Officer's Model vs Pre-Model 17

[Bhfromme]

One of my favorite shooters is my Pre-Model 17 from 1954. It's just a beautiful piece and makes even me look like a fairly good shot. I'm thinking I want to get a similar vintage Colt Officer's Model in .22LR and shoot them side by side to see how they compare.

Anyone out there have both? Would love to read comments from those of you that have owned both.

 

[mmande]

I have an Officers Model Match from 1959 that I shoot in our local bullseye league. It has a red dot sight mounted because I can't see open sights any more. I also have a S&W 617 set up the same way. Off the bench the Colt will shoot smaller groups than the Smith using both Eley and Wolf match ammo. Not a lot smaller but noticeable in a 10 shot group. Offhand shooting wise, I shoot better scores with the Smith because it has a lighter, smoother trigger pull that I know how to achieve. I have never mastered the Colt trigger systems to get nice light trigger pulls.
I also have a S&W model 14 and a .38 Officers Model Match set up identical to the .22s and enjoy shooting all of them in rotation.
Mike

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Dad had a late 70's Diamondback 6" 22, that shot terrible! But many Colts did in that timeframe! They lost something from the 22's of the 50's!

Ivan

 

[Bhfromme]

Dad had a late 70's Diamondback 6" 22, that shot terrible! But many Colts did in that timeframe! They lost something from the 22's of the 50's!

Ivan

I'm no Colt expert by any means but I just read this:
In 1969 Colt discontinued all the older type medium action revolvers except for the Python. The replacement was the new Colt "J" frame transfer bar safety-ignition system that required much less hand fitting.

Guess that speaks to what you're saying...

 

[shamuscull]

I have an Officers Model Special. 1951 it was made and I also have a 17-5 both are very nice. Pic looked correct when I attached it.

 

[rockquarry]

I've had two Officers Model Match ('57 and a '68) for a long time time along with a Model 17 that I bought new forty years ago. It's been fired much more than the Colt guns, but I can't see much difference in any of them as for accuracy. They all shoot very well. Choice is strictly personal preference.

Also, I have two .22 Troopers ('54 and '61, I think). These have 4" barrels as opposed to 6" on the OMM guns, but they are just as accurate. The only difference I can see between the Troopers and the OMMs is barrel length.

Someone mentioned Diamondbacks... I've had two of these for many years, each with a 6" barrel. These guns are reasonably accurate with good ammo, but neither shoot quite as well as the other Colts or the Model 17 and the grip design / stocks of the Diamondback has a comparatively awkward feel.

 

[Babysitr]

I have a Colts OMM from 1958,and a K22 masterpiece from 1948...both have target stocks...they shoot similar, but feel different in hand..I would give the DA shooting to the S&W..love them both, tough question!

 

[sodacan]

I have a 17-2 (1966) and a K22 Outdoorsman (1939). Both are outstanding revolvers in every respect, but my Colt Officers Model Special (1950) is the most accurate gun I own. It's the top one in the photo, shown with its .38 sibling. In a beauty contest the Outdoorsman wins hands down, with the 17 a very close second. Sorry, no photo of it. The Colt is not so pretty.

 

[RSinOR]

I've got a 17-3, and a bunch of K22's from 1932 to the mid 50's. In
comparison to my Colt.22 cal OMT's from 1933 AND 1940 The Colt's can't hold a candle to the S&W.

For some reason I just can't shoot the Colts nearly as accurate as I can the S&W's. The Colt's just don't feel "right".

 

[hkcavalier]

'33 OMT

'31 K-22

OMT is bigger and with a much heavier barrel. Feels more like a target pistol and has better sights. Once I got the action right (took a chunk of change to a Colt master gunsmith), I'd much rather shoot it in DA than the K-22. But the K-22 is more fun in SA and feels more like a pistol that's intended to be 'carried afield.' So their respective names hold true: Officer's Model Target and Outdoorsman are quite apt.

 

[Drm50]

I have had them all. Never could shoot Colts as well as Smiths. The Python and Diamond back were beautiful guns. In 357 always did better with 27.
I bought Diamondback when first out in 38. It was right on, very accurate. When I bought gun I got a case of Win 158 Lubaloy 38s.
In less than a year DB was shot loose. Had 6" in 22 and it was nothing to get excited over.
K22 is the Cadillac of 22 revolvers, no doubt.

 

[glider1]

I have both and until you shoot them double action there really isn't any difference except for the way they feel in the hand. Now if we are talking about double action, there really isn't anything that compares to older Colts double action.

 

[Bhfromme]

I have both and until you shoot them double action there really isn't any difference except for the way they feel in the hand. Now if we are talking about double action, there really isn't anything that compares to older Colts double action.

