PM

jchampagne... sorry for being a hair touchy... it's all good, my friend. Let's love our Smiths and our Colts!

Photoman44.... hey... a Detective Special is a perfect place to start.... to me the gun is THE icon of the detective's six shooter in the "old" "dick" days. A classic and a major symbol of decades of early undercover police work.

My favorite is the "3rd generation" (1972 or so to 1994 with shrouded ejector) model of the guns, as seen in my pic above, so much so that I have three of them, all identical, all like new. Do I need three? Heck no, one would do just fine. But they're just that cool! I don't even shoot them! (crazy, I know).

For a little bit of history on the gun: (not sure of the source... possibly dfarisweheel)
1927ish to early 1950's - Detective Special (original DS lockwork, no ejector rod shroud, full "D" grip frame)
Early 1950's to 1971 - Detective Special (original DS lockwork, no ejector rod shroud, short "D" grip frame)
1972 to 1994 - Detective Special (original lockwork, with ejector rod shroud, short "D" grip frame)
1995 - SF-VI (new lockwork, stainless only)
1996 - DS-II (same gun as SF-VI, but renamed)
1997 - Magnum Carry (same gun as DS-II, but chambered in .357 and re-named)

The lockwork prior to the SF-VI was complex and very costly to manufacture. But it was sweet. The lockwork was radically simplified with the SF-VI and (to me) felt cheesy after the original lockwork. From 1927 to the 70's, the Detective Special pretty much ruled the roost of small revolvers. For decades, the Detective Special was THE under cover revolver among police.

DHart · #14 03-25-2009, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jchampagne:
no problem im just kidding

any way im having problem with my 642-1. i called s&w up and spoke to the warranty dept in revolvers. i told him that theres marks inside the trigger guard behind the trigger. the marks are caused by the trigger because it has two seam lines on it and it leaves marks.he said he would polish the trigger and use cold blue on the marks

and now i see a crack on the forcing cone! any advice?

Yeah... get a Detective Special.

hehehe just kidding. Get that gun back to S&W pronto. Let them worry about making it right.

ladder13 · #15 03-26-2009, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DHart:

For a little bit of history on the gun: (not sure of the source... possibly dfarisweheel)
1927ish to early 1950's - Detective Special (original DS lockwork, no ejector rod shroud, full "D" grip frame)
Early 1950's to 1971 - Detective Special (original DS lockwork, no ejector rod shroud, short "D" grip frame)

Don, from my pic, could you tell me where my DS falls into? "Full" frame or "short frame"?
Serial number is 9655xx.

VM · #16 03-26-2009, 06:47 AM

Mike - if your 965xxx has a "D" in front of it , it is 1968 making it a short D frame.

Here's a pretty good web page on DS's

http://www.guncollectorsclub.com/detective.htm

ladder13 · #17 03-26-2009, 07:42 AM

No "D" in front of the numbers, Mike.

Possibly, Colt did not put a letter in front of the numbers? BUT, it looks like a "short" frame.

69HEMI-R/T · #18 03-26-2009, 08:30 AM

ladder13, your DS is definitely a short frame gun. I love the Colt DS and have a few but I have more J frame Smiths than Colts.

By the way, the info about the timeline for the change from a long frame to a short frame in the previous thread is incorrect. I believe it was around 1966 that they changed to the short frame for the DS.

Here is a picture of a 1960, long frame DS. The next picture is of the same gun with a 1965 "friend" !

DHart · #19 03-26-2009, 11:03 AM

VM... great reference page on the DS... thank you.

MacGuffin · #20 03-26-2009, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Photoman44:

Quote:

Originally posted by haggis:
I haven't met many people with a Smith that didn't have a Colt, too (and vice versa).

Have many Smiths, no Colts. Been watching Humphrey Bogart lately and really want an old Colt snub.

I can relate with you, Photoman - 100%!

As far as revolvers go, I'm a Smith man through and through. But, with an affection for film noir and the hard-boiled era, I HAD to find a Colt Detective Special to satisfy my taste for nostalgia. A few years back, I found one on GA that was in 99%+ condition for $400. (Now they're close to double that amount in the same condition!) It was vintage 1967. I hooked up with a local FFL holder and completed the transaction. Needless to say, I was thrilled with my purchase.

I have to admit, while I did put two boxes of .38s through it shortly after I got it, just to make sure it shot straight, I now pull it out of the safe solely to admire it. What a thing of beauty!

Yes... it's the stuff that dreams are made of...

Cruiser RN · #21 03-26-2009, 07:01 PM

I wouldn't be offended in the least if I had done the same thing as you.I am glad you took it in the proper light

Quote:

Originally posted by jchampagne:
point well taken!!! that was brutal but i guest i asked for it!

lets hope if i said that to you you wouldnt be offended?

photoman · #22 03-26-2009, 07:04 PM

MacGuffin: I'm definitely on the prowl now...

Cruiser RN · #23 03-26-2009, 07:06 PM

The serial # on the Colt DS is 966xxx.there are no letters.I will have to investigate this after I finally get my purchase coupon and have it living in my home.In the Kingdom of NY all our guns are listed by model and serial # which makes it a real pain when you buy a new gun to put on your license...Mike

Quote:

Originally posted by ladder13:
No "D" in front of the numbers, Mike.

Possibly, Colt did not put a letter in front of the numbers? BUT, it looks like a "short" frame.

681ismyfavorite · #24 03-27-2009, 03:59 AM

time spent with an "old timer" can be some of the best time you spend in your life.....theres benfit on both sides and its just a good thing to do anyway.

there are some old folks that i love to hear talk about thier life, the past, the times gone by, the experiences theyve had......it warms the heart somehow in a way i cant explain.

monitary value doent always make something valuable.