Smith & Wesson vs Colt

[SwampWolf]

Without addressing parts availability or difficulty of repair issues for the sake of argument, which of these two revolvers do you like best and why: the Smith & Wesson K38 Masterpiece (Model 14) or the Colt Officers Model Match and/or the Officers Special? Both were developed in their time for serious Bullseye competition and are superb examples of revolver build and finish but if you could pick only one...

 

[I6turbo]

I don't have exactly the experience you're looking for, but something kind of related.

For the past 23 years or so, my centerfire revolvers were limited to the following that I owned for the duration (I've fired a lot of other revolvers belonging to friends and acquaintances, but only owned these two):
1982 model Smith & Wesson 686 6"
1981 model Colt Trooper Mk III 6"

Then a few years ago I bought a 1985 model Smith & Wesson 67-1 with 4" barrel.

I always liked the 686 better than the Trooper because it was just so much smoother in operation (single action and especially double-action) and just felt better to me, and fit my hand better. I have three friends/acquaintances with 6" Colt Pythons and I do not find them to have as good an action as my 686, or overall to feel as good in my hand. I have lightened the springs on my 686, but it is a work of art in terms of action and trigger pull, IMO (outstanding 2.3# S/A trigger pull, 6.5# D/A with no stacking or hitches, unlike the Trooper). I just love that handgun.

The 67-1 is also a very nice gun, a good size for handling and shooting, but it's not as sweet when it comes to actual shooting as the 686. The action isn't as good, but it's a great shooter as well, .38 Special only, of course.

Despite having owned the Trooper for so long and having some attachment to it, I've recently sold it and bought a pristine 4" Smith & Wesson 586 from the 1983 time frame. It's all stock at the moment, but I'll correct that soon.

I admire the Colt revolvers but I think Smith & Wessons just suit me better.

 

[Hertzer]

I have both the K-38 and the Officers model match from Colt. Inherited the K-38 from my grandfather who was a life long bullseye match shooter and I know it had a professional trigger work over and is extremely smooth. The colt was bought used from a work friend that inherited several guns and didn't want guns in the house, she thought her uncle used them for match but really didn't know. I can't say which I like shooting best, the club I used to belong to had revolver bullseye matches 2 or 3 times a year as well as our weekly matches so they got used there. If I could only select 1 it would have to be the S&W because of the family connection.

 

[BWS]

Got some VERY nice examples from both companies....... can't answer your question directly 'cause there will never be "only one".

If hunting and woods bumming,my 1980 4" 629.

As a carry piece,a 4" DB .38 is it.

My EDC however, is a 7-08 stainless R700 SPS,loaded with cast bullets.Edit to add,is within arms reach of writing this.

 

[The Evangelist Cowboy]

Smith. Because I can still find gunsmiths that work on them .

 

[Waveski]

Disregard

 

[Riomouse911]

I prefer the Smith for the cylinder release (push VS pull)...and the S&W grip/trigger reach fits me better.

Love the pythons look a lot more than the 586/686 tho! Something about the vent rib and underlug that just looks right to me!

Stay safe!

 

[cfullgraf]

...the Smith & Wesson K38 Masterpiece (Model 14) or the Colt Officers Model Match and/or the Officers Special? .

I have a collection of S&W revolvers including a Model 14. I'm not very knowledgable of what Colt offered in revolvers but an Officer's Model Match or the Officer's Special would be something I need to look for.

I like full size 38 Special revolvers so my response would be get both.

 

[WestKentucky]

Only 1? Smith seems more durable and easier to clean internally. I always had problems with the colts I had, but truth be told I only had poor examples of the cheaper guns so I may have missed the incredible actions. Neither the DS or the PP I had was easy to put back together after a detail strip and clean.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Neither the DS or the PP I had was easy to put back together after a detail strip and clean.

I've had just the opposite experience.

While revolvers don't usually need a detail strip. I'd gladly disassemble and re-assemble a D-frame Colt any day of the week over having to deal with even one S&W rebound spring/slide

 

[Mizar]

The first time I hear that the old action Colts are tough to disassemble/assemble. One learns something new every day...

 

[CajunBass]

I've owned several of each, although not those specific models. I'm a Smith & Wesson guy. Colts just never felt right to me. Nothing wrong with them, they shoot just fine. I just never could make myself really like them. Maybe it's that cylinder turning the wrong way or something.

 

[bannockburn]

More trigger time spent with S&Ws than Colts, especially K frames. Would go with the Model 14.

 

[Jim NE]

I can only base my response on limited experience. I have a couple model 14’s and one Colt Official Police (which is somewhat related to the Officer’s Model.) When Colt was doing their best work, they were probably a wee bit better than S&W. That probably describes my Colt, which was made in the late 40’s. When Colt was off, though, they were really off. S&W K -38 guns were probably more consistent in functional quality. Again, thats MY experience.

 

[WestKentucky]

The first time I hear that the old action Colts are tough to disassemble/assemble. One learns something new every day...

