colt detective special serial numbers

Colt's Manufacturing Company - firearms, handguns, pistols, rifles, revolvers. One early variant based on the DS frame was the Colt Banker's Special. The six-shot Colt Detective Special was the standard issue sidearm of Crime Wing inside Hong Kong Police Force, only to be replaced by SIG Sauer P250 after multiple years of use. It was designed from the outset to be chambered for higher-powered cartridges such as the .38 Special, considered to be a powerful caliber for a concealable pocket revolver of the day. … Myanmar Police Force and some other countries are still using the batches as officers' sidearms. Ballistics By The Inch tests including the Colt Detective Special. SERIAL NUMBER A40571. * NOTE: Some records indicate Colt may have added a "D" prefix as early as 1966. My Colt Agent the day I got it. The last serial number shown was at the start of 1985 and it was AB02310. However, as the page already stated, the database of the method is not a completed one. which makes this one a bit more special in my book. The exact number of Detective Specials made is not known, due to the fact that its serial number range overlapped that of the Police Positive Special. 7 ½ “bbl. Year / Serial Number. Contact Seller *Your Name: *Your Email: *Your Phone Number: *Message: Yes! $999.00. The DS uses a slightly smaller frame than the Colt Official Police or Smith & Wesson 'K' Framerevolvers, but is larger than the compact 'J' frame used in Smith & Wesson five-shot revolvers. Sold for $3,450 in September 2017. $1.50. I believe this Detective Special was made in 1980, but I need to look up the S/N. Enter the serial number, without spaces or dashes, to search the database. In 1986, facing stagnant sales numbers as well as rising production and labor costs, Colt discontinued production of the Detective Special. 1838 - 1840 1-850 . Colt's small frame revolvers used Colt's 'D' frame. Colt Agent 38 Special Serial Numbers. 4d 13h 15m. During the 1960s, the grip frame of the Second Series Detective Special was shortened, matching that of Colt's other snub-nosed pistols, the Cobra and Agent. All it takes to get the numbers to changes could be minor changes in the design, the beginnings of new time periods and many others. Because of Colt's serial number systems it may not be possible to identify what model a Colt is based on just the number. And a small number were used in some prefectural police headquarters of Japan including the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.[10]. Detective Special .38. The guns were produced in .32 and .38 caliber. I know what I paid for it in 2005 and I have attempted to reflect accurate value points in 1975, 1985 and 1995. Grip panels were wooden. Product #: PDF0045E Part Key: 0. I also have a 38 colt detective special I would like to have. I bought this 1965 .38 gun on an online auction in 2005 for $900. with 6 shot fluted cylinder. However, unique serial numbers were not required until the Gun Control Act of 1968. 1847 1 1848 2000 1849 8000 1850 12000 - 14000 . The ejector-rod was longer and had a groove in its knurled tip; a three-inch-barrel variant was offered, with a yet longer ejector rod. Although the Detective Special proved to be an instant success when first introduced,[2] lackluster sales saw the elimination of the Detective Special from the product line in 1995. Although some of these old guns may be appropriate for self-defense, that's not what this website is about either. Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial or get a Kindle Unlimited Membership Plan to read over 1 million ebooks on any device! Seller: Antique & Modern Firearms, Inc. The Banker's Special was popular with railway clerks, who often carried them on mail and parcel freight trains prior to World War II. Even after the introduction of the Detective Special in 1927, Fitz continued to make custom revolvers for special clientele. GI#: 101574658. 1838 - 1840 1-1000 . As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This gun was made during the 1st year of production in 1873 and has all matching 3digit serial numbers on the frame, barrel, back strap & cylinder. The first two revolvers were the Cobra and the Agent. The Colt Detective Special was first produced in 1927 and last produced in 1995. Interest has arisen over the use of higher-pressure (+P) .38 Special ammunition in the Detective Special. First produced in 1928, it was chambered in .38 Colt New Police (.38 S&W) and .22 Long Rifle. The Detective Special proved to be an instant success and was made until 1995. During World War II production was discontinued, and the type was not revived following the war's end. Re: Diamondback serial number help. