Aother Colt revolver question

[yugolovr]

I know this is the Smith & Wesson forum, but this is in my opinion the best forum on the net. I am going to be picking up another Colt revolver next week. It is a Colt Army Special in .38 special. What does this gun compare to or equate to in the Smith line? How good of a revolver would you guys say these are? It's condition is in the high 80s to low 90s. The lock work and everything else is very tight I would really appreciate any information you fine people can give me on this gun. It also has a five inch barrel. I don't have the serial # but my dealer said it was made in 1925. Once again thanks for any help.

 

[Pisgah]

The Army Special is what later became the Official Police. It is just slightly larger than the K-frame S&W, and will fit many K-frame holsters (snugly).

I've got a 1912-vintage Army Special that was rebarreled at some time in the distand pass with a 1950-era barrel, and it is a great .38.

 

[29aholic]

The 38 Colt Army Special was supposed to replace the Colt SAA as the service sidearm for the military. It failed miserably against the Moro tribesmen during the Phillipine insurrection around the turn of the last century. I would not stop aggressors hopped up on jungle juice (etc). Eventually, the Army reissued SAA's and immediately started looking for something more modern, but with a better knockdown than the 38. Hence the adoption of the 1911.

The Army Special is along the lines of the M&P...maybe slightly smaller but not as small as the Regulation Police. The Colt is a much weaker gun with regards to the internal lockwork, but that is a problem with most Colt Dbl action guns. I would not want to give more than about $350 for the gun you describe...but that's just me.

Hope this helps

 

[gunfish]

The Army Special was replaced by the Official Police. A 90% Army Special is not hard to find, meaning don't pay too much. Personally I think 200$ would be tops for me if I wanted one. If you intend to shoot it much, an Official Police model made after the late 1930s would serve you better. A little shopping and 350$ would get an Official Police that is almost too nice to shoot.

 

[OIF2]

+1 on that. Here's a couple of nice OPs that didn't break the bank to purchase. Be patient and look around. They're out there.
Bob

 

[haggis]

The Colt Army Special was never a primary US service weapon. Its predecessor, the Colt New Army and Navy, served in that role, chambered for the .38 Long Colt, a significantly less powerful round than the .38 Special. The Philippine insurrection was over in 1902, six years before the Army Special was introduced.

The Colt Army Special was the first example of the new .41 caliber frame, which was the frame size for the later Official Police (just a renamed Army Special) and the Colt .357 and Python. It is larger than the S&W M&P, not smaller. It's Galand-based action is more complicated than the M&P, with several parts having multiple functions. That makes the action more difficult to work on, but that doesn't necessarily make it more or less "strong", whatever that means. Timing and lockup are tighter than the M&P, yielding better potential accuracy (usually only obtained from a Ransom rest), but making it easier for the action to go out of time.


Buck

 

[29aholic]

The Colt Army Special was never a primary US service weapon. Its predecessor, the Colt New Army and Navy, served in that role, chambered for the .38 Long Colt, a significantly less powerful round than the .38 Special. The Philippine insurrection was over in 1902, six years before the Army Special was introduced.

The Colt Army Special was the first example of the new .41 caliber frame, which was the frame size for the later Official Police (just a renamed Army Special) and the Colt .357 and Python. It is larger than the S&W M&P, not smaller. It's Galand-based action is more complicated than the M&P, with several parts having multiple functions. That makes the action more difficult to work on, but that doesn't necessarily make it more or less "strong", whatever that means. Timing and lockup are tighter than the M&P, yielding better potential accuracy (usually only obtained from a Ransom rest), but making it easier for the action to go out of time.


Buck

I stand corrected...again
Thanks Buck

 

[MKT]

The Colt New Army in .38 Long Colt mentioned earlier, looks like this one, a New Army built in 1903.

The Official Police, which followed a few years later looks like this one, built in 1950.

 

[Muddyboot]

The Army Special is a very nice Colt, I have two in .41 Long Colt and they are excellent shooters. Buy that Army Special, you can't go wrong with Colt's of that era.

 

[yugolovr]

I will tell you guys the truth I judge firearms much harsher than anybody I know. It is a lot nicer than I described. Heck I judged my model 66 In the high 8os. The only thing wrong with it was that at some it had been dropped. All it had was gouge mark at the muzzle, But the crown was fine. It took about two posts from you fine gentlemen to tell me how wrong my appraisal was. I do want to take the time to thank everybody here for all there help. You guys rock!

