Questions on Colt Officer's Match target .38...

J

Jim March

New member
There's this piece in a local gunshop that I'm simply lusting after, it's a late-50's vintage Colt custom shop piece with improved sights, pinned front blade and adjustable rear, jeweled hammer and trigger and simply the best trigger feel I've ever encountered. And it appears absolutely mint :).

I'll soon have the loot to afford it and it's probably still there because .38s are considered "inadequate" (not by me!).

Only thing "wrong" with it are the original grips, with that big gaping space behind the triggerguard. Major case of "ewwww yuck" :).

Question: which grips fit that old critter? Python stuff? Or is it a giant D-Frame?

Jim
 
Super Old Revolver

Jim March--

Yes, most of the Python stocks should fit it fine. Actually, proper stocks are same as for the old Official Police .38, or the (pre-MKIII) Colt Trooper. These were typically dark, dull oil-finished, with raised, borderless checking, whereas the Python stocks were somewhat larger, blonder, and varnished glossy.

My son shoots a Officers Model Special, and I used to have an Officers Model Match. Both were/are excellent shooters. Matt killed two javelinas with his in a couple of minutes a deer season or two ago. He used Remington 158 LSWCHP factory ammo, having forgotten his loving-concocted handloads. Each little pig went down with one round, and each got the insurance shot.

This revolver is the direct ancestor of the Trooper and Python magnum revolvers, built on the old Colt .41 frame, so it is very strong--it will take all the +P loads you wish to feed it--just be careful and don't work up HEAVY loads for it and then stuff 'em into a light frame revolve,r especially with an alloy frame. My old favorite load follows:

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

5.0 gr. Unique with 162 gr. LSWC, case very hard. This gives about 900 fps from the six-inch. You can go to 6.0 gr., but accuracy seems to fall off slightly. YMMV.

We used some of the classic, "Skeeter Skelton" loads, and they worked fine: Above bullet OR Hornady 158 XTP HP with magnum primers and 13.5 gr. 2400. This is ONLY for heavy frame .38s or magnum revolvers, and you MUST NOT shoot 'em in lighter guns.

Oh, yeah--Mine was primary home defense handgun for several years--Plenty adequate with the 158 LSWHP load, the long barrel pointed beautifully in the dark, and handier than a shotgun. Elder son did law enforcement qualification with his a couple of weeks ago, just in case he gets a wild hair, to carry it some weekend. Raised that lad right, to respect tradition!

I hope you get the Colt, and I sincerely wish you as much pleasure from yours as we've had from ours.

Best,
Johnny
 
Jim, does your Colt Officer's Model look like this?

Colt Officer's Model 38

This one has the tapered heavy barrel, walnut grips, and the finish is about 98%. It has the most precise, extremely tight, cylinder lockup I've encountered. Superb quality and workmanship is most evident, having been made during the heyday for fine target revolvers.

Hope you enjoy yours!
 
2 +P or not 2 +P?

m3bullet--
That was a good string, last fall--

How did your stash of 125 Nyclads shoot in your old OM? I'm still of the opinion that this is not a powderpuff target gun, and will take all the factory-equivalent +P ammo you want to put through it. As always, it is good advice NOT to use too many of the big-time barn burner loads in any good gun, as they will ALL loosen up after a while. Not to mention, the lighter loads are much more pleasant to shoot.

Some time back, I loaded up 500 148 HBWCs with 3.5 gr Unique, mainly because I was out of Bullseye. They were mostly for shooting in the lighter, alloy frame snubs. I really didn't expect them to be extremely accurate. My elder son said he felt they were. I mouthed off, to the effect, "And you can't hold that tight, anyway." A bet ensued that he couldn't do two inches at 25 yards. Long story short: I bought him lunch. Group was closer to inch-and-a-half, hand held from a bench without a sandbag. It shut me right up--I was proud of him.

He recently got interested in steel plate matches and loaded a lot of 130 FMJRNs with Winchester Super Target. Very soft to shoot and work real slick from speed loaders.

Best,
Johnny
 
JohnnyG

Since that Oct2000 thread, I've discussed the Colt Officers Model (COM) with several old-timers I respect with first-hand COM knowledge, and the consensus is that the COM's .41 frame should easily handle the "new" .38 +P loads. I now have little concern that the relatively mild Fed .38 +P nyclads will do harm, however I have yet to try them! With only 3 range trips since Oct, it's a case of "many pieces, little time". Hope to do so this summer.

The COM was a very desirable target gun in its time and is highly regarded for accuracy with target loads. Your son's results with your 148 HBWC handloads makes me want to explore the accuracy of my COM. Thanks for sharing your experience.
 
This one is a hair different...

The grips are about the same profile, but black "hard rubber" a bit like some old SAAs.

Trigger and hammer are jeweled.

