Colt factory DA revolver repair

J

Jerry11826

New member
Does anyone know which DA revolvers the Colt factory will repair? By repair, I mean replacing worn parts and fitting same, not just refinishing. I was told, via phone with the Colt factory, they no longer repaired Offiicers Models.

Cooksbunker posted he was informed, by the Colt factory, they would not reblue his 40's vintage 1911. They, the Colt factory, informed him they only worked on current production guns.

Hope Dfariswheel is out there somewhere! He seems to know his Colts.

Colt hasn't made a DA revolver, in what, 20 years. I have also read the tooling was sold or dumpstered. I seems they would run out of parts at some point.

Jerry
 
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They are working on my Diamondback currently.
They are slow but damn good and do some things no one else can.
 
I can't say which exact models, it depends kinda on age.
I've been told by them that they'll work on my DS (1980s), my Official Police (1960s), and my Trooper .357 (1960s).
Aside from that, you pretty much have to call & ask individually.

I'd imagine anything before the 1950s would be doubtful.

And, parts are the problem, as you noted.
They're out of most of the older stuff & unless they start to vendor new ones it won't be long before they'll be turning down more recent guns like the Pythons, too.
Denis
 
Colt has basically two types of action. One is the old Python type action used in the Python, Diamondback, Police Positive, Official Police, (old) Troopers and older Detective Specials.

The newer action was introduced with the MK III Trooper which had a S&W type action. It was easier to work on for the average gunsmith. The Anaconda and the later Detective Specials had the newer action.

There were other Colt double actions, but they were produced in late 1800s.

So, depending on your type of gun, pick your gunsmith.

Bob Dunlap was my instructor at Lassen College. He taught us how to work on Pythons. He is still working (Oregon or Washington) and you can find him on the internet.
 
I have heard (from a dedicated Smith collector) they can do an action job on a Python that is to die for (coupla hundred or so).
 
With possible exceptions, Colt will work on most any Colt revolver or auto made since the mid-1950's.

The reason they won't work on most older revolvers or autos is because of a lack of spare parts.
If all you wanted was a re-finish and they found a safety concern, they'd be in a bind because they couldn't correct it. This would be a lawsuit waiting to happen, so they just won't take older guns for any work.

Also keep in mind that even on guns they will work on, they may not have parts like barrels.
 
The newer action was introduced with the MK III Trooper which had a S&W type action. It was easier to work on for the average gunsmith. The Anaconda and the later Detective Specials had the newer action

Ummm, ahhh..... NO.

The Mark III and later Colt DA revolvers are nothing at all like a S&W action. The later Colt's are transfer bar safety-ignition designs. The S&W still uses the hammer blocking-rebound action they've always used.

There were no later Detective Specials with the transfer bar system.
The newer small frame Colt's with the transfer bar system were the stainless Colt SF-VI, DS-II, and Magnum Carry.
The Detective Special always had the old Colt hammer block-rebound action.
 
The cylinder stop of the newer Colts functions like the S&W action. As the trigger is depressed, it causes the nose of the trigger to dip. Like in the S&W, this pushes the cylinder stop down, causing the stop to disengage the notch of the cylinder, freeing it to rotate.

Simultaneously, while the trigger's nose is lowering, the trigger's tail raises, causing the hand, like the S&W hand to raise and engage the ejector star and pushes it upward, rotating the cylinder. It also raises the transfer bar and finally, (in the DA mode) engages the sear, pushing against it. Like on the S&W, pressure against the backside of the sear pushes the hammer rearward, compressing the hammer spring. When the trigger is pushed almost to the rearmost point of travel, the trigger nose disengages the cylinder stop, freeing it to pop up and engage the cylinder notch and arrest the further rotation of the cylinder. The trigger tail disengages the sear, allowing the sear to fall forward under pressure from the hammer (and the hammer spring). This is exactly like the S&W revolver DA lockwork.

While it is true that the S&W uses a hammer block and the newer Colts uses a transfer bar, the inner lockwork is very similar between the two.

Colt dispensed with the older guns' rebound lever (and older V spring) which controlled the bolt and returned the trigger to its position of rest. While there is no S&W style rebound slide, and this function is performed by a spring on the newer Colt revolvers, the lockwork functions like a S&W. This simplified lockwork was used by the MK III Troopers, the MK V Troopers, the Cobra, the Lawman and the later Colt Det Specials.
 
Are those Colts "like" S&W's? No, but the actions resemble the S&W more than they do the older Colt actions. As an S&W exec noted on seeing the new Colt, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Unfortunately, Colt had some problems with those guns and never had the capital to work out the bugs. Also, they apparently felt that the DA revolver was out of favor and there was no market. Too bad; the actions are pretty good and a lot easier to make and work on than the older actions.

Jim
 
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