Colt Detective Special vs. S&W 36LS?

F

flycaster

New member
Hi there. I'm considering either a NIB Smith & Wesson 36LS or a used Colt D-Special. The prices are similar. The Lady Smith has a 5-shot cylinder, while the Colt holds six- although if carried, it would only be loaded with five. The Colt is nickle-plated. Its condition is absolutely excellent. The lock-up is solid, and the finish is great (if you like shiny guns; I'm not crazy about them). I'm mostly unfamiliar with the Colt snubbies, so a little help determining the pros and cons of each would be appreciated. Thanks.

Chuck
 
I just have to ask, why not load the Colt to capacity?

All other things being equal, they are pretty much equal in utility, so personal preference would dictate which one you like. The Colt is just slightly larger, and the older ones have an exposed ejector rod that some people might think is more prone to damage. None the less, I really like them and wish they would come back into production.
 
sendec- I'm wary of carrying a full revolver with a hammer-mounted firing pin. The Colt I'm considering is a "series three", with a full lug.

Chuck
 
If the trigger isn't held back, the pin on the hammer can't contact the primer. That is how to decock a S&W revolver from cocked position in single action.

Hold tention on the hammer, pull the trigger, as soon as the hammer unlocks, release the trigger and then ride the hammer home with your thumb.
 
Flycaster, as answered on your similar thread at THR...

Hammer-mounted firing pins haven't been a problem with modern double action revolvers. The firing pins won't contact the cartridge primers unless the trigger is pulled completely to the rear of the trigger guard. Both Colt and S&W have internal mechanisms that prevent an external hammer hit from lighting off a round. The frame-mounted firing pin as introduced by S&W recently wasn't an effort to remedy that type of problem. It was already fixed decades ago.

That's in contrast to the old technique of loading five rounds, and lowering the hammer on an empty chamber on a Colt Single Action Army revolver. On those vintage single action guns, a solid hit on the hammer did represent a real safety risk if a live round were positioned under the hammer. Presently, Ruger's Vaquero and Beretta's Stampede lines are designed to allow safe 6-round carry.
 
The Colt "positive safety" to prevent the firing pin from reaching the cartridge has been around for about 100 years and works just fine. (That is where the word "Positive" comes from in old Colt gun names like Police Positive.)

The current S&W safety has only been around since the mid 1940's (60 years), but is just as positive. I never worried about carrying either gun fully loaded.

Jim
 
Detective Special

One has 5, the other has 6. I'd get the Colt because it has 6. I just bought a Smith and Wesson Airweight 431PD .32 Magnum over the S&W Airweight 36 .38 Special because it holds 6 rounds over 5.
 
Thanks, all. I learned something here. I also think I can see a Detective special in my collection- if I can live with a mirror-finish hand gun! I'm not crazy about the bead-blasted finish on my S&W 625 either, but I live with that.

Chuck
 
I would carry the colt because of 6 vs 5 rounds. Now the smith is easier to adjust trigger spring, the colt trigger stacks up on the end of pull. Neither one of these guns is made for +p aMMO. Practice with regular loads and carry +ps. Both guns well suit their purpose.
 
I'm a tried and true S&W fan, but when it comes to Detective Specials, I'm absolutely nuts for them! Just bought my fourth blued third/fourth issue and will probably buy one more... I'm going to send one to be hard chromed... that should be cool. Anyway, these are amazingly cool little six-shooters.

Detectives_RL.jpg


Detective_LF3981.jpg


DS_RF_B&W.jpg


DetSpl_LF1565.jpg


Here's the last variation Colt ever made on the DS before stopping production completely:

MagCarry_L.jpg


MagCarry_R.jpg
 
Detective Special

Howdy,

While the S&W "K" frame is a bit larger and therefore better for accuracy and shootability, I really like the size of Colts's slightly smaller "D" frame, like on the Detective Special. The "D"frame from Colt sits right between S&W's tiny "J" frame (TOO small for me) and the medium sized "K" frame.
I've got a Detective Special and unfortuneately I can't hit the side of a red barn with it! I've had it as my CCW for years and don't do well at the range with it. I do better with the Detective Special than the little "J" frame Smith I used to have, though.
Out of frustration, I've begun to carry a Beretta 93FS concealed and I'm accurate with it, but it's larger than the "Dick" Special, obviously. I'd like to see Colt bring back thier "D" frame revolvers and of course the Python. The Police Positive on a 4-inch barrel would be great if they'd make it again.

Larry C.
 
Can't Find a reference site

This is sort of a unrelated question but it is about revolvers. I own quite a few but one that I bought from a friend about 25 years ago remains elusive as to its value. It is a nickel plated Colt Detective Special in mint condition. All that I can find info on has the standard two inch barrell, mine has the 3 inch. Per the serial no it was made in 1963. Can anyone tell me if the longer barrell increases or decreases value? It's not for sale but for curiosity only.
Thanks.
 
I like the Detective Special a lot (and its light-weight brother, the Cobra as well), but if the ultimate in concealability is wanted, nothing beats the petite J frames.The J's are lighter (especially the 642 and its ilk) and more compact than Colt's D frame and addresses a special niche that no other pistol does as well when the issue of extreme reliability is factored in.

Of course, if a sixth round is REALLY needed...
 
Before I throw in my two cents, I would ask if you own any other Colt or Smith & Wesson revolvers? If you already own several of one, but not of the other, I would go with the one that is from the manufacturer with which you are already familiar (cylinders rotate the same way, cylinder latch push vs. pull, etc.). If neither, I would opt for the Colt unless extreme concealability or the frame-size difference is an issue.

Enjoy whichever one you choose...they are both time-proven winners!
 
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