The big shock is the sights. Both front and rear are on a single rail grafted onto the gun, following the contours of that same barrel and topstrap. It appears to be a factory setup; at the rear there's no hint that there used to be a different rear sight underneath the rail at the rear of the topstrap. The whole thing looks very "clean", not like some heavy barrel target-sight S&W 10s I've seen with a big clunky top sight rail. This Colt part seems to taper properly with the barrel, it doesn't appear to be aftermarket.

Front sight is totally fixed, and is a pinned blade. Just inboard of the front sight is an angled mirror aimed to direct light at the back of the front sight(!). The front sight "slants backwards" in a fashion that might hang up trying to clear leather - it wasn't meant for fast-draw, that's for damnsure.

Rear sight is fully adjustable, windage and elevation. There's no marks on either front or rear sight, plain black unless you count the probably effects of the mirror outdoors or in strong light.

Trigger is simply to die for, both DA and SA. Lockup is like an anvil, cylinder gap is around .003 - appears unfired, or VERY lightly shot. Perfect blue.

Is it worth $550? If it shoots like I suspect it will, probably :).

Because the front blade is pinned and the rear adjustable, I suspect it'll be no sweat to pull the front blade and put something like an Ashley Big Dot Tritium from mebbe a Glock with the post shaved and drilled, or perhaps the new pinned front sights on newer S&Ws will be close enough for easy adaptation :D. As long as I keep the original front blade and grips, restoring it to original layout will be easy so I don't think we're talking about serious blasphemy in such a "modernization project".

The hammerblock safety is intact and working.

Again, I'm told this critter is a Colt Custom Shop product. It simply reeks of quality and doesn't appear "retrofitted" in any way.

What are the odds it'll shoot straight with .38+P 158 LSWCHPs? Winchesters clock mebbe 950fps from a 4" tube, this is a 6", even if they see the other side of 1,000fps they won't be going TOO much faster than the target loads the old puppy was meant for? Something like a CorBon 110+P JHP doing 1,300+ is another matter, "wrong twist rate" is a believable issue at that point :)?

It'd make a SICK CCW piece :D. And I'll have CCW soon, can't go into details yet but the opposition in my case is just toast, obliterated, and they're starting to figure it out :D. One more way to give ol' Sheriff Rupf the runs is a delightful concept and that's what'll happen if his rangemaster gets a gander at this ol' critter packing a Tritium front dot :D and real grips.

Jim
 
Old Colt Officers Model

Jim March--

What do the barrel markings say? Is face of the trigger grooved or finely checked? Ditto re: cylinder latch thumbpiece?

With the full-length rib, "grafted" to the barrel and frame, it sounds to me as if this is either a heavily-customized OMM or OMS, or possibly an Official Police that's been through a lot of shop work. Your notation that there's no sign that there was ever a sight mounted at rear of the frame leads me to think it was originally an OP. If the barrel is marked "Officers Model Match," or "Officers Model Special" might indicate that such a barrel was installed on an OP frame as a basis for the entire custom job.

I don't believe there was a specially designated "Colt Custom Shop" during the heyday of the Officers Match. During the glory days of Colt's, they would do just about anything you wanted, if you paid the extra, but this was all in the regular shop, staffed by all ranks of gunsmiths. The masters did the delicate stuff, and the apprentices did yhe more routine work.

The front sight is the giveaway: I don't think anyone other than King's Gunshght Works ever made the mirror-inset fromt sight as you describe. I suppose it would be possible for a good gunsmith to hand-make a one-off copy of it. There should be a tiny little "KING's" impression stamped into one side of the ramp into which the mirror is set. The full-length rib sounds like a King's Shop project as well. Only ones I ever saw, or even saw illustrated, direct from Colt's were ventilated ribs, with the slots below the sighting plane. Which is not to say that the Colt shop wouldn't acquire a King's sight and fit it, along with a non-vent rib, if that's what the customer special-ordered. Is there any marking on the rear sight? Accro, King's, Elliason, etc.? (Re-reading your last, I see you say no markings on either sight.) I have read of Colts engine-turning, or "jeweling," hammer, trigger, and even the entire interior action works, not visible unless the sideplate was removed.

If you can provide a serial number range, we can probably provide you with a year of manufacture.

You say the asking price for the pistol is $550. Sounds to me as if there's some $250 to 400 worth of custom work on a standard gun, what with the engine turning, super-smooth action, full-length rib, and reflector front sight.

You mention, "It'd make a SICK CCW piece. . . ." do you mean "Slick?" Or that it would be a joke to carry such a custom piece for CCW purposes? Rather large and heavy for concealed carry, but then, I know of at least one forum member who prefers an S&W model 28, a six-inch N-frame magnum, for under-the-shirt carry.

My sympathies to you for being in a time and place in which you have to scheme to acquire a permit which should be your by RIGHT.

You'll probably come nearer wringing out more of the inherrent accuracy in the fine old target revolver if you go with a plain, black, flat top post fromt sight than the huge Ashley Express dot--Many like this for super fast jerk-and-point "gunfighting" work, but they are not favored for precision.

Interesting stuff, Jim. Please keep us updated on this.

Best regards,
Johnny
 
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