CLASSIC GUNS
Colt Detective Special
Beloved by generations of plainclothesmen, this classy little six-shooter is the epitome of the .38 snubbie.
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It may be common to find older Colt Detective Special revolvers that show a lot of carry wear, but relatively few have been shot a whole lot. Convenient carry was the reason this model existed. In fact, the six-shot Detective Special is little more than a Colt Police Positive with a short barrel and non-snag grip size/design. The Police Positive and the Detective Special even shared serial numbers after 1927.
My fondness for snubnose Colt revolvers dates back slightly more than 50 years, to a time when the very last thing I needed or even could have used much was a short-barreled pocket revolver. But there was something about those snubbie Colts at the time that simply mystified me. Although my dream gun then was the Colt Cobra, that infatuation had more to do with the name than the real difference between the Detective Special and the Cobra (the Detective Special has a steel frame; the Cobra, aluminum).
Although I never have been a serious Colt collector, I've had occasion to own and shoot scores of them. My Detective Special is among them. This particular specimen has spent most of its life in a dresser drawer. It hasn't been shot or even carried that much. And that's fine; therapeutically, the peace of mind it has afforded by just sitting around has more than justified its price to me and everyone who has owned it since it was made in 1963.
The date of manufacture makes this specific revolver a member of what is known as the "Second Series" of Detective Specials. This refers to the serial-number series used. The First Series went from 1927 through 1946 (a square butt was standard through 1933), the Second Series from 1947 to 1972 (plastic grips from 1947 to 1954 and wood grips after). The Third Series started in 1973 and continued until 1986, and the Fourth Series started in 1993 and continued until 1995.
A couple of notes about the look of the Detective Special over the years: A shrouded ejector rod became the norm with the Third Series, and the Fourth Series had an alloy frame. The Fourth Series also included what was known as the Bobbed Detective Special, which featured a bobbed hammer and was double-action-only. Grip design and materials varied through the years, with wraparound wood grips beginning with the Third Series and plastic/composition grips in and out of the line in the Second Series and then back with the Fourth Series.
Other variations included barrel lengths and chamberings. Most Detective Specials have 2-inch barrels and are chambered in .38 Special. But there are exceptions. For example, the Second Series was available in .38 Special, .32 New Police and .38 New Police, and although most had 2-inch barrels, a small number sported 3-inch tubes. Both nickel and blue finishes were available in the first three series, and there was a hard-chrome option in addition to blue/black in the Fourth Series. Fixed sights have been standard throughout.
Outwardly, there isn't much to distinguish the very early Detective Specials from ones made decades later. Certainly, the newer models with the barrel shroud for the ejector rod changed the profile enough to make for a different appearance. Being an offshoot of the Police Positive line, the Detective Special incorporated what is known as the Colt Positive Safety Lock mechanism that was designed to preclude accidental discharge. The system incorporates a solid-steel bar 1/10 of an inch thick that rests between the hammer and frame, except when the trigger is pulled.
It's noteworthy that the Detective Special continued as a standard offering as late as the 1990s. One might suppose that much of its staying power in later years had more to do with the inertia of being there than anything else. Although the civilian market for the Detective Special continued, the law enforcement market for them was clearly evaporating during the 1980s as semiautos gained ascendancy.
Yet for the purposes for which it was intended, the Detective Special is close to perfect. It remains as useful now as it was the day it was introduced. It is, after all, a handgun for police officers (and civilians) whose primary mission does not involve the daily use of a handgun but who need to have one close at hand at all times. With the increased interest in civilian concealed carry handguns, the Colt Detective Special should be seriously considered by anyone who wants the luxury of carrying a loaded firearm that is in no way cocked while carried, yet will deliver the goods instantly, with nothing more than a double-action pull of the trigger.
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