Posted: 11/19/2006 4:32:40 PM EDT
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Was wandering thru the bookstore today. Happen to thumb thru the latest edition of "Blue Book". For no particular reason I looked up my Dec Special. It seems there are both third issue and fourth issue DS's. And I can't quite figure out which one mine is. Bought it used. Based on info in the box (receipts and the like) it seems to date from the early ninties. Which would be right in between the two based on the info in "Blue Book". AE1700 series SN. Came in blue plastic box (which was designed for larger revolver). Had the Colt/Pachy grips, which I have since replaced with the wood ones. Looks much nicer that way. I know this may seem like a trivial question, but tracing the heritage of my guns is a "thing" with me. And I really don't want to get a letter from Colt. Any DS experts out there? And no, its not for sale. Waited twenty years to get this one. Everytime I went shopping for one in the past the price tag always scared me into Smith's. Finally broke down and got this one about four years ago. |
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The DS was discontinued in 1986 and put back into production in the early 90's for a couple years (92-93 I think). The 90's guns came in a blue plastic box. I remember someone having an "AE" serial numbered gun, and it was made in 1993 supposedly. I think it would be worth a call to Colt to find out when it was made. |
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The publicly available Colt serial number info stops in 1985. The last numbers shown were at the start of '85 and were AB02310. To get a production date, call Colt during normal business hours, and they will give you a date over the phone. They will NOT give any other info over the phone. The "Third issue" Colt Detective Special began in 1972, was discontinued in 1986, and was the first version to have the heavy, shrouded barrel. The "Fourth issue" was nothing more than the Third issue as re-issued in 1993, and discontinued for the last time in 1995. Since your gun came in the blue plastic box, I'd assume it's a Fourth issue made during the 1990's period. The late 1980's through the late 1990's was a turbulent time at Colt. New company presidents were being sent down from corporate headquarters every year or so, and each had to make a "splash" to impress the corporate bosses. In order to do this, new models were announced, old ones were discontinued, re-introduced, and discontinued "For the LAST time", then introduced again. Distributors, dealers, and buyers didn't know what was available or would continue to be available from day to day, and this uncertainty helped ruin Colt. The Detective Special was finally discontinued "for the ABSOLUTE last time" in 1986, and (the rumor mill said) all "D" frame tooling and production equipment was either scrapped, or sold to "someone" who was going to make "D" framed guns. Then, in the early 1990's, Colt "found" a small supply of frames and parts, and produced a very limited run of Detective Specials. These sold like hot cakes, so Colt decided to re-introduce the Detective Special again. The equipment rumor said was destroyed or sold, came out of storage, and new Detective Special production began again. This run was known as the "Fourth issue", but unlike the previous issues, there were NO physical or cosmetic differences between this and the Third issue, it was the same gun, although fitted with rubber grips with Gold Colt medallions instead of the walnut of older issues. This Fourth issue ran from 1993 to 1995, when the "D" frame Colt was finally REALLY discontinued for the last time, and replaced with a new, stainless steel "SF" frame gun. These later stainless small revolvers looked very similar to the older "D" framed guns, but have a totally different action, using a transfer-bar system. |
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I'll expound on what D. said, and note that the "fourth issue" (post-93) guns are actually quite good. I work on tons of Colt "D" frames, and I actually prefer those last ones. Popping open the sideplate reveals perfect machining, better tolerances, and far better surface finish on the frame interior than any made prior. The hand fitting of the lockwork parts - necessary to the complicated Colt action - wasn't as good, and the parts themselves appeared unchanged, but the frames are much better. (Even the grip frame machining is more consistent, making wood grip fitting easier.) What's more, the infamous Colt point-of-impact error that began with the introduction of the shrouded barrel in '72 was gone. Prior to '93, if you got a new D.S. it was not uncommon to find it shooting high and to the left; post-93 guns, in my experience, all shoot to point of aim with a 158gn load. Definitely keepers. -=[ Grant ]=- "The earth isn't flat, your gun shouldn't be either!" www.grantcunningham.com |
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Thanks for the info! Appears mine is a fourth generation then. If I get time I'll give Colt a buzz. Only had two complaints on mine. Some of the edges on the frame and trigger were a bit sharper than need be. The point on the top the the trigger was about like a chisel. A bit of stone work toned it down. And when I put a Wolfe spring kit in, I started getting light DA strikes. So the original spring went back in. |