Colt Army Special .38 Q's

V

vanfunk

New member
Hello All,
I've been eyeing an old Colt "Army Special" in .38 Special, which has been available for sale at my FNG for some time. It is tagged at $449. I've been hesitant to handle it because, as is normal for me, as soon as I handle a firearm I have a rather bad habit of taking it home with me. It was made sometime in the first quarter of this century and seems to be all original, and demonstrates the gorgeous deep blue and polish of the old Colts. The barrel is either 5" or 6" (I haven't dared to ask to examine it myself, for the reason above). It looks as though it has sat unmolested in a sock drawer for the past 75 years, and has languished in the used gun case here as these types of firearms hold little attraction to most consumers.
Questions:
How good are these guns as shooters? I'm interested in the historical value, but want to shoot it and hit what I aim at. No +p's, obviously.
How common is the timing problem with old Colts and should I be concerned about this realistically? I can't see putting more than 500 rounds anually through the gun.
How does this model compare to the S&W 3rd model M&P? A Smith of this designation, of later vintage, is also available locally in virtually new condition, for around $250.
Any owners of old Colt and S&W's dare to compare?

Thanks in advance for your responses!
vanfunk
 
My tendency would be to pick the S&W for a shooter, but I have a Colt Army Special and it is superbly accurate. If it times OK in the shop, you should have nothing to worry about. Remember, Colt's may not lock up fully on single action until the trigger is pulled, but that is not a problem, believe me.

The Army Special is not rare, almost a quarter million having been made from 1908-1927. They were numbered in the same series as the preceding "Army & Navy" revolvers and the later Official Police.

Book prices show $650+ for 100%, with $450 for a 90% gun. I think I would try to do a deal, as those guns, no matter what the "book" prices may be, are not big sellers, and guns that sit in showcases don't put food on the dealer's table.

Maybe $350 wouldn't do it, but I think $400 might.

Jim
 
ThanKs Jim!
Tomorrow I'm going back in for a "real" look at these two revolvers. There's something indefinable about this Colt that is hard to shake; I think I'll offer $400 and see what happens. If not, the $240 S&W is a sure thing, and even comes with a period holster, not bad for a 95% piece of history with that sublime long-action DA trigger. But, then again, the Colt, is just such a... Colt! In a perfect world, I could just get both and be done with it.

Then there's the 1909 Colt New Service in .45 LC - in 95% condition - for the princely sum of $950 - maybe they'd take $850 cash...

I've got it bad...and that ain't good.
vanfunk
 
...Chef Boyardee has recently redecorated by cupboard in anticipation of poverty...and I have a few buckets of library paste squirreled away for a real emergency. My (ex) wife just never understood my capacity for sacrifice...:eek: . 'Least I got to keep my guns and velvet Elvis paintings (though she took "Dogs Playing Poker"):mad:

vanfunk
 
As a practical shooter, the S&W M&P will have a quicker, better action than the Colt, and if both are now "in-time", the S&W will hold its timing better. But Colt had better metallurgy and if you did, by chance, happen to fire a Plus P round by mistake, probably no harm would be done. Actually, one gun writer has an M&P made about 1949, and he uses hot handloads in it without apparent ill effect, but I wouldn't do it. For what it's worth, when I was a kid in the '60's, I wrote to S&W asking about using the then-extant .38/44 high velocity ammo meant for the Heavy Duty and Outdoorsman guns. They said I wouldn't blow up my M&P, but that if any extensive use was involved, wear would be much accelerated (this was in reference to pre-M10 guns, I think). The USAF experience with the M15 Combat Masterpiece was that frequent use of Plus P in those guns, all post -1958, did accelerate wear. That's one big reason why they wanted to get 9mm's before the Beretta was adopted.

That old Army Special was quite a gun. I think it's what Roy Chapman Andrews took on his Central Asiatic expeditions.
Personally, I'd get the M&P, but I'm mainly a Smith man. I'd love to have both. If you get either, let us know how it/they shoot. I guess you plan to try them out, even if they'd be mainly collectibles.

Lone Star
 
Just for historical interest - -

The Colt Army Special was the forerunner of the Official Police line. I know they chambered the AS in .41 Long Colt, but that was really a low pressure ctg.

Place where I used to work, a dispatcher had an old five-inch .38 AS of which he was very proud. I don't know how he managed it--Said he was shooting the then-new Super Vel JHP ammo. Perhaps he got hold of some heavy handloads, I dunno. But I went to work one afternoon and he was showing his old resolver to another officer. The rear of the barrel which stuck out behind the frame--the forcing cone area--was split in about three places, almost up to the frame. I just chalked it up to shooting modern ammo in very old metalurgy.

If you DO get the vintage AS, please stick to either target loads or standard velocity 158 gr. LRN loads. It is a really neat old gun, and if you pay dearly for it, I'm sure you will not want to harm it in casual use.

Best,
Johnny
 
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