[capone]

I just got hooked up with a sweet little 6 shot 2IN barrel colt called a Bankers special.I am new to colt Revs and could use all the help I can get to learn more about it. I think it might be from the 1930's or 40's on the bottom of the frame are the letters(S P D No.3)I don't think the black grips are the orig's Would it be hard to find wood grips for it? What is this piece worth? I looked all over your web site but found no colt by this name. is this a good thig or a bad thing.The ser# is 81558 with a capital A under it. Can any one help me out? thanks Tony

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[Majic]

A true Bankers Special is quite a collector with a premium price tag. The condition would determine it's true value.
The stocks for it should be the long D-frame stocks. They will be more difficult to find than the shorter newer D-frame stocks. Hunt the various auction sites and Gun Parts for them.
If that's really the serial number then there may be a problem. Unless I'm reading something wrong that serial number is too low for a Bankers Special. That number would put the frame in the 1912s to the 1916s range of the various PP and PPS and the Bankers Special was made from 1926 to 1940. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but someone may have rebarreled a PP or PPS with a Bankers Special barrel creating their own version. There have been fakes of certain revolvers over the years to take advantage of collectability.
The SPD No3 stamped on the butt is most likely some police department that used the revolvers. That would also point to the frame being a PP or PPS as most police departments would have used the Detective Special for their 2 inch revolvers.
Of course I could be totally wrong in all of this so don't get discouraged in just my post. We have on this site those with much more experience in the older colts than me.



[This message has been edited by Majic (edited 07-05-2005).]

 

[lonewolf]

Tony;Majic is right about the gun's frame NOT being in the 1928-43 range for the Bankers Special. The Bankers Special was a snub nose(2") Colt built on the shorter Police Positive Frame,as oppossed to the much more famous Detective Special,that was built on the longer Police Positive Special Frame. The longer frame was to fit a longer cylinder to take the longer .38 Special rounds,as oppossed to the shorter(and slightly fatter).38 S&W for the Police Positive and Bankers Special.

Some Bankers Specials were built in .22,and had rounded butts; the .38s are found with both square and round butts. I suspect,that the hard rubber grips yours has,are typical of the earlier production date, as Majic mentioned-and these older guns have a slightly thinner grip frame,fron to back strap,so finding correct wood grips might be difficult.

On a more positive note,I believe your gun was owned by the Stamford (Connecticut)Police Dept. It is just possible that they rebarreled a Police Positive,with a longer original barrel,to get a snub for the detectives,by buying a Banker's Special bbl. from Colt;way to save some $$ in the depression 30's!

Is the front sight a total half moon shape,or is it a slopped ramp on the backside? Colt made some barrels in 1946-47,for Bankers Special, and other models of pre war revolvers,as replacements,that had this newer ramp sight.
Many of these were sold by parts jobbers in the 50's,and guns were rebarrelled-BUT-the gun,in my opinion,should NOT have been sold to you as a genuine Bankers Special.

Bud

 

[capone]

Well now I am totally lost, I never said the grips were hard rubber. It seams to be some after market mother of peral black and the frame was too thin in the back strap and the frame sat about 1/8th of an inch inside the grips so he filled the gap with some type of rubber strap to make up the differance to even the frame out to the grips in the back. I also would call this square but by Smith & wasson standards. also I did not notice it till all you guys or gals said something about the frame and cylinder it is real short. 38 specials stick out the back of the cylinder by about 1/4inch.does this mean anything. please you all been a big help but don't stop now you have me all excited front sight is more humped like a camel then sloped like S&W how and where do I take this to find out. this is why the grips don't fit maybe the right ones are real hard to find. THANKS tony C

 

[22-rimfire]

Sounds like you have a 38 S&W vs 38spl chambering as the cartridge length on the 38 S&W is 1.240" vs 1.550" on the 38spl round.

 

[A1A]

While auction descriptions are certainly not a definitive reference, the pictures can provide some interesting visual comparisons. Look at gunsamerica.com or gunbroker.com and search on banker under colt revolvers, if you have not.

 

[Paul]

I just sold my Bankers special .38 marked B-P-D (Boston) for $1,000. It was essentially pristine and I obtained an archive letter verifying the shipment date to BPD.

 

[ButchG17]