colt detective special

S

seventrees

Inactive
i have a colt detective special and i want to work on it take it apart ,clean it and reduce the trigger pull. does anybody have info on any good how to tapes on this particular revolver? any articles with good drawings and directions? also does anyone know where to look up the date of mfg?thanks
seventrees@earthlink.net
 
Provide the serial number (x out the last two digits if you want, but leave any letter prefix or suffix) and we can probably tell you the manufacture date.

As to taking the gun apart for cleaning, the best advice I can give is DON'T. Unless you are familiar with the Colt revolvers, reassembly can be difficult.

To clean, remove the grips. Then cock the hammer and spray the inside with a good cleaner (I like G96 Gun Treatment). Don't use WD40, which will gum up. Press the ejector rod back and do the same on the ejector and around the cylinder.

Let the gun drain good, then replace the grips, and apply a few drops of good gun oil in front of the hammer, in front of the trigger, to the ejector rod and to the ratchet.

That should be enough.

Jim
 
If you absolutely insist on taking it apart, the standard reference is Jerry Kunhausen's book, Gunsmithing the Colt Double Action Revolvers, Volume One.

This is available from Brownell's, Midway and book sellers.
It has everything you could want on the Colt revolvers.
 
One time I decided to do the same thing. It ended up costing $100 dollars to get it fixed. I would have gladly paid the money up front to have had the work done and save the embarrassment it costed me in the long run:p
 
Hi, seventrees - - -

You show your S/N as 9613XX. Det Spec models with that many digits should have a letter "D" prefix--If it does, my list shows it was made in 1969, last year for that series. Same year, they changed the series and began with A 10000.

My list is in R. L. Wilson's book, COLT An American Legend.

Best,
Johnny
 
Unfortunately, revolvers do need to be disassembled from time to time for cleaning the internal mechanism. If this is not done, dirt, lint, grease and old oil will accumulate and effect the function. This may be why you think you need to reduce the trigger pull. A double action revolver can develop a terrible trigger pull due to being dirty.

You can either take it to a gun smith and pay for a thorough cleaning or learn to do it yourself. It's not really that hard. If you do attempt to disassemble it, first buy a set of gun smith screwdrivers. Never use automotive or household scredrivers on a gun. I always work at a bench with a shallow pan under the gun to catch anything I drop. Also, never pry on anything. To remove the sideplate, take out the screws and then tap on the grip frame (grips off first) with a hammer handle or the screwdriver handle until it pops loose. A diagram showing the parts is helpful, and be aware of hidden springs and plungers.

If you decide that you do want an action job done, I would recommend letting a gun smith do it. This is far more involved than simple cleaning.
 
i find the colt easier to disassembly than a smith. i hate the smith rebound slide (?)...the thing that pushes the trigger back to reset.

if you get a good book, go slow, observe carefully and reason out the function of the various part...it is a very interesting action (love the levers and camming surfaces)...taking the action apart can be done at home.

i highly recommend against any "home tuning" of the action. the interesting action is full of pitfalls and is a delicate balance of camming surfaces.
 
I did action jobs on Colt revolvers years ago, strictly on a trial and error basis, but take them to competent gunsmiths today: they're just too @#$%^&! finicky! They're not unduly difficult to disassemble and reassemble, nor is the hammer-sear connection unusually difficult; adjusting the leaf spring exactly right, however, takes a great deal more patience than I have left—and if you wreck the spring, which is easily done, it may take more than a few telephone calls to find another in stock.

Once you get a Colt revolver's action adjusted exactly the way you want it, nothing else compares—but getting there takes a bit of doing.

Simply cleaning a Colt revolver needn't involve more than removing the side plate and putting a generous number of Q-Tips to work. It can take awhile to develop the knack of easing the cylinder release latch into the exact right position immediately before easing the side plate back into position.
 
I use the Gun Digest Book of FIREARMS ASSEMBLY/DISASSEMBLY book Part II: Revolvers (by J B Wood) and find it well illustrated and with good cautions about potential problem areas. I have the full set for all type guns and feel it was an investment that pays for itself.

For my Python and my Agent (variant of the Police Positive), I just take off the side plate and clean with Gun Scrubber and use minimal lube. I agree it does take some practice (?patience?) getting the cylinder release latch back just right and it certainly won't work unless you do it just right.

:)
 
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