Colt Detective Special
| Detective Special | |
|---|---|
| Type | Revolver |
| Place of origin |
 United States
|
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Colt |
| Produced | 1927–1986 1993–1995 |
| Variants | Banker's Special Commando Special |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 21 oz. |
| Length | 6 3⁄4 in |
| Barrel length | 2 in 3 in |
|
|
|
| Cartridge |
.32 New Police .38 New Police .38 Special |
| Action | Double-action |
| Feed system | Six-round cylinder |
| Sights | Fixed open sights |
The Colt Detective Special is a carbon steel framed double-action short-barreled revolver, and is an example of a class of firearms known to gun enthusiasts as "snubnosed", "snubbies", or "belly guns". As the name "Detective Special" suggests, this model revolver was used as a concealed weapon by plainclothes police detectives.
Introduced in 1927, the Detective Special was one of the first short-barreled revolvers produced with a modern swing-out frame. It was designed from the outset to be chambered for higher-powered cartridges such as the .38 Special, considered to be a powerful caliber for a concealable pocket revolver of the day.
Lackluster sales of revolvers and a shift in the company's post-bankruptcy business model focusing on Department of Defense orders saw the elimination of the Detective Special from the product line in 1995.
The Detective Special is by design a shortened and somewhat streamlined Colt Police Positive Special, sharing that revolver's slim "D" size frame and six round capacity. The DS uses a slightly smaller frame than the Colt Official Police or Smith & Wesson "K" Frame revolvers, but is larger than the compact "J" frame used in Smith & Wesson five-shot revolvers.
Colt's Detective Special went through several issues or series. The First Series was produced from 1927 until 1946. Compared to later production models, the First Series used a narrower frame, with reduced clearance between the frontstrap of the gripframe and the rear of the trigger guard. Other distinctive features included a shorter ejector-rod with an ungrooved, knurled tip; a checkered hammer spur and cylinder latch, a "half-moon"–shaped front sight, and an overlapping screw and locking pin set-up on the right side of the frame. Grip panels were wooden. A rounded butt on the metal frame became standard in 1933, but pieces with the original square butt (like that of the Police Positive Special) continued to be produced into the 1940s.
The Second Series ran from 1947 to 1972. The ejector-rod was longer and had a groove in its knurled tip; a three-inch-barrel variant was offered, with a yet longer ejector-rod. The cylinder latch was smooth, and the trigger spur serrated. The right side frame screw has no locking pin, and the rear half of the front sight is a serrated ramp. The grip panels were plastic in 1947, but were changed back to wood starting in 1955 (first with a silver-tone Colt medallion, and later a gold-tone). An optional hammer shroud was available from the factory to prevent the hammer from catching on clothing.
...
Wikipedia