[jerry6stl]

Can someone please discuss the difference between the rounded and squarer grips on the "pre-shroud" Detective Specials?

Were they made both ways?

Was it an ordering option, or a year of manufacture difference?

THANKS.

 

[lonewolf]

The square butt was standard 'til 1933,then it was rounded.I suppose it was possible to get a D.S. in square butt after 1933,as that style was continued for a while on the identical framed Police Positive Special(and even a special run of Cobras for a foreign govt.) I had a 1952 Pol. Pos. Spec. 4" square butt at one time. Bud

 

[Thirties]

Some time in the 1960s Colt went to the square butt short grip frame that lasted until they stopped making the Detective Specials. Before that, the frame was long and slightly rounded at the bottom as the steel edges were completely exposed from the stocks. The later short square butts had the wood or rubber stocks filling in below where the frames ended. You can always tell by looking at the bottom of the grip frame. If there is a steel frame visible, it's the older style long butt slightly rounded; if there is only wood or rubber, it os a newer style short frame square butt. Stocks for the older style are harder to find, while stocks for the new short style are plentiful (eBay is a good source).

Here is a photo of my 1966 unshrouded DS (2nd issue) with the short square butt grip frame.

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[This message has been edited by Thirties (edited 03-08-2005).]

 

[lonewolf]

Yes.the butt Frame is square,but as you know,Colt stocks that fit these models,extend beneath the bottom,and their wood in in the round butt configuration. I think this was done by Colt to save production costs,and the only 2 Colts that I can think of,that had "stocks" the same length as this short grip frame,are the Courier,circa 1954 and the Agent. My Courier,in .32 w/"warm handloads",isn't bad to control,with a grip adapter,but I fired a pals early Agent,and with regular .38 Specials,its a "squirmer"! Bud

 

[Bushwhacker]

Here are a couple of pre-war examples.

Even more obscure, and something I never heard of until I picked up a 1925 PP with this hang tag, were Colt's "rolled edge" stocks.