Colt Detective Special info...

G

glockjeeper

New member
I saw a used one with the SN 6977XX. I'm sure its pre 70s since it has no ejector rod shroud. Finish is decent, action pretty slick, but I'd still want it checked out by Colt if I got it. The hammer is bobbed. I don't know if it was replaced with a bobbed one or ground off since its so smooth looking. The strangest thing is the grip. Its like a birds head grip on the Colt Peacemaker. I've never seen this on a Detective Special. Anyone have an idea on value? Or anything about the grip? Thanks.

btw.....I used to have a Colt Agent, so I'm familiar with the Colt snubbies.

Forgot to add...the finish is blue and the grips were factory Colt with the silver medallions. Thats why I think Colt offered this grip profile as an option at sometime. I just don't know anything about it.
 
I'm not sure what you mean by birdshead grip. You're not talking about the Pachmayer rubber grip by chance?
If it's just the grip, it could have been made by anyone complete with Colt medallions. If the grip frame itself is changed, it could be a Colt Custom Shop job, in which case Colt can tell you. Over the years I've seen just about everything done to guns. Most non-factory.

As to the hammer: It was almost certainly cut off. This was REAL popular on Dick Specials. The idea was that if you needed too, you could start the hammer back with the trigger, and hook your thumb over the hammer and pull it back to full cock. Colt didn't make a true "hammerless" DAO hammer until fairly recently. To check, try to cock it.
 
The hammer could be cocked back slightly and then thumb cocked the rest of the way back for single action shooting. The entire grip frame, not just the stocks, was changed. They were not Pachmayer rubber grips. There was a response to this question I posted on GlockTalk. The guy said the SN placed it at 1957 and the grip profile was by Herretts. He didn't say when it was offered or if it was a factory option or aftermarket. I just wanted to see if anyone on here might know more.
 
When you say "the grip frame" I assume you mean the steel frame itself. I doubt that it's a factory conversion, and I've never heard of Herrett's making a grip that needed alteration of the frame. There were a number of people in the 50's and 60's who did. One of them was Fuzzy Farrent. he was an LA cop who made a grip that required machining the lower front grip away. If it's an early Farrent, I think they are somewhat of a collector's item today.
Hope this helps, I've always been a Dick Special fan.
 
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