Banker's special

[diamondback22]

looking at a bankers special, its all original & its a 38..the condition looks around 90%..is this worth the $1100 asking price? thanks..

[Malysh]

Without seeing it, I'll take a chance and say yes. I don't think the price is beyond reason.

[twaits]

Be real careful. Many fakes abound. I'd hate to see you spend $1100 on a $300 gun.

[Malysh]

I failed to mention it, but Twaits is right. There are a lot of faked Bankers Specials. IF the gun is original and in the condition you say, I think it's worth the asking price. Is is possible for you to post pictures of the revolver?

I'd suggest getting Gary Peer's recent excellent book on Colt D.A. snubbys. It will help in making decisions as to originality and avoiding fakes and modified guns. It does not address values. IMHO, it is a very worthwhile book to have.

[diamondback22]

is there anything i should look for that makes it a fake? or makes it original for that matter? i know this is a hard thing to answer..i really dont know to much about this model colt..i will see if i can go get a couple pics and ser.# as im sure that must help..i will look into the book on colt snubby's..i just purchased a book on the savage 1907,1915 & 1917 pistol's..thanks for all the help..

[Malysh]

The most obvious criteria would be a barrel with a post war semi ramp front sight even if stamped 38Bankers
Special

The front sight should be what I call a half moon, and rounded both front and back. If the gun has a semi ramped front sight it is definitely a rebarreled Police Positive. Colt factory made some extra Bankers Special barrels in the early post war period as replacements. They have the semi ramped front sight and the markings are different than the pre war barrel markings.
Next would be the gripframe shape. If the gripframe is square but the gun's serial number is 1934 or later it should have a rounded butt. There are other important criteria that should be checked.
As we agree, pictures would be very helpful in evaluating the gun.

*The walnut checkered stocks should have the last 4 digits of the serial number stamped on the back of the stocks. Not penciled, stamped. They should also have 3 rivets holding the Colt medallion to the stock panel. Post war stocks used one slighlty larger center rivet to hold the medallions, excepting early Agent stocks which used pre war 3 rivet factory cut down stocks even though the Agent is a post war gun.

[MtnSpur]

The most obvious criteria would be a barrel with a post war semi ramp even if stamped 38Bankers
Special

The front sight should be what I call a half moon, and rounded both front and back. If the gun has a semi ramped front sight it is definitely a rebarreled Police Positive. Colt factory made some extra Bankers Special barrels in the early post war period as replacements. They have the semi ramped front sight and the markings are different than the pre war barrel markings.
Next would be the gripframe shape. If the gripframe is square but the gun's serial number is 1934 or later it should have a rounded butt. There are other important criteria that should be checked.
As we agree, pictures would be very helpful in evaluating the gun.

Adjusted for the visually impaired

[Malysh]

Tell me about it. I can't get the correct alignment for the barrel marking like I typed it before I hit submit reply.
You get the idea........

[ar15ed]

definitely! the semi-ramp sight could quickly eliminate it, but on the other hand the correct sight absolutely does not guarantee originality! if it were me, i would NOT pay 1100.00 for a 90% banker without a factory letter. i wouldn't try to sell a 90% banker without a letter! i wouldn't try to sell an 1100.00 banker without a letter! they are probably the most-faked colt of all time. some fakes are basically imperceptible, even to a genuine expert, and some are so pathetic, as to be laughable. and everything in between!

trust me, if you wait months for that letter, and excitedly open it and read that you are the proud owner of a genuine 1936-vintage police positive that is supposed to have a 4 inch barrel, and you have sunk 1100 hard earned dollars in it, it is gonna be a bad day!

[Oyeboten]

Indeed a period-correct high condition Police Positive can be and have been re-Barreled into being what one would take to be a totally correct Bankers Special, by installing a period correct high condition 'spare part' or NOS Banker's Special Barrel in place of whatever Barrel the Police Positive originally had.

Serial Number then seems right, everything seems right, but it is what it is - a PP converted into being a 'Bankers Special' which will letter as a 4, 5 or 6 inch PP.


I myself also would neither buy nor sell a Bankers Special in high condition or for more than a few hundred Dollars, without an authenticated or got by me Colt Letter to show it indeed is such.