Interesting Colt Army Special

[6_gunner]

I came across an interesting old Colt Army Special at a local gun shop. It has a 2" barrel and is chambered in .41 Colt.

It is in good condition, with about 80-90% blueing. I suspect that it was re-blued, since it looked like it may have had some pitting under the finish. The grips are dark brown plastic and are in excellent condition. Lockup was excellent, with zero cylinder play when the hammer is lowered and the trigger is held back.

The price tag is $260. That seems like a very good deal to me.

If it was in .38 special I'd jump on it (or at least try like heck to scrape up the money before it sold) but I don't really want a gun in an obscure and hard-to-find caliber.

I'm curious, did the Colt Army Special come in a 2" barrel or was it shortened? I don't know much about Colts, but all the Army Specials I've seen had longer, service-length barrels.

This gun shop usually has pretty steep prices. If the barrel has been shortened and/or it has been re-finished, that would explain the low price. The obscure caliber might also explain the low price.

So, is .41 Colt available at all? If so, how much does it go for, and what kind of bullet selection is out there? I'm guessing that what's available is mostly low-power target loads for Cowboy Action Shooting and such. Probably not much chance of getting modern defensive ammo in that caliber, right?

If I can get ammo at non-astronomical prices and in a loading that is meant for more than punching paper, I might still be tempted to get it!

 

[Jim K]

AFAIK, the Army Special was never made with a 2" barrel; the shortest was 4". So either it is not an Army Special or someone cut the barrel. That might or might not be a problem for you, but it definitely reduces the value, a lot, so that price is no bargain.

You might check:

http://www.ammobank.com

for ammo, but call the EMTs first; the price could give you a heart attack ($72 for 50).

Not a bad round, but far outclassed by more modern and more available rounds. Needless to say (so of course I will say it) .41 Magnum won't fit and firing it would be disastrous if it did. Bullet diameter is a nominal .401 but factory ammo varied all over the lot. Getting the right bullets might be a problem (though Lyman used to make the mould), as the cartridge uses a heel type bullet, and a bullet that goes into the case in the modern way will be too small for the chamber throat and the barrel.

I have an Army Special (.38 Special) but only as a collectors item. The gun is fairly large and strong (the same gun became the Official Police) but I would be very leery of loading much above factory specs for that era.

Since, if the barrel has been cut, the gun has little collector value, and you seem to be interested in a practical gun, you might be better to look for a more modern gun in .38 Special or .357.

Jim

 

[Moonclip]

Something doesn't seem right. I'd pass. A local pawn shop I only stop in to like every 2-3 years has a beat .41lc Army Special at an astronomical price as well. I've usually passed on Army Special revolvers due to the age and wanting an Offici
al Police more as a shooter.

 

[Jim K]

There is nothing wrong with the Army Special as a shooter; they are identical to the early OP, all Colt did was change the marking on the barrel.

The ones in .38 Special are more than adequate for any reasonable loads, including those rated at +P, but not +P+.

Jim