My 1953 vintage Detective Special --#639xxx-- Police marked

[butlersrangers]

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This is my recently acquired 1953 vintage Colt Detective Special. I purchased it from a local Michigan dealer "as is" for $250! It was quite dirty and missing the ejector-rod head. The plastic, metal medallioned, stocks were shrunken and terribly warped. I obtained a respectable pair of plastic stocks from Numrich which are only slightly warped and undersize. Not liking their appearance, I obtained a pair of Colt (?) Aircrewman style stocks on ebay and darkened them with walnut stain. I also fitted it with a replacement ejector rod head from a GunBroker purchase. I am enjoying my rehabilitated Detective Special and it is proving to be a fine shooter. Now I am attempting to research the Police markings to find out some of its history. I am wondering about the likelyhood of a "Colt Letter" revealing much about its story.

[Malysh]

I like it! Congratulations.
One of my favorite Colts and one of my favorite eras of Colts.

[butlersrangers]

Thanks Malysh: I have found your postings very helpful. Our 1953 Detective Specials are almost twins. I find the honest wear on them attractive.

[Malysh]

That's very kind of you to say.
Nothing wrong with guns with honest wear. They have their own charm.

I can't afford to collect the best examples with the matching boxes, etal. I'd like to, but I can't manage it. Maybe if I'd started 20-30 years ago.
You will be amazed if you hang around here - gents you rarely see post will start a thread with a fantastic old rare Colt or a collection. And we have the dependable guys who always answer questions they've heard a thousand times, but they step up and help out. There are many expert Colt collectors on this website. I'm just a cheerleader

[up196]

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Now I am attempting to research the Police markings to find out some of its history. I am wondering about the likelyhood of a "Colt Letter" revealing much about its story.

The bad news is, the markings do not look like they were applied a Colt's, so they may not show a notation in the letter. However, the letter will tell where the revolver was originally shipped. It may have gone directly to a PD that marked it themselves, or it may have been bought off the shelf and marked. Either way, you'll have a city to start with, and if the shipped to location doesn't start with a C or a D, look at the surrounding area for a city that does.

Keep in mind, also, that the "C" in "CDPD" may stand for "City of D... Police Department."

I especially like those stocks, by the way.

[butlersrangers]

up196: Thanks for the feedback on the Police markings. The "CDPD" marking probably doesn't increase the Detective Special's value but it does make it a lot more interesting to me. Your logic makes sense. I think I will go through the process of getting a Colt Factory letter just to find out where it was originally shipped. I use to have a nice Colt New Service with "RNWMP #1914" marked on the backstrap. I regret that I sold it, tempted by a good profit, to buy some other guns that I no longer have or remember. Old Police guns are rather fascinating and enigmatic. I am glad you like the stocks I put on my D.S.

[up196]

I did a search of US City names, and the only one that is a possibility, for "CD" to be the name, is Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It looks like that is abbreviated "CDA," though, so I think "CDPD" most likely does stand for "City of D.... Police Department."

As far as the shipping destination relative to the end user goes, I have an Army Special that is clearly marked, and noted on the Colt's letter, "NOPD No. 52." It was shipped to Baldwin Hardware in New Orleans, not to the PD. Baldwin was the Colt's distributor.

[butlersrangers]

up196: Coeur D'Alene, Idaho (P.D.), was also suggested by cda926 on another thread. However, it appears they use the initials "C D'A PD". My initial hope was that it was a Detroit marking (my birthplace). But, I've seen a fair number of Detroit guns reported and they seem to be marked either "Detroit" or "D.P.D.". If the gun was shipped to Michigan by Colt, I suspect it could stand for "City of Dearborn Police Department", to avoid confusion due to close proximity to Detroit. Obviously, Police trade-ins could be from anywhere in the country and Colt records might give a clue. If I get a Factory letter, I will share the information.