Colt detectives special

[cwduke08]

Hey guys, so my buddy brought this revolver over, said do you want a project, he thinks I'm a gunsmith. It's a '68 colt detectives special .38 snubbie. It was also loaded. It looks HORRIBLE! More rust than bluing on this bad boy! It didn't open, didn't fire, didn't rotate the cylinder, until I got ahold of it. Now it's working "flawlessly" although it didn't fire the rounds it had in it. The internals sound good but I'm positive they need work. Now should I have this gun brought back to life? Should I do blue or nickel? Pearl grips? I think the nickel and pearl looks cool... Or should I just make it a paper weight? I know these little guns can be worth money but not looking like this one does.

P.s. It's not his gun, one of his buddies he plays cards with gave it to him. He has no clue what it is...

 

[22-rimfire]

I would put it back into working condition and have Colt re-blue it and go over it pretty well. It will not likely be worth much if the seller is honest. It will always at best be a shooter.

 

[oldfool]

what 22-rimfire said, yes

but if you appreciate what old Colts can be, and you truly admire classic revolvers, your best bet might be to send it to the Colt factory and have them give an estimated cost to do what they can do with it... but only if your buddy gave to to you, not if he is expecting you to do it for him
(I don't deal with them, being a S&W woobie boy but am led to believe they still take pride in their legacy)

otherwise, if just rolling your own, don't offer him more than $50 bucks, knowing you have no guarantee on ROI... then send it to Colt.. or e-mail Guilermo for advice, with pictures

PS
if do, do blue

 

[Guillermo]

bead blast it and drop it in the blue tank.

It is one of the best carry guns ever and the dull finish will make it better.

 

[Ala Dan]

Restore It\~!

As many members here can (and will) tell you, the old Colt D-frames are some
of my favorite revolvers. Not so much the post era "strike years" where frames
were parkerized; and it looks like Colt cut down my pecan trees to make grips,
but before late '72 or very early '73 when Colt did things "right". My favorite
era runs from 1947-1972, or the 2nd series Colt Detective Specials; with the
deep bluing, and nice grips with the "PONY" medallion~!

 

[bikemutt]

Unless you get it for a song it probably will not financially pan out.

Here's what I'd do. Imagine what you want this gun to be when it's all said and done. Now look for that same gun online or locally. If you either can't find one, or the price for one is extraordinary, you may be onto something. On the other hand, if you find them to be readily available and affordable, it's probably just a project gun, which is fine, just not to be mistaken for a wise investment.

BTW, I do own one, it's a fine gun as others have said.

 

[pendennis]

I just got back a Python from Colt. Here's what you can expect to pay -

• Reblue/nickel refinish - $325.
• Re-roll barrel marks - $100
• Action tune - N/C unless parts are needed
• Shipping - $30 approx.

PS - Finish is for any type - nickel, blue, Royal Blue, E-nickel, etc.

Timing is estimated at 16-20 weeks turnaround time.

Refinished Python? - Priceless!

 

[Old Fuff]

If the internals need work, and especially if part(s) replacement might be necessary, I would send it in to Colt and get an estimate. Since I can't see how bad off the finish is, it would be smart to seek the company's advise on refinishing. If you want a high quality finish (bright blue or nickel plate) some extensive (and expensive) polishing might be necessary. Therefore look and ask before you leap.

 

[cwduke08]

Yeah I think I'll probably send it in to colt. Have them give me a number. But we've got a gunsmith in the family who says he can redo it. But apparently there's nothing like a colt factory finish!

@Bikemutt- buying a "new one" would be more financially savvy, but since I already have this one, I can justify spending the money to restore it. I'm not really in the market for a snubbie, but since one has been given to me I might as well make it safe-worthy!

 

[Guillermo]

sending it back to Colt for a reblue will cost more than the gun is worth.

The OP also suggested that it was rusted up badly.

This does not sound like a candidate for restoration.

 

[Stophel]

IF you can get it to function correctly, and IF the bore and chambers aren't completely eat up, then as far as the "finish", just knock off the heaviest rust, oil it, and you're done.

 

[cwduke08]

I thought about just taking the rust off and voilà! She's done.. The internals do sound good! Everything rotates etc.. My brother suggested we make it our TAG (throw away gun).

 

[Stophel]

Rough guns have character.

 

[MtnSpur]

I'm with Stophel. Why sink a bunch of bucks into something that will never be anything but a "bait box" grade Colt? I hear Kroil and a brass wool pad will do wonders on eliminating, or at least cleaning up, the rusted finish. Spraying the heck outta the internals with CLP and letting it sit overnight may very well eradicate old oil/particulates etc and you'll see an improvement in the action without tearing it apart which can be a nightmare. Unless there are parts that are trashed you are money ahead.

 

[PvtCowboy]

i'm kinda on the fence about it. on one hand, you could have a sweet nice lookin carry revolver ( and I think blued would look best). you would have to spend a good amount of money to get it there though. or... you could just get it serviceable and in "good enough" shape to be a good ol' bait box gun. It really just depends on what you want it for and how much money you have to play with. just remember though..if you ship it off and have a bunch of work done on it then it can never be a TAG anymore..

 

[Remllez]

I agree with those that think you should check the cylinders/chamber/barrel before you spent any money on it. If they are bad it's more paperweight than shootin iron. The internals might be okay, just gummy and sticky. If things look good inside I'd just clean it up with some brass wool and Ed's Red and carry it the way it is.

It's ultimately your call of course but it sounds like an expensive project, although if things work out without spending a lot on it you may have a nice carry piece complete with character.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

bead blast it and drop it in the blue tank.

Best answer to date, especially considering the OP said the gun functions. I'd run a couple of boxes thru it, get it blued, and carry in my front pocket.... If you shop around you can likely find a gunsmith that will blast and blue it for under 100 bucks.

 

[cwduke08]

Im having a smith re blue it. it should make for a nice back up truck gun.

 

[pendennis]

Here's what a Colt refinish/refurbish looks like: