[Schuren]

Friends,
4 Detective Special were imported by the Dealer Walter Schwarz in Hamburg Germany in 1938. At least one went on to
Czechoslovakia and was proofed there (rare proof marks on a Colt - have a look) as late as 1939 (!). There is an interesting connection with Colt as the recipient of this revolver was (probably) the chief engineer of Waffenwerke Brünn Josef Koucky - I bought it out of his estate. Waffenwerke Brünn (Zbrojovka Brno) is related to CZ who bought Colt...
CZ made a revolver that very much looked like the colt... designed by Koucky.
Peter
My story is founded on hearsay... I bought this DS and some other guns from a German dealer about ten years ago at a low price who was selling them for a relative of J. Koucky.

 

[Swag01]

Pretty neat!! Looks to be in very good shape for its age. I like the stocks on it (wooden Tyler T Grip???). Never seen one in wood. Thanks for showing it.

 

[Schuren]

Pretty neat!! Looks to be in very good shape for its age. I like the stocks on it (wooden Tyler T Grip???). Never seen one in wood. Thanks for showing it.

kind words, swag01, but this addition to the grip is probably something they made at Waffenwerke Brünn. have a look!

 

[Hootch56]

Very interesting DS. Thanks for posting.

 

[Mk VII]

Nice piece. Wish we could find one as good.

 

[Schuren]

Friends,
please have a look at the grip adapter in post No. 3. Is this something you have seen before or is it a one of its kind made in
Czechoslovakia before WW II ?

This is a picrure of the CZ Brünner Grand Revolver constructed by the Koucky brothers

 

[nutunfancy]

Sweet

 

[DarkLord]

I'm loving the wood grip adapter. You have a really cool DS there.

 

[GRI]

Germany occupied Prague in 1938 and few commercial guns would have gone to Czechoslovakia and then to a senior official or military officer. Normally they would have the Prague proof house mark which included the date as on my rare FN from 1940.

 

[Schuren]

Germany occupied Prague in 1938 and few commercial guns would have gone to Czechoslovakia and then to a senior official or military officer. Normally they would have the Prague proof house mark which included the date as on my rare FN from 1940.

View attachment 747521

That is a nice one...
But after the Munich Agreement (September 1938) Germany occupied in October 1938 only the western part of Czechoslovakia (i.e Sudetenland). The greater part including Prague and Brünn remained free and unoccupied until March 1939. My pistol comes from the estate of Josef Koucky who worked as chief engineer for the great arms producer Zbrojovka Brno - later CZ and now owner of colt (Zbrojovka Brno - Wikipedia). And as that company was taken over by the German occupation force in March 1939 and produced for the German Army they could carry on without being much disturbed. It was probably proofed before the occupation in March 1939.

 

[GRI]

That is a nice one...
But after the Munich Agreement (September 1938) Germany occupied in October 1938 only the western part of Czechoslovakia (i.e Sudetenland). The greater part including Prague and Brünn remained free and unoccupied until March 1939. My pistol comes from the estate of Josef Koucky who worked as chief engineer for the great arms producer Zbrojovka Brno - later CZ and now owner of colt (Zbrojovka Brno - Wikipedia). And as that company was taken over by the German occupation force in March 1939 and produced for the German Army they could carry on without being much disturbed. It was probably proofed before the occupation in March 1939.

It is my understanding that all commercial guns coming into Czechoslovakia at the time were required to go through the Prague proof house (prior to and during the occupation). Your pistol does not have the Prague proof along with the date. I am curious why.

 

[Schuren]

It is my understanding that all commercial guns coming into Czechoslovakia at the time were required to go through the Prague proof house (prior to and during the occupation). Your pistol does not have the Prague proof along with the date. I am curious why.

Gri, My Detective Special, which is the topic of this discussion, has the Prague proof. Other guns from the same estate (my OP, and my 1908 .25 ACP) do not have it. Only guns sold to the public do have to have proof marks. It depends how Josef Koucky got those guns. If they were aquired through the arms factory they did not have to be proofed. The Detective Special is the last gun he got (1938). The others are ealier (1930).
Peter

 

[GRI]

That was what I was thinking, since it went to CZ it would correctly not have the Prague proof and add to the validity of the gun.

 

[Schuren]

That was what I was thinking, since it went to CZ it would correctly not have the Prague proof and add to the validity of the gun.

Gri,
the only "hard" facts I have is that all my "Koucky-guns" went through Germany in a time (1930-1938) when few American guns were imported. I bought them from an estate at a very low price through a gun dealer I never met personally. He gave me no chance to meet any of the family members as he probably had paid a very low price...
I only have his story and the Colt letters... as I said: few facts. But as I got a very special revolver together with these Colt guns that was handmade after WW II and engraved as a gift from Mr. Koucky I believe in the estate story.

 

[Hootch56]

Did you get more than 1 Detective Special?

 

[Schuren]

Did you get more than 1 Detective Special?

no, just one..: the other Colt revolver from the Koucky estate was an OP that was imported in 1930.
It has an interesting grip and an adapter - have a look at that discussion:
Official Police that went to Germany and onwards to Czechoslovakia in 1930

I think they wanted to see these foreign producte - but this is an (un-educated) guess. and now - 90 years later - they own the Company (Colt).
Peter