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. Depending on which model and condition, between $150 and $250. Year / Serial Number. Although historians disagree, it's believed that somewhere between 40 and 200 Fitz Specials left the Colt factory, made from various Colt revolvers, by Fitzgerald himself. From its introduction, the Detective Special used Colt's ‘Positive Safety Lock’ (hammer block), first featured on the Police Positive; the mechanism interposes a bar between hammer and frame until the trigger is pulled, preventing accidental discharge if the hammer is struck (e.g., if a dropped gun falls onto its hammer) with the trigger forward. These later guns were exactly like the 1973 model, except for using Pachmayr "Compac" rubber grips instead of the walnut combat grips. For the Second Series, caliber options were .32 New Police, .38 New Police, and .38 Special; only .38 Special was offered for the other Series models. The Colt Detective Special was the first revolver issued to French customs agents, meant to replace the old Browning 10/22 and MAB D pistols. [2], Colt's Detective Special went through several issues or series. Compared to later production models, the First Ser… $999.00. Colt Single Action Army early 3 Digit Serial Number US Cavalry Revolver serial # 493, inspected ‘A’ by US Government Inspector O.W. The Colt Detective Special morphed through four (4) variations (or series) in its almost seventy years; First seriesDetective Specials were manufactured from 1927 to 1946, with square butt grip frames through 1933 and round butt grip frames thereafter. Detective Special AD01XX was made after 1986, which is as far as the publicly available Colt serial numbers go. [6] The First Series was produced from 1927 until 1946. In 1927, Colt introduced the compact Colt Detective Special. See all listings by Classic Firearms Tell a friend. Eligible for FREE shipping * 1 Barrel Enlarge Image. Colt's Manufacturing Company - firearms, handguns, pistols, rifles, revolvers. Sold on their own, the grips might bring $150-$300, but technically I might have paid the same price for this gun without them. The firearms on these pages are not for sale. The standard barrel length was 2 inches, but also a (rare) three-inch-barrel was offered during the Second and Third Series.[1]. Colt DETECTIVE SPECIAL 38SPL 2" - .38 Special. Colt Database Search. A Colt Detective Special, Fourth Series, with rubber grips and a shrouded ejector rod, https://gatdaily.com/gun-review-colt-detective-special-revolver-38-spl/, https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2012/4/20/the-fitz-special/, https://www.guns.com/2015/09/02/fitz-colt-snub-nosed-revolver-benchmark/. In 1999, Colt released a .357 Magnum version of the SF-VI/DS-II called the Colt Magnum Carry. Typically sporting a 2-inch barrel and chambered for the then-novel .38 Special cartridge, this carbon-steel revolver entered terms like “snubbies,” “snub-nosed” and “belly gun” into the American vernacular. I was only five years old when this Detective Special was new and I didn't begin collecting guns until 1980, which brings me to this proposition. My 1952 gun pictured here is a .32 Colt New Police. This handgun was manufactured in 1977. As with the previous two Series models, a few nickel-plated guns were produced, and a 3-inch-barrel variant was again offered. Gold in a classic engraving pattern highlighted by a beautiful gold rampant colt curving over the rounded top of the deep blue slide. The halved trigger guard facilitates quick trigger acquisition, even for shooters with large fingers or gloves. In 1966 Colt introduced the Colt Diamondback revolver. [4]. 17108108. 1877 Lightning 1878 Frontier 1889 Navy 1892, 94, 95, 96, 1901, 03, New Army & Navy Models 1905 Marine Corps Army Special & Officer's Model Bankers Special Camp Perry Model Cobra, Aircrewman, Courier & Agent Commando Detective Special Diamondback MK III, Lawman., Metropolitan, Official Police 1969 - 1978 During the Fourth Series production run of 1992–1995, Colt offered the Detective Special with an optional de-spurred 'bobbed' hammer and double action only lockwork, direct from the factory. Based on this, the 'AD' prefix range was probably made in 1986 or '87. Colt Detective Special (Second Issue (which were made from 1947 to 1972)) fitted with a 2 inch barrel, checkered Coltwood (plastic) grips, is blue finished, and chambered in .3 ...Click for more info. [8] First and early Second Series Detective Specials are becoming highly sought after by collectors, particularly if they are in prime condition and still have the famous Colt "Royal Blue" finish. Publishing this website is just a hobby for me and it comes with considerable expense to do it right. The right side frame screw has no locking pin, and the rear half of the front sight is a serrated ramp. The Detective Special went through several issues or series. A rounded butt on the metal frame became standard in 1933, but pieces with the original square butt (like that of the Police Positive Special) continued to be produced into the 1940s. The First Series was produced from 1927 until 1946. Documented Colt Factory Firearms Collection Colt Detective Special II (DS-II) Double Action Revolver with Low Serial Number 3 and Factory Letter. SECOND VARIATION (BEGUN 1927 TO 1972.) Date of manufacture of colt detective special serial number 443290? No Reserve. The Colt Detective Special morphed through four (4) variations (or series) in its almost seventy years; A derivative of the old Colt Police Positive, it was produced to meet the market demand for a gun that was easily concealed.