Colt Army Special .38 value and bullets

It looks well used. If the cylinder doesn't have too much slop and it indexes and locks up well, $250.00 would be in the realm of fair.

Keep in mind, for about $350-$400 an 80% or better examples are common.

Should you get it? That's up to you. It's a little tired looking for my taste.
 
Those are heavy and rugged guns; the same gun was made later as the Official Police with nothing changed but the name.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on whether you are the seller or buyer) those between wars DA Colts don't get the recognition they should in the collector market. They were beautifully made, of the best material of the day, and to a standard seldom equalled since. I have little doubt that, barring some draconian gun control law, the value will go up in the future, and some folks are quietly buying up those nice OP's, OM's, and PP's at rock bottom prices.

Jim
 
No finish or much checkering left, but not bad looking otherwise. $225 is good. If it is marked .38 Special, it probably shoots .38 Special.

But quit short shucking the hammer and Bogarting the cylinder or you will soon be one of those Internet Experts talking about how fragile a Colt is.
 
STOP FLIPPING THE CYLINDER SHUT!
The grips are not original, but the gun should be well worth the asking price-if you haven't ruined it already.
 
I wasn't able to bring up the video but I'll echo everyone else - don't flip the cylinder closed.

I have a ArmySpecial - 6" barrel - DOB of 1910. Mine is about 90% with a very little blue wear on one side of the muzzle and several spots on the cylinder - holster wear. It's a great shooter!

The Colt Army Special came out in 1908 - same year as the Model T came out and the same year that my Dad was born. In 1927, the model name was changed to "Official Police" (a marketing ploy by Colt). Hmmm . . . my Dad graduated from high school in 1927 too. I guess that was my reasoning for getting my Army Special? :D I think of my Dad every time I shoot it so I guess it was a purchase I'll never regret.

The Army Special is a well made, strong revolver but even so, mine is 104 years old so I treat it gently and only shoot mild lead bullet loads out of it that I reload. Others may "push" their's harder but I just prefer not to.

EDIT: I went back and looked in my records. I paid $350 for mine in 2010. I was happy to get it - the grips are in great shape and original to the pistol and with the exception of the minor holster wear mentioned above - it's excellent otherwise - nice and tight and a great shooter. i remember at the time I got mine, I ran across several others that weren't as in as nice condition and they were priced at around $300 - $350.
 
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"Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on whether you are the seller or buyer) those between wars DA Colts don't get the recognition they should in the collector market."

For me, that's fortunately, as I'm just now really discovering the joy of Colt revolvers.

I paid $375 out the door for a very nice circa 1967 Official Police 6" a few years ago, and less for a 1920s? Police Positive Special .32-20 and around $325 for a Police Positive in .32 New Police.

I'm going to pay a lot more for the New Service that I really, really REALLY want, but that's OK.
 
I paid $300 for looked-unfired Army Special, about fifteen years ago. If it had a been a New Service, I probably couldn't have touched it for $1300.
The between-the wars Colt revolvers are real works of art, and the small/medium frame guns are still affordable.
 
I don't claim that "flipping a revolver cylinder is good for the gun, but it is not the instant destruction some folks have been told it is. I once decided to test that claim, so I loaded the cylinder of a S&W M&P with dummy rounds and spent all one morning flipping the cylinder in and out. All that resulted was a very sore wrist that took a week to recover. Visual checks and checks with a range rod showed no misalignment of the cylinder or crane.

Do I advocate doing the "fiip"? No. Will it ruin a revolver? Apparently not.

Jim
 
"The between-the wars Colt revolvers are real works of art"

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...

No one could put a polish and blue on a gun like Colt.
 
Here's my '22 Army Special in .38 special. IIRC I paid $275 for it a few years ago, plus another $50-80 for the grips (from another gun, but authentic). It's a nice shooter, although the grip shapes of older Colts are not necessarily ideal for me. My Model 1917 with original grips (.45 ACP) is downright uncomfortable to shoot.

DSC01745.jpg
 
Your Army Special could be .38 Long Colt. Check before you buy, as that ammo will be tough to find. I have a 1920 vintage Army Special in .41 Long Colt, and it's a hoot. But I like those old rounds.
 
AFAIK, the Army Special was never made in .38 Long Colt only. Colt cataloged them as firing .38 Short Colt and .38 Long Colt, but that was advertising. The .38 caliber guns will fire .38 Short and Long Colt, but the chamber is made for .38 Special. (They were also advertised as firing both .38 Colt Special and .38 S&W Special, though they are the same cartridge. The other calibers were .32-20 (.32 WCF) and .41 Long Colt.)

Jim
 
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