Detective Special Picture Thread!

[crsides]

top one is a 1933 Det spl with factory deep dish pearls, sq butt. Came with a ratty box.
Middle is 1959 DS I recently found at auction. It is aftermarket engraved in what i would call B or C engraving if it was a smith. Whole gun looks to be cold blued. Added the Paul Persinger craved grips, celebrating the female form. My newest fun gun EDC.

Last is another 1959, original finish, original grips replaced with a set of nice sambar stags I picked up at the latest Colt annual meeting in Charlotte in Sept.

 

[RobertJ.]

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!

 

[whataboutbob]

The first is my DS from 1976.Second is a pre DS from the late 50's (my Dad)

 

[whataboutbob]

here

 

[turnerriver]

My .32 DS in my favorite A.H. Hardy holster.

Regards,
turnerriver

 

[Bosquebass]

I don't have a DS or a Cobra but this early 80s Agent makes a good stand-in.

 

[crazyphil]

Here is my Agent on the left wearing Craig Spegel extended boots.
TJ's chestnut gator pancake 2nd from left.
KD's gator trim pancake 3rd from left.
Black Hills lizard high ride pancake 4th from left.
Price Western's 120TS (Tension Screw) pancake.
If you want an enlarged view you can click on the
photo once or twice.

 

[Onomea]

1958 DS, tuned by Grant Cunningham, ivories by Paul Persinger, and hard chrome by Accurate Plating:

 

[Etalksalot]

Here's Colt Agent with a S&W Mod 37.

Here's a top strap, 6 vs 5 shot comparison.
And quite a difference in barrels too!

GF

Wow! That is a bigger difference than I thought. Everyone makes it out to be like it's such a small difference that you hardly notice it. Nice guns!

 

[Etalksalot]

1958 DS, tuned by Grant Cunningham, ivories by Paul Persinger, and hard chrome by Accurate Plating:

Nice! I like this grips especially!

 

[crazyphil]

Here's mine, except it's the aluminum alloy version, a Cobra my everyday carry. Fantastic revolver.

The Cobra worked well for Jack Ruby. I was watching
live TV when he shot Lee Harvey Oswald. Here is a photo.
If you click on the photo once or twice it might enlarge enough
to read the caption.

 

[BearBio]

I sold it but might have a pic or two left. Mine was from the "Skunk Works" in SoCal!

 

[Wyatt Burp]

No Det. Special, but here's a 1951 Cobra. I have the original "Coltwood" grips for it, too. Pictured here below a chopped 1917 and an original 3" .41. This Cobra appears in the new holster book "Holstory" with an IWB Berns-Martin holster.

 

[DWalt]

While I wouldn't turn down any DS or Cobra at the right price, my favorite is the post-WWII version DS with the longer extraction rod, without barrel shroud, the so-called second series or second issue.

There are usually three DS series - original, 1947-72, and post-1972 (with barrel shroud), but it is amusing that DS collectors have created three or four additional series to cover minor variations.

A couple of years ago I was presented with a 1980s DS, nickeled, ANIB for $800. I passed as I would rather have one of the older types. A friend has a similar plated DS with a bobbed hammer, probably non-factory but very well done. He wanted a standard spur hammer for it. I tried to find one for him but the cheapest DS hammer I found was $175 and he wouldn't go nearly that much. I might have been able to find a less expensive Police Positive hammer, but I wasn't sure if the PP hammers were the same and would fit a DS, even though I thought they should be.

I have always wondered why S&W did not bring out a similar and competitive version of the DS back in the 1930s. They pretty well abandoned that market to Colt (unless you consider the 1936 S&W Terrier and the very few M&P snubbies made in the 1930s competitive)

 

[galena]

Detective Special

I only have one Detective Special, it is the top revolver in the attached picture .38Sp. The bottom revolver is a Colt Cobra in .32 New Police. I carried a 3" brl, S&W Chiefs Special for years but I really like the 3" DS. The old New York holster maker/shootist, Chic Gaylord, was a fan of the 3" DS and Chiefs Specials and even had what he called his Metropolitan Special made up. It was a Colt Police Positive with the barrel cut to three inches, the grip 'bird's headed', a Tyler T grip and an Ace Trigger Shoe. Everything makes sense to me except the trigger shoe. I like the 3" Colt D frames. I am looking for a Colt Courier in .22LR but the last one I saw for sale was out of the range of my retired pay scale.

 

[DWalt]

To my everlasting regret, I passed on a .38 NP DS for $400 about 5 years ago. At the time I did not recognize how unusual and desirable they were. I have seen several .32 NP DSs since, but no more .38 NPs. Wisdom has its price.

 

[MacGuffin]

My '67 Dick Special

I'm enjoying all of these photos of such classic revolvers! Keep 'em comin'! My Colt DS was my first ever online gun purchase many, many years ago. Worth every cent! It was pretty much a grail gun for me. Love the snubs!

 

[153]

Here is mine in it's favorite "shuck"...

 

[Etalksalot]

The first is my DS from 1976.Second is a pre DS from the late 50's (my Dad)

Nice! It only shows the 70's one. I can't see a picture of the other.

 

[Etalksalot]

Here is mine in it's favorite "shuck"...

Nice! I like that holster too. Very cool.