When I took a job as a security guard way back in the day, I was knighted as an "armed guard" based on the training I got from saying I'd fired a gun before. I was issued a Colt Official Police with fake pearl grips. I thought that gun was COOL. Of course I had never handled a handgun before, much less fired one. Praise the Lord I never had to fire that one either. Barney Fife knew more about what he was doing than I did, but they gave me more bullets. 
In a couple of years, I managed to not shoot myself or anyone else.
Anyway, I've had sort of a soft spot for Colt OP's since then and have owned a couple, three of them over the years. None currently...at least until yesterday.
Wife and I stopped by the LGS and I set up camp in front of the used revolver case, and looked to see what was new. Didn't notice anything at first, but I saw a set of grips that looked interesting. I could tell they were "plastic" of some kind. Then I saw they were attached to a Colt Official Police with what looked like a 6" barrel, no..it's not that long, but it's not a 4"...it's a 5". I don't think I've ever seen a 5" OP before.
I asked to see it. The grips were "Coltwood" a plastic that Colt used during the war, and afterward for a few years. The two interlocking screws on the right side told me it was fairly old, but I couldn't remember how old. The gun shop guy took it and measured the barrel...yep 5", then he checked "the book" (website actually). 1947 or 48.
The gun looked to have never been fired. No marks at all on the recoil shield. The only thing in the chambers or the barrel looked to be dust. No turn line. Even the Coltwood grips looked new.
A little rust on the hammer, the trigger was "checkered" I guess that's the right word. Mechanically it was dead on. Timing, lock-up, everything.
Tagged at just under $700.00. And I mean JUST under. I asked if they could do any better? No, sorry. It literally just came in two days ago. It just hit the shelf this morning. I hem and haw...do I really want it? No box or papers. Is it too nice to shoot? Is it too much? When was the last time you saw one like it? I don't know? When do you expect to see on like it for less? That was easy...never.
Lousy pictures before it was hauled off to lay-a-way purgatory.
I will probably shoot it at least a few times to make sure it works.
In a couple of years, I managed to not shoot myself or anyone else.Anyway, I've had sort of a soft spot for Colt OP's since then and have owned a couple, three of them over the years. None currently...at least until yesterday.
Wife and I stopped by the LGS and I set up camp in front of the used revolver case, and looked to see what was new. Didn't notice anything at first, but I saw a set of grips that looked interesting. I could tell they were "plastic" of some kind. Then I saw they were attached to a Colt Official Police with what looked like a 6" barrel, no..it's not that long, but it's not a 4"...it's a 5". I don't think I've ever seen a 5" OP before.
I asked to see it. The grips were "Coltwood" a plastic that Colt used during the war, and afterward for a few years. The two interlocking screws on the right side told me it was fairly old, but I couldn't remember how old. The gun shop guy took it and measured the barrel...yep 5", then he checked "the book" (website actually). 1947 or 48.
The gun looked to have never been fired. No marks at all on the recoil shield. The only thing in the chambers or the barrel looked to be dust. No turn line. Even the Coltwood grips looked new.
A little rust on the hammer, the trigger was "checkered" I guess that's the right word. Mechanically it was dead on. Timing, lock-up, everything.
Tagged at just under $700.00. And I mean JUST under. I asked if they could do any better? No, sorry. It literally just came in two days ago. It just hit the shelf this morning. I hem and haw...do I really want it? No box or papers. Is it too nice to shoot? Is it too much? When was the last time you saw one like it? I don't know? When do you expect to see on like it for less? That was easy...never.
Lousy pictures before it was hauled off to lay-a-way purgatory.
I will probably shoot it at least a few times to make sure it works.
