[wflorence]

Well hello everyone....Like to get everyone’s opinion as well as information about this 1928 Colt I found at of all places a garagesale....Real old couple with their daugthers , I got to meet the owner supernice!! ... My first question, was it normal for the front part of the cylinderto have the nickel flaked/burned off if used a lot or could someone been rough on cleaning it? ...I asked the original owner if he fired it a lot and he said pretty often and smiled (Loved the way he said it), mentioned he loved it and carried in his old truck glove box for a long time then left it in the garage in his tool box after his eye sight started going bad. He recently found it before the garage sale and had it cleaned at a local gun store to sell it. Said he threw the box out years ago and lost the holster.....…I asked him about the pearl grips and why he choose them, he said he liked the flashy look and that it went well with the nickel.

Special thanks to Bayouboy for telling me what I found!!! Great work...all of you are amazing...keep it up

Please click on the link for more pictures....1928 Colt Detective pictures by airbornewings - Photobucket

Please comment, complain, or you just have the urge to say somthing...

Keep up the great site.

 

[ar15ed]

that is sweet! i love the pearls.

 

[Oyeboten]

It is not unusual for the Nickle to flake or degrade a little on the far end of the Cylinder on Nickle Revolvers which have been fired a fair amount.

A fine Brass Brush should be able to aid in removing any loose particles which are present.

Lovely old Colt!!! Wow...what a wonderful find...and overall, looks to be in very nice condition.

 

[charles isaac]

What an uncommon treasure you have there! This one rates a Colt Letter-Nice Find!

 

[wflorence]

Thanks!...few little things...under the grips it was a little messy...and a dings on the barrel front....She looks sooooo much better in person...very classy!!!

 

[bayouboy]

Interesting gun and story. What you have there is actually a 2 inch Police Positive Special, sometimes called a "Pre-Detective". Note the gun is only marked "38 Special" with no marking on the right side of the barrel. These guns generally fall in the 33, 34 and 35 prefix serial number range. Among collectors they are highly valued because of the small number made. Yours appears to be one of the later ones since is has the wider full grip frame. The nickel finish is more uncommon than blue and the pearl grips would certainly add value.

I would suspect that the "peeling" on the nickel is the result of poor storage with moisture working its way under the finish. Still, in its present condition, the gun is still quite desirable. Just clean it up and make sure to keep it original. Thanks for the pics and the story!

 

[twaits]

Bayouboy beat me to it. He is spot on in his evaluation. That said I am super jealous of your new aquisition and if you are ever looking to part with it I would like to be first on the list to buy! Why don't I ever find stuff like this at garage sales? I would send away for a Colt archive letter on that one immediately.

I think yours is the first "pre" detective special I have seen with the wide square butt. Here's one with the skinny butt for comparison:

 

[DuWhat]

I'm gonna have to start going to garage sales. What a gem.

 

[wflorence]

WOW...I had no idea.....Thanks for the great info Bayouboy!!!! This site is amazing and everyone is so great here!!!

 

[bayouboy]

wflorence:

There are several members of the forum who have examples of these interesting little guns. There are usually some great discussions and photos when one of these guns show up. If you do a search using the term pre-detective, you should come up with some interesting reading about these gems. Enjoy!

 

[wflorence]

Again Thanks...I did see the TheColtGuy Collection...holy cow...I will search for the reading you suggested...thanks again.

 

[thecoltguy]

Twaits. Here is a narrow butt:

And here are a couple of wide butts:

 

[wflorence]

I was just reading your ealier post thecoltguy....congrats on the Detroit twins ending up together... amazing collection and a lot of great info.....

 

[JudgeColt]

I note the reference to the original poster's gun being from 1928. When the guns are lettered as shown by the above letter, the guns always show as shipped in 1926. A knowledgeable Colt collector told me that when Colt wanted to make a special run of guns, for reasons unknown, a serial number range not yet reached was selected. These guns certainly seem to support that theory. They show in the 1928 serial range, but letter as being shipped in 1926. I have a narrow butt version shipped December 29, 1926. Late in 1926, but still 1926.

 

[swamprat]

This one, sn 348953, letters as a Police Positive, 2" bbl; & was shipped to the US Government, Washington, DC, on Feb 26, 1931.

This one, sn 353112, letters as a Detective Special, & was shipped on July 28, 1927, to Albert Foster, Jr, New York, NY. Foster was the Colt sales Rep in NY at the time. According to the Colt letter, it was "subsequently delivered to Lt. Blessing, Dept of Police, City of Charleston, WV on October 21, 1929".

 

[Malysh]

My kind of thread.
Nice acquisition, Wflorence!

 

[wflorence]

Thanks... I have to be honest...when I first saw it I didnt think it was right, I have seen many Colt Detectives that looked like this but the barrel markings threw me, this one had none accept 38 Special.... I did notice the front blade site was a lot like my Colt Commando 2 inch (WW2) serial 8962, and I really didnt think the owner would have messed with it. Who knew!...thanks.

 

[Malysh]

Thanks... I have to be honest...when I first saw it I didnt think it was right, I have seen many Colt Detectives that looked like this but the barrel markings threw me, this one had none accept 38 Special.... I did notice the front blade site was a lot like my Colt Commando 2 inch (WW2) serial 8962, and I really didnt think the owner would have messed with it. Who knew!...thanks.

I think it's safe to say we are all very happy for you!

If you have much of an interest in these Colt Snubbys, you may want to consider getting Gary Peer's new book on Colt Snubbys. It's quite good!
What I like about it is that it is written in a clear logical way that a beginner (I don't mean you, of course) can read and learn about the progression of Colt Snubbys from the Mod 1877 up to the late 50s, but it is also a valuable referrence work for more advanced students where they can go and check on aspects of these guns with a turn or two of a page, instead of sitting there and spending an hour thinking about what this gun had, and what did that gun have, etc.
He also included a chapter on detecting fakes, which sadly, have become more numerous in the market lately.
I learned about fakes and Colt snubbys in general by spending so much time at this website with such an experienced membership, and some of my own deductions, but it's much better to have it in book form when the book is written as concisely and clearly as this book is.

Again, congratulations!

 

[JudgeColt]

swamprat, it is alright to illustrate the exception to a rule (serialed in 1928 but shipped in 1926), but did you have to rub it in so hard? I should have said, "usually letter as being shipped in 1926." swamprat's box is valuable in that it proves the nomenclature was "Police Positive Special" for these guns. The letter on mine says it is a Police Positive Special, but some have reported letters as identifying their gun as a "Detective Special," clearly erroneous.

 

[swamprat]

swamprat, it is alright to illustrate the exception to a rule (serialed in 1928 but shipped in 1926), but did you have to rub it in so hard? I should have said, "usually letter as being shipped in 1926." swamprat's box is valuable in that it proves the nomenclature was "Police Positive Special" for these guns. The letter on mine says it is a Police Positive Special, but some have reported letters as identifying their gun as a "Detective Special," clearly erroneous.

JudgeColt,
Sorry, didn't mean to get in trouble with the law! Makes one wonder why/if this gun sat on the shelf for 5 yrs before being shipped!

So we have: #339236 shipped in 1926, #348953 shipped in 1931, #353112 shipped in 1927, interesting????:bang_wall: Anyone have any more of these lettered with a different shipping date than 1926?