S&W Model 60 or Colt Detective Special

J

John Deere

Inactive
What would the group recommend, a Model 60 or a Detective Special? I have a new Model 60 and a buddy of mine wants
to trade his mint Detective Special even up. Would like to
hear the plus and minus side of each...........Thanks
 
I have a S&W mod 60 and I think it is one of the best guns I have. It is the tightest revolver I have used. I have held both of the guns you mentioned and I like my S&W best. The only thing that would tempt me to but a DS is that extra round.
 
Keep your Model 60, especially if you're going to carry concealed, the stainless Smith & Wesson is better suited for that type of duty due to corrossion resistance. Whey don't you just buy your buddys Defective Special outright, because they're fine guns.

7th
 
I hade a Commander back in the mid '80s. I had problems keeping it timed and got rid of it.

The Commander was the all-steel parkerized version of the Detective Special.
 
Thanks for the info on the S&W and the Colt. Maybe I will offer
the guy a fair price for the DS. It sure is a fine piece of machinery
but I think the S&W fills my needs better.

Stay Safe & Keep Your Powder Dry..............:)
 
as a carry piece the smith 60 is superior because of it's size. in all other respects the colt detective special is the better shooter. i'd make the trade in a hot second...but then i still have a 642 which i won't let got, because the weight is just too big an advantage.

besides the extra shot, the colt d-frame is stronger (notches between chambers), more accurate (1-14" twist), more controlable trigger (longer and leaf spring) and shares speedloaders with the smith k-frame. my favorit d-frame is the diamondback. :cool:
 
Chief vs. Dick Special

I'd take the Colt, myself. 6 rounds instead of 5, nice ergonomics, point & blam-blam. I always found the DS to be quite accurate, even the old skinny-barrel models.
 
I have a model 60 and a Colt Magnum Carry (.357 version of the old DS) I carry the 60, because pretty much the Colt is now a collectible. Of the two, I prefer the Colt as it has six rounds and a smoother trigger pull as well as a stainless hammer and trigger for extra corrosion resistance.
Of course the Smith is slightly more compact, and it locks up at the front of the ejector rod and at the rear of the cylinder, compared to the Colt which feels a bit more vulnerable around the yoke crane area in comparison.
 
DS's are much harder to find and worth more....buy it...I have a 442 and had a 60 but woud love a DS...my father carried one in the NYPD for many years so I have an affinity for them....cool factor is way up there....
 
Had a Colt Detective .38 Special with 2" barrel of 1970s production. Never liked the trigger as it was generally very heavy and stacked-up at the heaviest point just before it released. I could never hit the broad side of a barn with this gun. After holding it for about 10 years I sold it for a nice profit and effectually ended up with 2 - S&W Model 60 revolvers.

No doubt about it, the Model 60 feels the best in my hand, has the best trigger pull, and is more accurate.

Yes, I've heard storied about the later production Colt Detectives
and their successors having a superior trigger pull but have no experience with them.
 
I had a Magnum Carry for about a year, but eventually sold it. Never could get the hang of the trigger.

I personally like the trigger on Smiths better.

The D-frames aren't really that hard to hide--about the only way I couldn't carry mine was in the pocket.

I'd go with whichever brand you can shoot better.
 
Aw, dangit...

JD: There is something that I forgot to mention. Is this mint Detective Special an older weapon? If your friend wants to trade you a vintage mint DS for a current production 60, you may want to consider doing it, strictly from a collector's standpoint.

Of course, if your only concern is shooting, please disregard this post.
 
I'd probably make the trade. The DS is worth more than the 60 and you can usually find another 60 at a decent price. You could also sell the DS if it is truly mint, buy anther 60 and make some money on the deal. I'd still choose the 60 for carry over the DS though.
 
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