1967 Colt Detective Special

[Targets Guy]

I acquired this revolver in 2015 and I liked it immediately. I am of fan of six rounds in a snubby.

 

[Targets Guy]

Took it to the range and it misfired and stuck when trying to pull the trigger. No joy with local gunsmiths.

 

[Targets Guy]

So off it went to Colt. They had it for over seven months. I got it back this week. They replaced the mainspring and removed burrs from the ratchet and ratchet wheel. No problems through 36 rounds. The trigger is stiffer but I like this revolver very much.

 

[HARDWARE]

congrats. I have a '67 also. as well as a cobra and an agent.

the trigger on these are better than J frame guns

 

[petepeterson]

congrats. I have a '67 also. as well as a cobra and an agent.

the trigger on these are better than J frame guns

It's funny how different things are perceived. I like everything about the Colt's better except for the trigger. Great revolvers, though. I'd have no problem switching to one of my Cobras (the one with some wear, anyway!).

 

[Targets Guy]

congrats. I have a '67 also. as well as a cobra and an agent.

the trigger on these are better than J frame guns

Maybe after a few hundred rounds through it on this one but right now my 638, Model 60-15 and Model 34-1 all have a better trigger. My Chiefs Special also beats this one.

In fairness before the revolver went to Colt and when the trigger worked it was pretty nice.

 

[DWalt]

I have a 1960 Colt DS as my only one - but that one is a beauty. In high cosmetic condition but not so high that I am afraid to shoot it. For my money, the post-war (1947-65) DSs represent the ultimate concealed carry revolver and have an aura about them unmatched by any other make. When I got mine, it had the incorrect plastic Coltwood grips, but I was fortunate to later negotiate an even swap for a mint pair of the original and correct checkered wood style. As no one seems to be able to come up with a uniform definition of all the different DS "Issues," I just consider them to be pre-WWII, post-WWII, and everything later. I once passed on buying a nice DS chambered in .38 NP (.38 S&W) for $400. A big mistake I have regretted every day since.

 

[HARDWARE]

ive long wanted a pre-war DS. ive yet to come across one.

I show these every time somebody mentions the DS.. so here they are again

 

[DWalt]

I haven't seen many pre-War DSs recently. Last one I saw was from the late 1930s, no box, seller wanted $2K for it as I remember. A nice gun, not perfect, and to me, not $2K nice. I always thought it strange that S&W didn't make much effort to compete with the Colt DS during the pre-war period, except for making a relatively few M&P snubbies.

 

[Sixgun100]

Count me as a fan! Here is my Colt Cobra. My favorite carry revolver. Yours looks great!

 

[onebilly43]

Here is my 1960 DS 38 special to me the DS are one of the sexiest snub nose revolvers ever made

 

[Absalom]

The DS perfectly filled the niche between the 5-shot J-frame and the (for my taste too large) K-frame snubbies. I've never quite understood how S&W was able to push Colt aside so thoroughly and dominate the snubbie market with a 5-shot gun, at a time when speed-loaders and such were not commonly available and what was in the gun was realistically what you had in a gunfight. Elegance, compactness and handiness (that Colt cylinder release is quite counter-intuitive) apparently carried the day.

Interestingly, this did not happen after 1917 when S&W introduced the Regulation Police 38 to compete with the Police Positive. Exactly the same set-up, same types of guns except with 4-inch barrels, and the RP never got off the ground, its numbers remaining pitiful as a service gun compared to the PP.

Below is my 1961 PA State Police DS next to a 1959 NYPD Mod. 36.

 

[HARDWARE]

the '67 with a '73

 

[HARDWARE]

'61 agent.

which is basically a short frame cobra. sorry, that's the only pic I could find.

 

[DWalt]

"...to me the DS are one of the sexiest snub nose revolvers ever made."

Indeed they are. The first gun that comes to mind when you think about the detectives and bad guys in the old film noir B&W movies and TV shows of the 1940s and 1950s. Plus Patton had one.

 

[Guevera]

I think this three-inch DS is from about the same era as the OP's snub nose. This is a really great plinker and good out-in-the-woods kind of revolver.

 

[RobertJ.]

Thanks for posting, as you can see, there are a couple Colt fans here!

Pardon the question, but how much did Colt charge for the work? I have a '65 Cobra that I bought as a project. It was missing the side plate and a couple other small parts. I had no trouble locating the parts, but when re-assembling, I remembered they were all hand fitted, and that's why mine, even though it has all the correct parts in all the correct places, doesn't cycle as smoothly as it should. In fact, it sounds like my gun has the same issue yours did. I only paid $125, and am still under $175 total.

And since everyone likes photos, I'm including a photo of my 1st issue DS, a 1933 model with the square butt. I bought it a year ago, and still haven't shot it. My EDC is a 4th issue, made in '94, so I haven't really felt the need.

 

[italiansport]

Here's my Colt Cobra. I've always liked the look of these aftermarket Ivories but i do have the factory grips for it as well.
Jim

 

[jimmyj]

Colt DS

The DS perfectly filled the niche between the 5-shot J-frame and the (for my taste too large) K-frame snubbies. I've never quite understood how S&W was able to push Colt aside so thoroughly and dominate the snubbie market with a 5-shot gun, at a time when speed-loaders and such were not commonly available and what was in the gun was realistically what you had in a gunfight. Elegance, compactness and handiness (that Colt cylinder release is quite counter-intuitive) apparently carried the day.

Interestingly, this did not happen after 1917 when S&W introduced the Regulation Police 38 to compete with the Police Positive. Exactly the same set-up, same types of guns except with 4-inch barrels, and the RP never got off the ground, its numbers remaining pitiful as a service gun compared to the PP.

Below is my 1961 PA State Police DS next to a 1959 NYPD Mod. 36.

Big reason is S&W units sold for a little less than the same Colt unit

 

[Targets Guy]

Thanks for posting, as you can see, there are a couple Colt fans here!

Pardon the question, but how much did Colt charge for the work? I have a '65 Cobra that I bought as a project. It was missing the side plate and a couple other small parts. I had no trouble locating the parts, but when re-assembling, I remembered they were all hand fitted, and that's why mine, even though it has all the correct parts in all the correct places, doesn't cycle as smoothly as it should. In fact, it sounds like my gun has the same issue yours does. I only paid $125, and am still under $175 total.

And since everyone likes photos, I'm including a photo of my 1st issue DS, a 1933 model with the square butt. I bought it a year ago, and still haven't shot it. My EDC is a 4th issue, made in '94, so I haven't really felt the need.

Beautiful revolvers that you have there. For the mainspring replacement, removing burrs from the ratchet and ratchet holder they charged $75.00. Postage both ways to include insurance was $70. My LGS FFL took care of everything for me; I just wrote the check.