I recently picked up a nice Colt DS .38 special for a very reasonable price (under $500). No rust, decent finish, TIMED CORRECTLY ON ALL SIX BORES. Took it out and shot it today. Shoots fine (for a belly gun). I ran a box of lead wadcutters and a half box of plated HP at a very mild velocity. Brought it home, stripped and cleaned it. I am a happy camper. This is definitely a "i don't need it but I do want it" gun. Seems to be from 1965, next to last year of production of the "old" style (no underlug) if I recall correctly. I may even qualify with it just for giggles. With luck the photo will download.

Here it is. I hope

Attached Images

new ds.jpg (94.5 KB, 130 views)

Very nice.

$500 is a reasonable price today. So many talk about Colts getting out of timing. I have many Colt revolvers, but never had one with timing problems. As a user, I feel that the postwar DS is the best snubby of all to have. I never could warm up to the last DS version with the barrel shroud, and have little interest in the Agent and Cobra. I would really like to have a pre-war DS, but prices being asked for those are way out of my range. This one is my baby, from 1961:

Very Neat. I also have one from the mid-60s with a hammer shroud in .32. Cool gun. I like them much better than the J-frame S&W. (Sorry guys, but I do.)

I have a 1941 DS and I paid way too much for it but the wife loves it so it was a bargain. Shoots okay. Used by a retired county deputy as his backup.

Here it is with a '67 DS that I sold a few years back.

__________________
Mike
S&WCA #3065

I always thought that it was interesting that S&W chose to essentially abandon the snubby market to Colt until they brought out the Chiefs Special around 1950.

One of my brothers-in-law died a few years back. Turns out his family had no idea of his past. He was in USAF intelligence, in Libya in the '50s and '60s. He had a Colt DS of the earlier type (no shroud) and I was shocked that no member of his family wanted it. Well I DID! I immediately offered to buy it from the estate. BUT, one of the other bro's-in-law, an outspoken anti-gunner, suddenly wanted it evaluated by the executor, a family lawyer. Fine. Whatever.

BUT, turned out the lawyer had NO IDEA what it was or what it was worth. Heh. I pointed out that A: it was old. 1950s. B: it was showing a lot of finish wear. And C: it was chambered in .38-Special, not the world's favorite cartridge any more.

Sooo, I got it. And his passport with intriguing stamps in it. And his military I.D. And his I.D. from the U.S. Legate in Libya. Amazing, to me, that none of the relatives wanted any of it. Guess he wasn't very popular.

Yep, shows wear. And, of course, it's old. Shoots like it is brand new. I'll hang onto it in case any of the extended family grandchildren want it, but that will probably mean MY children. None of the others want to even touch a gun. Well, almost none. The one who might is currently in federal prison. He's not very nice.
CF's Detective Special reduced.jpg

One of the bests snubbies ever made

Yeah. I like Smith & Wesson best of all, at least traditional vintage ones, but I part company with the Smith & Wesson J-Frame in favor of the Colt Detective Special. Toted mine for some years. In recent times I began to regret the additional blue wear so am back to toting an "inferior" Smith & Wesson Model 649 most often when a compact snub is called for.

I had one in 1977 or so, beautiful gun that was older than 1977...had no shroud and the full length backstrap. It was in probably 98%. I wish (oh, how I wish) I'd kept it.

I can't remember how it shot, and to tell the truth, don't remember ever shooting it. To me, they were more elegant than the J-Smiths, although with the longer grip.

I do enjoy a j frame but there is just something about a DS that is just so appealing....here are several of my Colt snubbies and a cobra. And my 37....not to mentioned my polished new Cobra.