 

[SRT]

BLASPHEMY! Messrs. Horace Smith and Daniel Baird Wesson, supreme S&W deity and overseers of the S&W Forum (along with Lee), please forgive them, for they know not what they do. Forgive me, too, for I own a 1917, a couple of snakes and numerous custom 1911s.

On a side note, impressive looking revolvers, guys, even if they are Cs.

Best regards,

SRT

 

[Texas Star]

In case the OP is interested, the Army Special was renamed Official Police in 1926. I think the sights may have been slghtly widened then, but no other change except the name.

Colts do go out-of-time far sooner than do Smiths or Rugers, and they are complicated to work on. Few modern gunsmiths know how. But the metallurgy is better than on most equivalent Smiths of the period, so they are theoretically safer with hotter loads.

The Colt .41 frame is quite a bit beefier than the S&W M&P (Model 10) frame. It is more like a Smith L frame. Python holsters often fit L-frame guns just fine. Putting a Colt Official Police in an M&P holster will usually stretch the leather.

T-Star

 

[Pilgrim]

Then there was the not so common 'New Police'. This one is a 1905.

 

[Muddyboot]

Then there was the not so common 'New Police'. This one is a 1905.

Nice one Pilgrim, is that a .38 Special.

 

[Pilgrim]

.32 s&w long

 

[yugolovr]

In case the OP is interested, the Army Special was renamed Official Police in 1926. I think the sights may have been slghtly widened then, but no other change except the name.

Colts do go out-of-time far sooner than do Smiths or Rugers, and they are complicated to work on. Few modern gunsmiths know how. But the metallurgy is better than on most equivalent Smiths of the period, so they are theoretically safer with hotter loads.

The Colt .41 frame is quite a bit beefier than the S&W M&P (Model 10) frame. It is more like a Smith L frame. Python holsters often fit L-frame guns just fine. Putting a Colt Official Police in an M&P holster will usually stretch the leather.

T-Star

Thanks for the information about the holsters. The only holsters I use are 5bhl made by Bianchi. I have one for a four inch K frame and one for a six inch N frame. Since you say that this gun is more equal in size to an L frame I might have to order a new holster. Thanks for your help.

 

[bigun]

1926 vintage Colt Army Special

I found this mint 1926 vintage Colt Army Special .38 awhile back. It's all original and doesn't appear to have been fired much at all. Although, I don't have the serial number in front of me now, as I remember, this gun was produced not long before the remarking to the Official Police name. Here are some pictures:

 

[twaits]

I know this is the Smith & Wesson forum, but this is in my opinion the best forum on the net. I am going to be picking up another Colt revolver next week. It is a Colt Army Special in .38 special. What does this gun compare to or equate to in the Smith line? How good of a revolver would you guys say these are? It's condition is in the high 80s to low 90s. The lock work and everything else is very tight I would really appreciate any information you fine people can give me on this gun. It also has a five inch barrel. I don't have the serial # but my dealer said it was made in 1925. Once again thanks for any help.

I suggest also joining www.coltforum.com
Post a picture of the gun there and one of the experts can tell you what
it's worth and pretty much everything else about them.

 

[Texas Star]

I found this mint 1926 vintage Colt Army Special .38 awhile back. It's all original and doesn't appear to have been fired much at all. Although, I don't have the serial number in front of me now, as I remember, this gun was produced not long before the remarking to the Official Police name. Here are some pictures:

You have a VERY late Army Special. The gun was renamed Official Police that same year.

Keep in mind that this is basically the same frame size used by Colt for their Python, Trooper, and .357 models.

Their more compact .38 Special was the Police Positive Special. The Detective Spcl. is just a snub version of that gun. It is larger than a Smith Chiefs Special (M-36, M-60, etc.) but smaller than a M&P/Model 10.

You really need to get some gun books. I particularly recommend the late Geoffrey Boothroyd's "The Handgun", Elmer Keith's, "Sixguns", and "A History of the Colt Revolver, 1836-1940", by Haven and Belden.

All are out of print, but can be found on the Net for reasonable prices. These should be your foundation if you are seriously interested in guns

T-Star

 

[bmcgilvray]

Wow bigun, that one is just beautiful! Good photos too! Thanks for posting those.

My Army Special is only a little less pristine.

It was functional but just barely. It's action was all out of time. Someone who didn't know what they were doing had opened it and made a hash out of its innards. Someone else who didn't know what they were doing (me) got hold of it and, through trial and error, returned it to shooting status. Colt lock work is like reading tea leaves or chicken entrails.

Here's a before photo.