When my pony was born

[springmom]

Finally. Took awhile and several trades, but I am the happy owner of a really, REALLY nice Colt Detective Special. I'm super excited. And I would like to know its birthday. But I don't want to know badly enough to get an authentication letter from Colt for $75 Is there a book, a list, the entrails of some goat, that can give me that info without foregoing ammo money for it?

Jan

 

[savit260]

Go to proofhouse.com and look under the Colt section for Detective Specials.

Check your serial number against the list.

 

[springmom]

...and it worked (I think).

By the number itself and the letter R after it, that puts it at 1977. However, there's a D in front of the number that would put it in the 60's. And there is no listing at all for a SN that is DxxxxR.

Whatever, it's gorgeous and it's going to out and play tomorrow morning though I'm not going to overdo and screw up my abs at this point. I'll take some nice tame S&B wadcutters to put through it. And one speedloader of the good stuff just for fun

Pix will follow but I need to set it up for a good shot, and I want to give that some thought.

Jan

 

[savit260]

Is the ejector rod shrouded, or unshrouded?


With a shroud would put it the 77 range.

Exposed ejector rod would be pre- 72/73 (I forgot which year)


The D could be for D frame. ??

Also the short butt with the wood that wraps under the grip frame, would be post 1966.
Full length grip frame would be pre-66

 

[springmom]

Shrouded.

Don't tell me I have another set of revolver alphabet soup to learn. D frame?

Jan

 

[springmom]

I am assuming (and of course we know how that breaks down) that a '77 DS can handle any .38spl load (no, I don't reload .38's yet, I'm talking about commercial loads)...?

Jan

 

[savit260]

Sounds like a 77 then.

Yup, D frame is Colt's small frame that covers Detective Specials, Agent, Cobra, Police Postive Special, Diamondback, and I'm sure some others.

D frames can get a bit confusing if you're looking for aftermarket stocks. There are 3 different versions.
Yours would be the short butt, post 1966 grip frame.

Most of the time Colt's are just refered to by their model names. Much easier to me than the number game of S&W's.

 

[savit260]

I am assuming (and of course we know how that breaks down) that a '77 DS can handle any .38spl load (no, I don't reload .38's yet, I'm talking about commercial loads)...?

Yes, I believe that the factory recomended sending the modern shrouded version back for inspection after 3000 rounds of Plus P.

The shrouded DS is a pretty rugged little gun, and once you get used to the Colt trigger, you'll likely find that they are nicer shooters than J frames.

 

[XxWINxX94]

Yup, your DS can handle modern commercial loads. Believe it or not, the earliest .38Specials were loaded hotter than today's are, which is normally the other way around.

Found this in the archives search:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=2118

 

[springmom]

once you get used to the Colt trigger, you'll likely find that they are nicer shooters than J frames.

It's had a trigger job. A very nice trigger job. Can't wait until I can go take it out for a spin.

Jan

 

[Guillermo]

It's had a trigger job. A very nice trigger job

sounds like a sweet gun.

BTW, the Colt trigger design "stacks" or gets a little harder right before it breaks. Smiths and Rugers don't. That is why Savit mentioned the "Colt trigger"