That's funny because everything I read is saying they're both beautiful in SA but the Smiths have a better DA pull. I don't even know what staging means but I've read more than once that the Colts in DA have a longer pull with some "staging". I'm thinking it means you pull and think you're firing the gun but there's a slight hesitancy before the hammer actually drops? Is that a half decent way to explain staging?

 

[clang444]

I've got a few Colt .22 Double action revolvers and a whole bunch of S&W 22s.

.38 Special OMM
.22 LR OMM
3 5 7
.22 LR Trooper

4" Diamondback

They are all good shooters. Like most people, I tend to shoot 6" guns better than shorter barrels, but I like plinking with 4" guns best. I can't tell you if they are any more accurate than similar S&Ws, I'm probably not good enough to tell a difference, but all of them are minute of soda can accurate off hand shooting double action at 25 yards. The Colt double action has a slight stacking as you pull, it 's not bad but it takes getting used to.

I also have a Trooper MkIII in .22lr - it's a tank. Think Ruger GP100 in a 6 shot .22. Action is very different too, more like a Ruger if I had to compare it to something.

Out of all my .22s, the one that almost always goes in the range bag is my old S&W pre-18. It's just the most fun to shoot.

I do worry about the action going out of timing on my Colts. I did have to stretch a hand on one of my guns, and used parts and qualified Colt gunsmiths are always a concern. Maybe that's why they don't make it out as often.

 

[JohnRippert]

I have a Officers Model Match in .38 Special that I need to shoot side by side with my Model 14 no dash. Just to see.

 

[27 Man]

I have a Colt Officer's Match Heavy Barrel .38 from 1938, a 14-3 and a couple of 15-3s. Right after I got the Colt, I headed to the range with a couple of boxes of wadcutters. Group size, they were very close with the 14-3 having the best overall average. The Colt did very well but I prefer the feel and action of the S&W.

 

[6string]

I had two pre-war Colt .22 target revolvers. One was a 1920s era Police Positive Target, and the other was a 1930s Officers Model Target. I shot those better on the old 20 Yd. USRA slow fire target than my M41.
Fromthe standpoint of a single action trigger, the Colt is crisp and light. If you're a DA shooter, that's where the M17 S&W really shines.

 

[Andyd]

I had several Colt OMMs, a S&W K-22, and several Korths. The Colts are gone and the S&W is pretty much retired.

 

[Onomea]

I think staging with Colts refers to how as the trigger is pulled farther back, resistance increases. When it reaches maximum resistance, the trigger breaks.

Some people prefer that to the consistency of the S&W pull.

There was also a Colt Smith, whose name I forget but I think he was in Texas, whose specialty was taking the staging out of Pythons... I may be totally wrong about this but I seem to recall he used ball bearings in a way similar to Korth.

I owned .22 Outdoorsman and a K-22, both from the late thirties. I'm not a good enough shot to have noticed any difference in accuracy. I did like the K-22, its lines, better cosmetically.

 

[smithra_66]

One of my favorite shooters is my Pre-Model 17 from 1954. It's just a beautiful piece and makes even me look like a fairly good shot. I'm thinking I want to get a similar vintage Colt Officer's Model in .22LR and shoot them side by side to see how they compare.

Anyone out there have both? Would love to read comments from those of you that have owned both.

I don't have them in 22LR but I do have both in 38 spl. I prefer the Colt because it has a bit more heft, a tiny bit better SA trigger, and the hammer is easier to cock.

Accuracy wise, it's a wash. They are both great guns and its good to have them both just to see the differences in these two flagship guns from the days of yore. They are the pinnacle of American revolver manufacturing I think.

 

[rockquarry]

Many seem to think the double-action pull is better on the S&W .22s. That may be true, but I can't say based on my shooting experience.

I generally shoot my .22 revolvers at paper targets at 25 yards, bullseye style using one hand, single-action only. I can't see any difference between Colt and S&W revolvers using single-action. I don't believe I've ever fired any of these guns double-action.

 

[Taj]

One of my favorite shooters is my Pre-Model 17 from 1954. It's just a beautiful piece and makes even me look like a fairly good shot. I'm thinking I want to get a similar vintage Colt Officer's Model in .22LR and shoot them side by side to see how they compare.

Anyone out there have both? Would love to read comments from those of you that have owned both.

Bill,

I have an Official Police, which of course has fixed sights. That being the case the gun shoots extremely well and to point of aim with most ammo. It's kind of funny looking. This giant cylinder with little .22 caliber holes in it. I got the gun from a large agency animal control unit, that never took it out of the box. That same unit also had a bunch of model 17s. All of them in beautiful condition. I bought the entire lot for $90.00 each. I wish I had kept more of them.