Colt Officer's Model Match -38 Special

G

gmeister

New member
A local dealer has had this for sale for several weeks. SN 9273XX. No box, revolver only. I looked at and handled it several times. (It was one of those cases of the gun "calling to me.")

Blueing looks original and 98% with a few very tiny dings. A few nicks in the rear edge of the (original) stocks. Mechanically seems very tight and bore looks like new. I couldn't resist any further and it followed me to the range and then home today. It's my first and only Colt. The single action trigger pull is nicer than any of my Smiths. My good Smiths have a better double action pull. Accuracy seems very good with my light target reloads, probably better than I'm capable of. I plan to use it for casual target shooting and maybe for Bullseye.

I have books on S&W that give approx year of manufacture based on SN and values. Since I don't know much about Colts and don't have any reference books, can someone help me? What do I have here - pros and cons, year of manufacture and approximate value.

Thanks in advance.
 
9273XX was made in 1960.
The year started at 924151, and ended at 927900.

The Officer's Model Match was made from 1953 to 1969, when all the old-style mid-frame Colt revolvers were discontinued except for the Python.

The Officer's Model Match was available in .22LR, .38 Special, and a few in .22 Magnum.
Finish was blue, and the barrel was 6".
The guns were fitted with Colt's famous Target hammer, and Target grips, and marked the first appearance of Colt's post-war adjustable sight, the Accro, which was used on all Colt revolvers and autos up until today.

A few OMM's were factory converted to single action only.
On these guns, pulling the trigger in double action will rotate the cylinder, but the hammer will not move.
Most single action-only Colt OMM's you see were NOT factory jobs, but were done post-factory.

The Colt Officer's Model Match was the last in a line of mid-frame target revolvers that began with the Officer's Model Target of 1904.
The Officer's Model revolvers were highly favored by top target shooters of the 1920's through the 1940's.

After WWII, Colt continued to make Officer's Model target revolvers culminating with the Officer's Model Match.
When the old-style Colt's were discontinued in 1969, Colt offered a short run of only 500 Colt Officer's Model Match Mark III revolvers.
This was simply a Trooper Mark III chambered in .38 Special.

The Officer's Models were Colt's premium revolvers over the years, bettered only by the super-premium Python.
Accuracy, especially with 148 grain wad cutter Mid-Range target loads is phenomenal.

Accuracy of the Officer's Models was always consistently better than other brands due to Colt's high grade barrels with faster rifling, and Colt's famous "Bank Vault" cylinder lock up that locks the cylinder's chamber in perfect alignment with the bore.
 
Then there was a variation on the Officer's Model Match, which was the Officer's Model Special, manufactured for only a couple of years in the very early fifties. The Special was as nice as a Match but looked a little less "handsome" to some eyes (including mine) due to the untapered barrel. Both models, of course, had relatively heavy, "target-style" barrels but the Match barrel had a very slight taper to it, which made it more pleasing to the eye for some.
The Special was equipped with Colt's own "Coltmaster" adjustable sight and is one of the scarcest of the Officer models ever made. For whatever reason, however, the Special's relatively rare status (in terms of availability) is not reflected by a higher market value.
 
Thanks again for the replies with the good info. Several people have seen my new acquisition and have expressed interest in buying it. (Wondering where they were when it sat on the local dealer's shelf for more than a month.) I'm not really inclined to sell, since it's my only Colt and I like shooting it alot, but as I heard someone say about his favorite rifle, "Almost anything is for sale if the price is right!".

What is the approximate value of a 38 spc OMM in very good to excellent condition?
 
Then there was a variation on the Officer's Model Match, which was the Officer's Model Special,
Click to expand...
The OMS wasn't a variation of the OMM as it preceeded the OMM, but only lasted a few years. The OMS differred from the OMT by having the "Coltmaster" rear sight. The OMM was decidedly different from both the OMT and the OMS by having the fully adjustable Accro rear sights and a fixed front sight.
 
Howdy

Similar but not quite the same. This Officer's Model Target was made in 1935. These came chambered for 22 Long Rifle, 32 Police Positive, and 38 Special. This one is a 22.

Officers%20Model%20Target%2022%2001_zps6wuy5aug.jpg
 
I used the Officers Model Match in both .22 L.R. and .38 Special during my brief fling with NRA and USRA target shooting. The OMM was indeed the forerunner of the Python, and was also the basis for the Colt Trooper and Three Fifty Seven. Some OMM revolveres have better actions than some Pythons.

In .22 L.R. they make great guns for squirrels and other small game. I've owned both the .22 OMM and the Diamondback and do believe the OMM to be the better of the two.


Bob Wright
 
Now I'm all confused. I bought this Colt .22 rf made in 1930 as an Officers Model Match. After reading this thread what is it?

Officers Model Match, Officers Model Target, Officers Model Special???

 
A very interesting thread but the original post was over 11 years ago...

I bet bn12gg noticed this before me but I have no idea what OMT means...(one more thing?)
 
Stocks? Service type as seen on Driftwood's gun were standard but between 1955 and 1961 the Targets seen below were available and a set of these today will bring $400 or more by themselves. The post 1961 Targets (partial checkering) sell for $250 and up.

standard.jpg
 
Years ago, I found a dealer at a gun show in Medina, Ohio who had a bag of stocks for Pythons (so the label said) which he was selling for fifty bucks a set. "Python" stocks will, of course, fit a host of other Colt models and the set I purchased for thirty dollars look nice on my Officers Model Special (OMS). The original synthetic stocks for earlier Colt revolvers were dubbed "Coltwood" and, imo, have to be some of the ugliest stocks/grips for any handgun ever made.
 
Colt barrels were considered so good that many were installed on S&W revolvers, combining the (supposedly) better Colt barrel with the (supposedly) better S&W lockwork and trigger pull. Such guns were often called "Smolts". In the absence of the S&W front locking bolt, a spring loaded ball was set into the yoke, the same basic system S&W has since adopted.

Jim
 
Probably the best 38 special American made target revolver . Have a SA pull that is unequaled for its clean smooth break . Colts barrel has a faster twist than S&W , tighter bore & tighter chambers . With 148 HBWC the Colts will outshoot everything but possibly a Manurhin or Korth target revolver . In 22lr the Smiths are more accurate IMHO . Putting Colts Python barrels on S&W K frames came about in the early days of PPC competition because of the vent rib , tighter bore & better accuracy with wadcutter ammo . The reason they used S&W actions is the better DA trigger on the S&W . The Colts DA can be made just as sweet by modifying the DA sear . Something that longtime FHP armorer Walter Sherman invented with his roller bearing sear . Later on Bull barrels by various mfgers with twist as fast as 1 in 10 to 1 in 14 were put on PPC revolvers . S&W factory twist is 1 in 18.75 , the Colts is 1 in 16 . The HBWC bullet with it's long bearing surface needs a faster twist to be at its most accurate , especially @ 50yds .
 
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