Re: Colt Officer\'s Model Special(Worthwhile Collectible)?
Well, with a name like THAT ... Welcome, Mr. .38! I couldn't resist your question. I hope I'm not, "all wet," because the gun I think you speak of is one of my favorites. First, if you are refering to the OMS as comes to my mind, it's a 6", blue, .38 spcl. 2X revolver that's built on the Colt .41 frame, like its sisters, the Officer's Model Match and Official Police. (And later it became the .357, original Trooper and, YES, the Python!) It has a bull barrel and very nice, adjustable target sights, not exactly the same as the OMM. They may have come with a target hammer option, but I just don't know. And I think they should have the full-checkered, no-scallop target stocks with a silver Colt medallion. If you research the files from these pages, sometime last summer one of our cronies bought one and posted a picture. If it matches the above description, I'm very happy for you because I handled one of these once at a dealer and got sidetracked into paying rent or something silly like that and never did buy it. Some one else did, though! I thought the balance was great and the action superb. I THINK these came out in the late '40's, early to mid 50's somewhere between the original Officer's Model Match and second and third production. The 3rd has a Python-like front sight on a ramp. $600 for one, new in the box seems pretty high, but, do you think you could find another one, just as nice, for less? I doubt it! I never have. And this is one gun I've LOOKED for, too! Come to think of it, I think there's a picture of one from not too long ago - a week or two? - on these pages in a thread about photography or something other than the gun itself. I don't know any history about these guns but I'm sure they were made for target shooting. In the 30's - 50's, lots of guys used a .38 wadcutter gun in NRA competition, besides the .45 and .22. In it's day, I think the OP was the premium cop gun and the Colt OMM and OMS were the bullseye guns. (Colt's always been a premium piece over S&W's.) Compared to the Python? You bet! Several of us on these pages have chatted about all the almost-Pythons you can buy for less than the ones actually stamped, "Python." (I think I've named most of them, already.) The action is THE SAME. And since they were all made in by honest-to-gosh Yankees in the Colt Connecticut plant, you just can't do better. Congratulations, Colt .38 ... You've got one of the best!
Well, with a name like THAT ... Welcome, Mr. .38! I couldn't resist your question. I hope I'm not, "all wet," because the gun I think you speak of is one of my favorites. First, if you are refering to the OMS as comes to my mind, it's a 6", blue, .38 spcl. 2X revolver that's built on the Colt .41 frame, like its sisters, the Officer's Model Match and Official Police. (And later it became the .357, original Trooper and, YES, the Python!) It has a bull barrel and very nice, adjustable target sights, not exactly the same as the OMM. They may have come with a target hammer option, but I just don't know. And I think they should have the full-checkered, no-scallop target stocks with a silver Colt medallion. If you research the files from these pages, sometime last summer one of our cronies bought one and posted a picture. If it matches the above description, I'm very happy for you because I handled one of these once at a dealer and got sidetracked into paying rent or something silly like that and never did buy it. Some one else did, though! I thought the balance was great and the action superb. I THINK these came out in the late '40's, early to mid 50's somewhere between the original Officer's Model Match and second and third production. The 3rd has a Python-like front sight on a ramp. $600 for one, new in the box seems pretty high, but, do you think you could find another one, just as nice, for less? I doubt it! I never have. And this is one gun I've LOOKED for, too! Come to think of it, I think there's a picture of one from not too long ago - a week or two? - on these pages in a thread about photography or something other than the gun itself. I don't know any history about these guns but I'm sure they were made for target shooting. In the 30's - 50's, lots of guys used a .38 wadcutter gun in NRA competition, besides the .45 and .22. In it's day, I think the OP was the premium cop gun and the Colt OMM and OMS were the bullseye guns. (Colt's always been a premium piece over S&W's.) Compared to the Python? You bet! Several of us on these pages have chatted about all the almost-Pythons you can buy for less than the ones actually stamped, "Python." (I think I've named most of them, already.) The action is THE SAME. And since they were all made in by honest-to-gosh Yankees in the Colt Connecticut plant, you just can't do better. Congratulations, Colt .38 ... You've got one of the best!
