Pawnshop Detective Special find.

[ATCDoktor]

I picked this up this morning at one of our local Pawnshops and figured I'd share.

https://s20.postimg.org/3tyuvo50t/IMG_1592.jpg (https://postimages.org/)


https://s20.postimg.org/k4yyrzp8d/IMG_1595.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

It had been sitting there for better part of a year and initially it was priced at $550 and over the course of 12 months or so I watched it drop incrementally to $365.00.

Well this morning I decided to see what I could get it for and made an offer, the manager made a counter offer and we shook on the $325 OTD.

It is very tight, locks up as it should, it has some scuffs and scrapes from being carried some and shot a little and I figure the only thing that most folks looking for a DS couldn't get past was that a previous owner (for reasons unknown) had the upper part of the hammer serrated.

https://s20.postimg.org/p3mh6i5vx/IMG_1597.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

I guess whoever had it done had thumbs like an ape or (as I suspect) there was a shroud of some type affixed to the gun and the "extra" serrations helped with cocking the hammer with the thumb.

The extra "grooves" in the hammer don't hinder operation and are barely noticeable to the shooter (and can't nobody see them when it's in your pocket) and for $325 I'd buy another one just like it.

Soon as the wind dies down around here I'm gonna take it out and see how it shoots.

I'll report back on how it shoots.

[Pistolero49]

Great buy. Sweet snubby.

[RKJ]

Those serrations don't bother me at all and I'd say for that price wouldn't bother many of us here, That is real nice. Merry Christmas to you. :)

[Petrol & Powder]

You did really well.

Nice Detective Special.

[keyhole]

very nice!
Those are interesting grips. I am not at all familiar with these revolvers but do not recall seeing those grips before. From your photos, they look like they have a Colt medallion, so that is a plus.
About what vintage do you place this piece?

thanks for the photos too

[ATCDoktor]

About what vintage do you place this piece?

I'm not really sure about the DOM (date of manufacture) the serial number is 583XRD and what references I can find show that the earliest it could be is 1978.

Reference the grips, towards the eighties (or thereabouts) Colt started shipping these with rubber colt medallion grips.

[DougGuy]

Well Merry Christmas to you too!! Very nice find! Serrations = personality..

[hawkenhunter50]

Nice score, 32 or 38?

[keyhole]

ATCDoktor,

Thanks for the info. It looks like Colt put some thought into the grip design. That relief on the bottom must be to curl your little finger around.

$325 seems like a really good deal for a nice revolver. We'll be anxious to get a shooting report once your weather improves.

[Thumbcocker]

I would have jumped on that like a duck on a junebug.

[wcp4570]

You did very well on that purchase. Most double action Colts have good double action. I have a Trooper III that has a slick double action. Your Detective special will make a good carry gun. You could make money on that one from a Colt collector. I’m don’t understand how it lasted a year in pawn shop. I like rescuing old iron from pawn shops.

wcp4570

[Guesser]

I have a Ds in the same run, probably '93 to '95, using up left over parts. The grips are OEM Colt made by Pachmyr and fit me and my gun very nicely. My DS has proven a love of 125 gr. standard velocity hand loads, nothing else seems to hit POA quite as well. The late DS are OK for a few +P but I've never put any thru mine. Nice guns, mine is my favorite 2" in a herd of 2".

[ATCDoktor]

My DS has proven a love of 125 gr. standard velocity hand loads, nothing else seems to hit POA quite as well

This is good info.

I've got a box of Federal American Eagle 130 grain FMJ's I'll run through it in the am if the weather holds.

[stubshaft]

Pretty packing piece.

[Low Budget Shooter]

Very nice grab!

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I have one I picked up several years ago for about the same price as yours.

[rintinglen]

I would have bought it and I have one already. Good deal on a good gun. Merry Christmas!

[smokeywolf]

The serrations on the hammer appear to have been very neatly done and don't detract from the appearance of the pistol. Carried a DS off-n-on as a backup when I was in law enforcement.

[ATCDoktor]

Well, I hauled it out this morning and ran a hundred or so 158 grain handloads thru it and wasn’t impressed at all.

At 40 feet the 158 grain rounds were hitting 6 inches high and 4 inches left.

Not to be discouraged, I broke out a box of 125 grain lead TC hand-loads I had in the truck and that centered everything up.

Slow fire double action I was able to keep all the rounds in the head of a torso silhouette at that distance (40 feet) which is about as good as I can do With any snub nosed revolver.

https://s20.postimg.org/t3bpjkrlp/6_CD02_A46-73_A0-4_C4_D-8887-_F45_C232357_BD.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

I like it, it shoots well with ammo it likes and the funky serrations on the hammer are 100% unnoticeable to the shooter.

[Boogieman]

.


I had one in the mid 70's . With a 158 gr. SWC over 5.1 of Unique I could make money betting on hitting a man sized target , a B27, at 100 yards Two handed standing. it was the best shooting revolver I ever shot

[Cary Gunn]

Gent's,

I wonder if the original owner didn't intend to bob the hammer spur for a smoother draw when pocket-carrying?

Maybe he added the serrations on the front of the hammer to increase thumb-purchase for single-action cocking, then just never got around to snipping off the hammer spur.

Whatever the reason, I don't see the added serrations hurting anything, other than maybe breaking the jaded heart of an overly-orthodox Colt collector.

I think the OP made a very fine deal on the little blaster. And lopping off the hammer spur would, in my opinion, only make the pocket gun more useful.

Happy trails,

-- Cary Gunn --