I had heard that they weren’t bad to clean up and dove in. I haven’t ever had trouble with the Smiths. Par for the course for me...simple is never easy, and tough is never really that bad.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

K38

 

[P5 Guy]

The cylinder release is the Colt problem for this guy, Pull back seem unnatural

 

[CraigC]

A good K-38 is hard not to love. I'd like to have an OMM but I don't see it doing anything the S&W won't, except being tougher to find good grips for.

 

[Mizar]

I'm in the minority here because I have a strong preference towards Colt revolvers with the old style action (the proper one ). The trigger staking at DA stroke is not a problem for me, quite the contrary - I actually prefer it because I can feel when the hammer will release and adjust my aim. And in rapid fire I don't even notice it. One of the problems, the way I see it, lies with misunderstanding the somewhat delicate Colt lockwork - first, it's exaggerated to the extreme. And second, many Colt owners are unaware of the tighter Colt tolerances compared to a S&W action - what is an extreme tolerance on Colt, a problem that should be addressed ASAP, is the normal factory setting on a S&W. Many owners fail to understand that.

The cylinder release is of no issue for me, but I'm a lefthander and load/unload a revolver differently.

The cylinder turns in the only proper way possible - clockwise. It's S&W who got it wrong.

P.S. Since Colt DS was my first revolver and I'm not into practical shooting (for instance), one has to take my opinion with a grain of salt. Just like everybody else's opinions on that matter...

 

[BWS]

Yup,cylinder turns "into" the frame on a Colt.Really dumb doing it any other way.The cyl latch notion is that if it opens by pushing fwd( Smith) then there's a chance it'll happen under recoil..... never has happened to me and I've shot some bruiser loads out of Smiths.Just saying I believe that was Colt's original intent.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I have quite a few Colts, including an Officer's Model Target (in .22) and a Colt M357 (same gun as the Python, but without the cosmetics.) I can't find any faults with either, and would always choose a Colt over a S&W.

 

[Slamfire]

Without addressing parts availability or difficulty of repair issues for the sake of argument, which of these two revolvers do you like best and why: the Smith & Wesson K38 Masterpiece (Model 14) or the Colt Officers Model Match and/or the Officers Special? Both were developed in their time for serious Bullseye competition and are superb examples of revolver build and finish but if you could pick only one...

I am currently shooting Bullseye pistol and have asked the older guys, who are real experts at this, about the use of revolvers in Bullseye Competition. One of the shooters I asked was a multi times Bullseye champ and multiple times PPC Champ. This guy has around 600,000 rounds through his K frame S&W. He said he only saw one person ever using a Colt in PPC, and the reason was, Colts go out of time earlier than S&W's. The Colt lockup is just at hammer fall, S&W's just before. You can verify this with your Colt and S&W. I suspect this was also true for Bullseye shooters. The National Champ also told me, the Colt barrels were tighter and more accurate so it was not uncommon to see a Smolt on the firing line. That is a S&W pistol with a Colt barrel.

I would shoot what I had, and if it wore out, I would get a S&W.

On the high mileage revolvers, extractor stars, hands, wore out and needed replacing. Spring replacement is a given. The guy had a firing pin break on a S&W. You can fire hundreds of thousands of 148 LSWC 2.7 grains Bullseye and never have the barrel wear out.

Never owned an Officer's Model, was more interested in the D frame Colts.



did buy a trooper, very accurate revolver.

 

[CraigC]

I am currently shooting Bullseye pistol and have asked the older guys, who are real experts at this, about the use of revolvers in Bullseye Competition. One of the shooters I asked was a multi times Bullseye champ and multiple times PPC Champ. This guy has around 600,000 rounds through his K frame S&W. He said he only saw one person ever using a Colt in PPC, and the reason was, Colts go out of time earlier than S&W's. The Colt lockup is just at hammer fall, S&W's just before. You can verify this with your Colt and S&W. I suspect this was also true for Bullseye shooters. The National Champ also told me, the Colt barrels were tighter and more accurate so it was not uncommon to see a Smolt on the firing line. That is a S&W pistol with a Colt barrel.

That's why Colt's tolerances were tighter, they had to be. Colt has always made (or used) a good barrel but the lockwork is outdated and requires too much hand work to build and maintain.

 

[Mizar]

The Colt lockup is just at hammer fall, S&W's just before.

This is not a problem at all, because both do happen before the round is ignited - the problem is with the way how those revolvers lock, not with the sequence of it. And Colts do go out of time faster, that is a fact. But I still like them more, although with an outdated action. And yet I do believe that the S&W type lockwork is the best offered now - Ruger, Colt, Korth, or whatever brand one can think of are just years and years behind it. And I still do prefer Colt. Luddite, I know...

 

[CraigC]

I wouldn't say the S&W's lockwork is the best. It has the quickest trigger return and that's why they're preferred in competition but it has longevity issues as well.