Colt Commando Value?***It's Gone.

[Retired W4]

I'm thinking about putting this one out at the next show. i know these have appreciated a lot since I purchased this one. Not interested in internet sale. The factory letter says it shipped March 16, 1943 to General Asbestos & Rubber Div., Raybestos-Manhattan. 7 in shipment. As you can see the gun is in very nice condition and it shoots like a dream. Chambered in 38/c (yea, right!). Colt never did like putting S&W on their guns. I've looked on the auction sites and prices are all over the place. Any ideas?

 

[ordnanceguy]

Nice gun in top shape and with the expensive Colt letter already obtained. Since it went to a civilian defense contractor rather than a military destination I would discount it a bit. Nonetheless, in my neck of the woods I would expect that this Commando ought be valued in the $750-850 range.

HTH.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Confused as to what it is chambered for-38 S&W or 38 SPL. In any event it is a beautiful specimen

 

[ordnanceguy]

Cajun:

All Colt Commandos manufactured during WW2 were .38 Special guns.

 

[Retired W4]

Thanks Charlie. The Colt letter says 38/c. Their version of the 38 S&W Special.

 

[triaxle]

That's a easy 750 gun and more .

 

[murphydog]

In general, you can take .xy S & W Special, load it with a flat nose lead bullet and voila! - .xy Colt Special!

 

[Retired W4]

In general, you can take .xy S & W Special, load it with a flat nose lead bullet and voila! - .xy Colt Special!

Colt is so touchy about that stuff.

 

[s&wchad]

Blue Book puts that at $1200 - $1450, but books don't buy guns. A member of our antique arms club has been trying to sell one for a few years that's not that nice for $850, with no takers.

I have no idea what fair market value is, but I've never seen a better one.That gun would probably do best at auction.

 

[Absalom]

Thanks Charlie. The Colt letter says 38/c. Their version of the 38 S&W Special.

No. Let me clear that up.

Up to WW II, Colt did not specify on their DA revolvers which .38 caliber it was. Revolvers chambered in the .38 NP (= .38 S&W), the .38 Colt, and the .38 Special all just said 38 on the barrel. The only exception was the SAA in .38 W.C.F./.38-40.

They must have presumed that their customers were smart enough to figure it out. The Colt OP .38/200 for the British was the first to have a more specific label on the barrel.

What's more, the Colt factory paperwork didn't make the distinction either. I've talked to the Colt historian about this. The ledgers just say .38 cal. That's why all .38 Colts up to and including the Commando will simply show .38/c as the caliber.

I have letters for a 1901 Army in .38 Colt, a 1915 Police Positive in .38 New Police, a 1942 Official Police and 1943 Commando in .38 Special. All say .38/c for the caliber.

 

[Retired W4]

No. Let me clear that up.

Up to WW II, Colt did not specify on their DA revolvers which .38 caliber it was. Revolvers chambered in the .38 NP (= .38 S&W), the .38 Colt, and the .38 Special all just said 38 on the barrel. The only exception was the SAA in .38 W.C.F./.38-40.

They must have presumed that their customers were smart enough to figure it out. The Colt OP .38/200 for the British was the first to have a more specific label on the barrel.

What's more, the Colt factory paperwork didn't make the distinction either. I've talked to the Colt historian about this. The ledgers just say .38 cal. That's why all .38 Colts up to and including the Commando will simply show .38/c as the caliber.

I have letters for a 1901 Army in .38 Colt, a 1915 Police Positive in .38 New Police, a 1942 Official Police and 1943 Commando in .38 Special. All say .38/c for the caliber.

Thanks for the clarity on this 38 caliber issue, Absalom. I have other guns I plan on turning over to Morphy's for auction, Chad. I'll probably add this one to them.

 

[Retired W4]

In addition, while reading through Pate, it appears this one was shipped right after the 100 4" guns were shipped to the OSS. 3/16/1943. SN: 6715. (Pretty early Commando unless my letter contains a typo, which I doubt.) Surprisingly, according to Pate, only one 2" Commando was shipped to the OSS.

 

[Absalom]

In general, you can take .xy S & W Special, load it with a flat nose lead bullet and voila! - .xy Colt Special!

By the way, in all fairness S&W did the same in reverse.

Instead of developing their own .38 S&W into the .38 S&W Special, they glommed onto the .38 Long Colt.

Of course the hope was that this might help in poaching Colt's military contract. That misfired, but it is at least providing us with endless chances to explain to newbies that .38 S&W and .38 S&W Special do not have the same diameter

 

[Absalom]

In addition, while reading through Pate, it appears this one was shipped right after the 100 4" guns were shipped to the OSS. 3/16/1943. SN: 6715. (Pretty early Commando unless my letter contains a typo, which I doubt.) Surprisingly, according to Pate, only one 2" Commando was shipped to the OSS.

My Commando, 31792, missed a huge OSS shipment (1300, I seem to remember) by one day in December 1943. I'm actually not unhappy, as my Northrop Aircraft is a more interesting destination from my point of view.

As for the OSS, it's important to remember that the OSS guns were generally not, as too many imagine, meant for secret agents doing Bond stuff; they were dropped or otherwise delivered to resistance forces supported by the US in countries fighting the Nazis and Japanese.

 

[PALADIN85020]

I too would be interested in current values on these historic guns. I have one dated to 1943, and it bears the ordnance "bomb" stamp on the upper left frame, so it's a military procurement revolver. Being manufactured before the serial number around 24,000, it does not have the "G.H.D." inspector initials of LTC Guy H. Drewry, nor the "U.S. PROPERTY" stamp on the backstrap, which were applied in later production.

General Eisenhower was reportedly issued one for his personal defense.

Here is mine; it's the only one I've seen in many years. I used this photograph to illustrate a chapter on the Colt Commandos in my book 101 Classic Firearms.

John

 

[Old_Cop]

They are rare around here and those I have seen were a minimum of $700. I'd say$850 easily.

 

[Absalom]

I paid a straight $700 for mine pictured below a few years ago and was quite happy to have found this.

The $850 suggested are a realistic minimum for the gun in your condition including the letter.

But looking at completed auctions just on Gunbroker, some in not as nice condition, with no special attributes I can see, have sold for substantially more after lively bidding. So if you're dealing with an auction house anyway, they may be able to fluff it up to where you get a better deal despite the premiums. Or you could put it on GB with excellent photos and a higher minimum and see whether anybody bites.

 

[Retired W4]

Speaking of the OSS, my favorite reference book of all times is OSS Weapons II by John Brunner. My copy is signed by Jim Phillips, publisher. It is highly recommended for any weapon enthusiast.

 

[md_shooter_rick]

My family hand me down is a 2" version serial 145XX that I love to shoot. I was my grandfathers when he worked railroad security way-back-when. I'm still waiting on my Factory letter, only been 2 months (arrrrrrggggghhhhhh). Someone had it chromed at some point so it is "special".

 

[PeteC]

... Since it went to a civilian defense contractor rather than a military destination I would discount it a bit...

I see a clear opportunity to help a fellow forum member here! If we all start writing stories on Facebook about how "General" Asbestos heroically held off a whole company of... ummm... say, German Africa Corps, while armed only with this revolver and his wits, the value can only go up. Just look what the Power of the Internet did for GameStop!