[Addicted]

Maybe it's the light or the Parkerized finish but I can never see the Rampant Colt stamp on the side plate of pictures. I don't own a Commando. Are the sideplates stamped with the Rampant Colt? Is the stamp sharp? or is it polished smooth? I've have seen some that are polished smooth but no sideplates that have a sharp stamp.

 

[lonewolf]

Addicted; I thought you just bought that Commando,"in the grease" 2 days ago?

According to Pate,Commandos had the prancing pony,and the few original ones I have seen,verify this.

Bud /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[WS23]

Your other post about the Commando and the Commando Special pointed out discrepancies in the auction descriptions. It may have caused some confusion.

So just to be sure and cover all the bases, the "Commando Special" does NOT have the Rampant Colt on the side plate.

 

[Addicted]

My purchased gun is still in Tempe, AZ.

 

[Addicted]

Regarding the war time Commando, Is the Rampant Colt stamp sharp? In other words, if you take a piece of paper and rub the paper over the stamp with the side of the lead of a lead pencil, would it show high's such as doing this same procedure with a coin? I've looked at at least 8 pictures today on war time commandos. It appears that stamping is polished over before parkerizing.

 

[coltlarry]

No Rampant Colt on the side plate of the two Commando's I have (2'' and 4'' barrel length). Maybe I missed it in Pate's book, but he does not mention this mark. He

re is my 2'' Commando that took me years to finally aquire.

 

[Addicted]

Thanks for the reply CL. I'm beginning to feel that NO stamp is correct. Others chime in please.

 

[lonewolf]

I was wrong,about Pate's book! While he doesn't say there is no rampanr Colt,he doesn't list it under factory markings. And,that book has clear photos;can NOT see any!

What confused me was the "VP" proof in front trggerguard. 1917's don't have them,but the Commando does! Strange? Yet,the 1917 has the rampant colt.

Wonder why no prancing pony????

Bud /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[gerhard1]

WS23, you seem to be the person to ask: what exactly WAS the Commando Special? I know that it was a D-frame with a 2" barrel. Other than that, I don't know diddly squat.

 

[lonewolf]

Ain't WS23,but the Commando Special was built between 1984-86. Basically it was a "no frills" steel D frame. Sort of "budget" Detective Special,as externally there was no expensive labor involved in polishing it and bluing it. Plain parkerized "matte" finish. I suspect the name Commando Special came from the matte finish,like the World War Two Commando.

Prices reflected this $260 for the C.S. and $425 for the D.S.!! Quite a difference,as Colt was getting clobbered by the cheaper(in more than price!) J frame S&Ws.

We had a thread about the correct stocks for the C.S. a while back. Only one I ever saw,had uncheckered non polished service stocks w/gold medallion; probably a "parts clean up",that will drive Colt collectors nuts 50 years from now! This just added to the "spartan" appearance of the gun. The one showed here has far better looking,and probably hand filling stocks!

Bud /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[WS23]

gerhard1, Lonewolf has done an excellent job of describing the Commando Special. It was simply a poor mans Detective Special.

I do take one small exception with what was written. The Blue Book makes reference to this gun being produced from 1984 to 1986. Perhaps referenced from a Wilson book. However, I have a Commando Special produced in 1983 and verified by Colt as such. This is just one example of Colt errors found in the Blue Book.

Most of our useful reference material does have errors (including RL Wilson's bible), especially involving DOM. No single reference book should be taken as gospel in my opinion.

 

[icdux1]

bud, an interesting comment about the lack of verified proof on the 1917`s. i remember reading several yrs ago that the 1917 guns were not targeted at the factory because of the rush to deliver them. is it possible they were not proofed?? dux

 

[gerhard1]

Lonewolf, and WS23 thank you, gentlemen.

 

[lonewolf]

Your welcome gerhard. The C.S. was one of those guns,"I wish I'd have bought" 20 years ago!! Would've made a great carry gun,that you wouldn't worry about "abusing the finish" like a D.S.or annodized Cobra/Agent! I think it was those "plain stocks" that finally turned me off,just like the "unfinished looking" gold medallions that came on some of the New Frontiers! Also,I never could pick the front sight up as quick with the shrouded bbl. and long ramp late model D.S. versus the older models!

Besides,$260,twenty plus years ago,was about the average price I was paying to buy up very nice(but not "mint") New Services,that was my first "Colt Addiction".

Bud /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[lonewolf]

icdux1; While I was waiting for a potential buyer to arrive and look at some of my Great Westerns,I was looking through Pate's book,and one of his more detailed mag. articles. There were many govt. inspectors at Hartford,thus they did the proofing,it seems,so Colt could skip that step(and they were under pressure to "produce"(look what happened to the S&W plant in World War One!).

Yet the Commando,has the "VP",and a variety of Govt. marks(but no rampant Colt).

Any 1917 that "really" went back to Hartford for "overhaul"(most to S.A and A.A. arsenals) will have the VP mark,but I've seen "fake" 1917's,with surplus govt. marked bbl,cyl.and a "civilian frame". And usually a great story from the dealer,how "Uncle Oscar" ground the "Army Marks" off the butt! dealers today are far less creative with their "creative tales",than 20 years ago;some used to be worth the price of show admission!

Bud /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Nframe_is_no1]

I have a 4" Commando bought in almost new condition. It has no rampant on the side plate.