Meet my first Colt (and first revolver) + some questions

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LockedBreech

New member
Hey all. Due to family scheduling issues, our Christmas was today. To my stunned surprise, my brother presented me with a beautiful Colt Detective Special .38 Special.

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The bluing is lovely, with light, even wear, and the turn line is light. Overall impression is that it was carried often, shot little. Action is tight, trigger great, cylinder turns free. My brother said there was a minor timing issue when he bought the gun for a little under $400, but he had a smith fix the issue.

[I just did Jim March's revolver checkup and I am beyond thrilled. The cylinder feels welded to the frame in full lockup, the hammer is rock steady when cocked, no wiggle, the cylinder-barrel gap is perfect, a sliver of light, but not enough to be seen except through backlighting, the trigger feels amazing in both DA and SA, and the timing looks spot-on with all cylinders checked.

I think I got a very well cared for and/or very well-smithed gun.]

I am blown away.

My questions:
1.) What are the best holsters?
1a.) What is the best way to conceal the gun? OWB, IWB, Ankle, Pocket?
2.) Can I practice with +p on occasion and carry +p as long as most shooting is standard? Based on my Internet reading, modern "+p" loads are about the same as standard loads a few decades ago, and carry with +p should be fine.
3.) For you experts, what generation/year of DS do I own now? Based on my observations of the features and serial number 968xxx, I think it's 1968 vintage. A nearly 45-year-old gun as battle-ready today as it was then!

I'll probably have more questions but I'm thrilled for now. A great middle ground carry option between my PX4 full size and LCP.
 
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You have a second generation DS.

I would think it will be fine to shoot with regular .38 special and an occasional cylinder full of +p's. I have heard that back in the day, the factory recommended that the Detective Specials be returned to the factory after 3000 rounds of +p for an inspection. The older +p loads were more like the factory loads for a .38-44 S&W, and much heavier than the stuff available today.

I don't have a answers for your other questions as I currently live in the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia and we aren't trusted by our rulers to carry a gun to defend ourselves.
 
My advice is to forget about +P. Seriously. Very little is to be gained with +P ammo in a handgun and they place more stress on the gun. A 140 to 158 gr. bullet will do ANYTHING you need to do with a handgun. Concentrate on your shooting skills and don't worry about the ammo. Where you place the shot is far more important than how fast the bullet is traveling. +P is more about marketing to uninformed consumers than anything else. Congratulations on your Colt Det. Spl. Take very good care of it. We likely will never see revolvers built like that again. Buy a quality belt and holster (IWB or OWB). If your rig is not comfortable enough to carry all day then you won't. Spend a few bucks on your rig.
 
drail said:
My advice is to forget about +P. Seriously. Very little is to be gained with +P ammo in a handgun and they place more stress on the gun. A 140 to 158 gr. bullet will do ANYTHING you need to do with a handgun. Concentrate on your shooting skills and don't worry about the ammo. Where you place the shot is far more important than how fast the bullet is traveling. +P is more about marketing to uninformed consumers than anything else. Congratulations on your Colt Det. Spl. Take very good care of it. We likely will never see revolvers built like that again. Buy a quality belt and holster (IWB or OWB). If your rig is not comfortable enough to carry all day then you won't. Spend a few bucks on your rig.
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I can see the wisdom to this and I am leaning towards it, based on the increasing value and rarity of the DS. I found some impressive Buffalo Bore standard-pressure loads.
 
What Drail said! These fine guns are no longer made. And since +P offers so little improvement over standard pressure 38s Why abuse the gun? Congratulations on one of the finest 38 snubs ever made.
 
There are all sorts of good carry holsters for the Detective Special.
All you have to do is decide on HOW you want to carry it.

Among others, holster companies like Bianchi, Galco, and El Paso Saddlery make excellent holsters for it.
There are outside the waistband holsters (OWB), inside the waistband holsters (IWB), cross-draw holsters, shoulder holsters, and even a few ankle holsters still being made.
 
It is a little heavy for pocket carry or ankle carry. That weight can be your friend though, it is a much more comfortable gun to shoot than a J frame. I would go with a good IWB or OWB or even a shoulder holster, depending on weather, comfort, your weight, etc.
It's a fine weapon, congratulations.
 
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