A 38 Gun - The Colt Detective Special is a six-shot double action carbon steel framed revolver with a 2" or 3" barrel and an early example of a class of firearms known as "snubnose revolvers". Produced by the Colts Manufacturing Company, this model of revolver, named the "Detective Special", was intended as an undercover weapon used by plainclothes police detectives.
The Detective Special was the first short-barreled revolver made with a modern folding frame. It was designed from the start for high-capacity cartridges such as the .38 Special, considered a powerful caliber for a concealed pocket revolver of the time. The Detective Special uses a frame slightly smaller than the Colt Official Police or Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolvers (K frame), but larger than the five-shot Smith & Wesson Model 36/Model 38/Model 42 (J frame). Revolver
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John Harry Fitzgerald, an employee of Colt Firearms from 1918 to 1944, first came up with the idea for the Fitz Special blunt revolver in the mid-1920s, where he modified the .38 Special Colt Police Positive Special revolver,
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Shorten the barrel by two inches, shorten the ejector rod, bend the hammer spur, round the stock and remove the front half of the trigger guard. Changing the shape of the hammer and stock allows for faster cocking of the weapon with little risk of the weapon catching on clothing. The half trigger makes it easier to quickly retrieve the trigger, for example for shooters with large fingers or gloves.
Although historians disagree, between 40 and 200 Fitz Specials are believed to have left the Colt factory, made from various Colt revolvers, by Fitzgerald himself.
The Fitz Special was the forerunner of the modern snub-nosed revolver and in particular the prototype of the Colt Detective Special, the first production two-inch snub-nosed revolver. After the introduction of the Detective Special in 1927, Fitz continued to produce custom revolvers for special clients.
Colt was so impressed with the Fitz Special that they decided to create a less radical version, the Detective Special, which is simply a shortened and somewhat simplified Colt Police Positive Special. The detective special proved to be an immediate success and was in production until 1996.
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The first series was produced from 1927 to 1946. Compared to later production models, the first series used a narrower frame with less clearance between the front strap of the grip frame and the rear of the trigger. Other distinctive features included a shorter ejection rod with a non-grooved, ribbed tip; Checkered hammer spur and barrel latch, "crescent" front sight and overlapping bolt and locking pin on right side of frame. The handle panel was wooden. A round stock on a metal frame became standard in 1933, but the original square stock (as the Police Positive Special) continued to be produced into the 1940s.
The second series ran from 1947 to 1972. The ejector rod was long and had a notch at the knurled end; A three-inch variant with an even longer ejector rod was offered. The cylinder latch was smooth and the trigger was knurled. The right side frame bolt does not have a locking pin and the back half of the front sight is knurled. The grip panels were plastic in 1947, but were changed to wood starting in 1955 (first silver Colt medallion and later gold). An optional hammer guard was available from the factory to prevent the hammer from catching on fabric.
The transition from the first to the second series was gradual, with some guns of the second series after World War II retaining the short ejection rod and checkered hammer. For this reason, it is best to match a given revolver to a specific issue by serial number.
A Colt Detective Special and a Smith & Wesson Model 36 showing the difference in size between the two models.
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In the 1960s, the grip frame of the second series Detective Special was shortened to match Colt's other blunt nose pistols, the Cobra and AGT. Despite these changes, the Detective Special's overall grip size remained unchanged, as Colt fitted the Series II with new, reinforced grips that extended below the frame.
The third series ran from 1973 to 1986. A new shroud extends over the barrel to cover and protect the ejector rod, and the front sight changes to a full ramp. New oversized wooden grips were introduced to cover the front strap of the frame. The third series also featured improvements to the revolver's internal lock. As with the previous two production models, several nickel-plated guns were produced, and a 3-inch barrel variant was again offered. In 1986, faced with stagnant sales numbers as well as rising production and labor costs, Colt discontinued the Intelligence Special.
Colt filed for bankruptcy protection in 1992. After restructuring, the company resumed production of the Detective Special in 1992. The post-1991 Detective Specials are sometimes called the Fourth Series and have "composite" (rubber), wraparound grips, and were only offered with a two-inch barrel in gold medal blue or hard chrome. New production continued only until 1996, when Colt introduced it as a replacement for its stainless steel SF-VI Detective Special.
Since his introduction, Detective Special has been using Colt's 'Positive Safety Lock' (hammer block), which first appeared in Police Positive; The mechanism inserts a rod between the hammer and the frame until the trigger is pulled, if the hammer is struck (for example, if a dropped weapon falls on the hammer), the trigger will move forward.
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Detective Specials of the first and early second series are highly sought after by collectors, especially if they are in prime condition and still have the famous Colt "Royal Blue" finish.
The Detective Special was initially available in a bright blue and nickel finish; A stainless steel finish replaced the nickel plating option during the fourth series. For the second series, the caliber options were .32 New Police, .38 New Police, and .38 Special; Only the .38 was offered exclusively for other production models. The standard barrel length was 2 inches, but a (rare) three-inch barrel was also offered during the second and third series.
An early variant based on the DS frame was the Colt Banker's Special. First produced in 1928, it was chambered in .38 Colt New Police (.38 S&W) and .22 Long Rifle. Very few were produced, especially in .22LR. Bankers Specials were popular with railway officials who often carried their mail and parcels on freight trains before WWII. Production was halted during World War II and the type was not revived after the war.
The Colt Commando Special was a version of the Detective Special with a matte finish and rubber grip; Produced from 1984 to 1986, it was chambered in .38 Special and weighed 21.5 ounces.
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During production of the Fourth Series from 1992 to 1996, Colt offered the Detective Special with an optional spurless "bobbed" hammer and a double-action-only lock, straight from the factory. The DAO or 'Bobbed Hammer' Detective Special was otherwise identical to the standard fourth series Detective Special.
In 1997, Colt introduced the SF-VI/DS-II (Small Frame, 6 Rounds/Detective Special 2) Detective Special with a stainless steel frame and streamlined for easy production in .38 Special and .357 Magnum. In 1999 the .357 Magnum SF-VI/DS-II version was chambered in the Colt Magnum Carry, this model was only produced for one year before Colt revolvers discontinued the tires (except the Colt Python) in 2000. So finally the Detective Special line ding .
There has been interest in using high pressure (+P). 38 Special Ammo in Detective Special. Colt in their higher rec owners manuals allows limited use of +P ammunition in steel frame revolvers (including earlier versions), stating 2,000 to 3,000 rounds before returning the gun to the factory for inspection.
Many believe this is due to potential liability rather than technical requirements, as standard pressure ammo in the past had the same pressure as modern +P ammo.
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Because of the revolver's good concealment characteristics, the Colt Detective Special was the weapon used mostly by plainclothes police detectives, although it was also a popular off-duty and backup firearm for uniformed police officers.
The Colt Detective Special was a popular weapon before semi-automatic pistols replaced revolvers in many police departments, government agencies and the military. Myanmar police and some other countries still use their officers as handguns.
The detective special designated as the "9.65mm Handgun" was replaced by the Minebia P9 semi-automatic pistol, designated as the "11.4mm Handgun", along with the M1911 pistol by military police officers of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. Japanese license SIG Sauer P220. A small number were used in some prefectural police headquarters in Japan, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
The six-shot Colt Detective Special was the standard weapon of the Crime Wing within the Hong Kong Police Force, replaced after years of use by the SIG Sauer P250.
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The Colt Detective Special was the first revolver issued to the French Customs AGTS to replace the older Browning 10/22 and MAB D pistols. In use from 1975 to 1988, they were gradually replaced by Smith & Wesson revolvers (mostly S&W).
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