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Small .38 6 shooter DAs
- Thread starter gak
- Start date
Marko Kloos
Inactive
There's no current equivalent of the Colt D frame guns like the Detective Special, Cobra, and Agent. All the other six-shooters in .38 Special on the market are bigger than a D by a fair bit.
The D was so svelte that it fits into a lot of J frame leather. I have no idea why S&W or Taurus aren't serving that particular market niche.
The D was so svelte that it fits into a lot of J frame leather. I have no idea why S&W or Taurus aren't serving that particular market niche.
As far as S&Ws, I imagine you'd be looking at a Model 10 (blued) or 64 (stainless) with 2" barrel...K-frames. Although bigger than the DSs, I find them very handy and not difficult to conceal on the belt. In fact, at the moment, these are my favorite snubs.
The M10 2" is no longer being made. The M64 2" was discontinued in December of 2004. However, there are relatively numerous examples of each in pristine condition that can be found for reasonable prices if you look around locally and on the Internet.
The M10 2" is no longer being made. The M64 2" was discontinued in December of 2004. However, there are relatively numerous examples of each in pristine condition that can be found for reasonable prices if you look around locally and on the Internet.
juliet charley
New member
The Colt D-frames like the Detective Special, Cobra and Agent are pocketable in normal clothes--the two-inch K-frames, which are considerably larger, are not.
Without doing a lot of checking, I think the Taurus compact frames are probably the closest current production falling somewhere between the Colt D-frame and S&W K-frame. I had a five-shot .44 Special (discontinued) on that frame that was somewhat pocketable. So, the 617 seven-shot .357 Magnum is probably the closest you will get (and then your faced with whole Taurus quality issue--you have about a 50-50 chance of getting a usable specimen).
Your best bet is to haunt you local gun emporiums, gunsamerica.com, etc. and try to find you a DS, Cobra or Agent--there are number out there still are fairly reasonable prices, and the best thing about them is they won't depreciate.
Without doing a lot of checking, I think the Taurus compact frames are probably the closest current production falling somewhere between the Colt D-frame and S&W K-frame. I had a five-shot .44 Special (discontinued) on that frame that was somewhat pocketable. So, the 617 seven-shot .357 Magnum is probably the closest you will get (and then your faced with whole Taurus quality issue--you have about a 50-50 chance of getting a usable specimen).
Your best bet is to haunt you local gun emporiums, gunsamerica.com, etc. and try to find you a DS, Cobra or Agent--there are number out there still are fairly reasonable prices, and the best thing about them is they won't depreciate.
Thanks all. I have handled and shot the DS with the full underlug (much preferred to the "no lug" model--just feels more substantial--and puts some added weight up front where needed)... and greatly appreciated the whole package. Like another poster here a bit befuddled as to why no one is addressing the compact 6 shot (D-Frame sized) niche, seems totally forgotten. Over the years "everyone" extolling the DS features but no mfgr responding. The only thing I did not like about the DS (inherent in all Colt DAs) is the cylinder release , much preferring the SW design--but hey, beggars can't be choosers!...and I'd like to get a modern, transfer-bar'd model that will truly permit the full 6.
p.s. Owned a Rossi 971 awhile back (4" stainless) .357, nice sized gun that seemed to be a J+1/2, maybe as close to a D as they come (but my memory may be failing me/may have been a straight K). Resurrection of its 2-1/2/3" model (with or without compensator)--by someone--would be nice.
p.s. Owned a Rossi 971 awhile back (4" stainless) .357, nice sized gun that seemed to be a J+1/2, maybe as close to a D as they come (but my memory may be failing me/may have been a straight K). Resurrection of its 2-1/2/3" model (with or without compensator)--by someone--would be nice.
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The transfer bar is nothing more than a safety device like the hammer blocks.and I'd like to get a modern, transfer-bar'd model that will truly permit the full 6.
The older Colt and Smith systems moves the hammer back then blocks it while the trigger is forward. The transfer bar just provides a connecting link for the hammer and firing pin when the trigger is pulled fully to the rear.
All the systems truly permit the safe usage of a fully loaded cylinder. Just because a system is new today doesn't mean it's better. It's just a different design. The older systems have for many decades and still even today been just as safe as any transfer bar system.