Identity and Date of Manufacture of Colt Revolvers

I wish I had thought to take a picture before it went off to lay-a-way land, but can anyone tell me about when a Officers Model Match, 38 Special, 6" barrel, six shots, adjustable sights, Colt target grips. Gun is in EXCELLENT condition, and locks up like a bank vault. Not even a little "snick." S/N on the receipt is 923xxx. No letters, no prefix listed.
 
popeye

I see your serial number request was some time ago but if you haven't found it yet I came up with 1973 as the year it was made.
 
A.38
B.2
C.square
D.6
E.ramp
F.p23196
G.detective special
 

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I bought this advertised as a 1950 Officer's Model Target, but after some comments I am wondering if that is correct.
Colt Officers Target Pic 1.JPG
Colt Officers Target Serial Number.jpg

780168 with an 8 under that. Looks like a U (Or part of an O) farther down and left.
 
AC, I looked on the Colt Site and they are saying that serial number is from a different revolver.

Year of Manufacture - 1961

Model - POLICE POSITIVE SPECIAL & DETECTIVE SPECIAL

I tell ya, those sights sure do look like target sights for sure. Nice revolver.
 
ArchAngelCD said:
Model - POLICE POSITIVE SPECIAL & DETECTIVE SPECIAL
Click to expand...
Weird, it sure says Officers Model Target on the barrel, and has the adjustable sights of that model. Vertical adjustment on the front sight and horizontal adjustment on the rear.
 
Considering a "new army and navy" in 32-20. I have only seen pictures, as it's an hour away.

Sn is 5xx. This conflicts with what I've read about the 32wcf.
Cylinder is supposedly not original and there is a star on the right side of the trigger guard. Good rifling but weak lockup.

For the price, I'd like to save this low number colt in any way I can. If anything, itll give me gunsmith practice for a couple of my other old colts with lockup issues. It's also a caliber match to my 1873 Winchester. For 4 to 5 times the price of this revolver, I could get a colt bisley in 32 wcf, so this seems a decent deal to me. Plus how many people can say they have a colt with a sn in the 500s
 
Upon reading more, it appears the 5xx number they think is the SN is in fact the assembly number. The butt of the pistol has been sanded smooth, where there would have been an SN.

EDIT: I purchased the revolver. The bottom of the barrel us marked "559". Barrel has trademarks rolled on the top of 1884, 1900, and 1905. Side of barrel marked 32 W.C.F. The frame, under the swing out arm has a "U" off center, an "859", and an "N" directly below. The swingout arm has the same "859". The right side of the trigger guard on the rear end has a six sided star. The left side of the trigger guard has an upside down triangle with a "P" or "D" in it (kind of faded) on the front end and a "3" on the rear end.
 
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A) 32 WCF
b) bbl length of 6"
c) grips square
d) 6 shooter
e) type of sights: rounded blade front, trough in the frame rear
f) serial number: nothing on butt. 559 on bottom of barrel.
g) up and off center U on the frame, then centered 859 with an N directly below. 859 on the swingout arm.

20181229_145347.jpg
 
The butt of the pistol has been sanded smooth, where there would have been an SN.
Click to expand...

That might be a problem if you need to sell it. Later models considered the frame number the serial number and the butt number an Army/Navy number.

Any altered number gun could give you a hassle at some point, kind of depends on the person examining the gun. Because of the barrel date, this could be read as a post 1899 "MODERN FIREARM"

Entirely possible the barrel was replaced from another gun. The 1905 date is very late in the production that ended in 1907.

I've bought Colts by the frame number and by the butt number as the SN of record.

Put it in your records as an 1892 model serial number 859.
 
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Dr.Rob said:
That might be a problem if you need to sell it. Later models considered the frame number the serial number and the butt number an Army/Navy number. Any altered number gun could give you a hassle at some point, kind of depends on the person examining the gun. Entirely possible the barrel was replaced from another gun.

I've bought Colts by the frame number and by the butt number as the SN of record.

Put it in your records as an 1892 model serial number 859.
Click to expand...

It through up a flag when filling out the e-file system cabelas uses. That asked me if I knew so and so, which I didn't, and they continued on. It showed the number they "assigned", 859N, a date in mid to late November and that guys name. My receipt says 859N on it.

I need to thoroughly clean it, but I did remove the grips and side plate and somewhere under there was a VERY distinct 559 and a letter I dont recall. It was even in a script type font. At least I have proof of purchase from a licensed and respected firearms dealer.
 
@OARNGESI good that there is a record of an assigned number then.

Ok as an assembly number even.. the 1905 barrel date suggests a very late commercial production 1892 model.

Read this page for some good info:

http://www.coltfever.com/New_Army___Navy.html

Serial numbers on the military and commercial models were stamped on the butt in two lines, with military models having US Army or US Navy stamps on the butt and military inspection stamps on the frame.

Other parts of the guns were stamped with factory assembly numbers. These numbers were stamped on parts during manufacture to keep fitted parts together until an actual serial number was assigned and stamped on the butt.

These assembly numbers are not serial numbers and had no further meaning once the serial number was stamped.

It's not unusual to see New Army & Navy revolvers with the serial number and military stamps removed from the bottom of the butt, and people assume the assembly numbers are the serial number, which they are not.

It's also common for owners to refuse to accept that the butt stamps were removed without leaving any signs of removal.

Because it was easy to remove stamps from the flat bottom of the frame, Colt began stamping double action revolvers serial number on the frame under the barrel where the cylinder crane seats, on the crane itself, and often inside the side plate.
Click to expand...

Now it doesn't say WHEN Colt started doing that, but it suggests it was late in production which ended in 1907.
 
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