[Colt38]

Officer\'s Model Special & Coltwood Stocks?

Did all of the production run, of Colt, Officer Model Special's, originally come with the Coltwood(Plastic stocks)or, did some of the early OMS's, come with checkered, wood stocks? Please clarify this? Anyone?

 

[rcwambold]

Re: Officer\'s Model Special & Coltwood Stocks?

Can't say for sure ... I'm pretty sure I've seen four of these babies - two on these pages and these were, "one of each." (One with the plastic and one with the really nice, full-checkered, non-scalloped jobs. For reals, the same ... one of each! That's a load of help, huh? Jumpin' Jupiter, Man ... buy the gun and put on some Hogue's and get to SHOOTING!(Ha!)

 

[JudgeColt]

Re: Officer\'s Model Special & Coltwood Stocks?

If you see an OMS with wood stocks, especially target style, I think it will be because someone did not like the plastic service-style stocks that came with it. The early catalogs all say "Coltwood" for the stock material on the OMS. In fact, Coltwood is the stock material listed for the OMT in the PL-227 (11-1-49) catalog (with the "barbeque" cover), before the OMS was introduced. Therefore, you have even the Pre-War OMT-style gun with Coltwood, so it seems likely that the later OMS ever had factory wood, unless the frequently-speculated but seldom proved "Special Order" could account for it. VERY doubtful.

My OMS .22 has Coltwood plastic service-style stocks, and I have never seen one that I believed original with anything else.

 

[Colt38]

Re: Officer\'s Model Special & Coltwood Stocks?

The OMS, that I'm looking at, has checkered wood, service stocks(Not target). I don't know the DOB-but the serial number is 784XXX? I never thought of the possibility, that the checkered wood service stocks, could have been special ordered from Colt? Good point, Judge Colt! It would be nice, if sombody, knew for sure, if this was done by Colt, on the OMS?

[This message has been edited by Colt38 (edited 03-27-2004).]

 

[JudgeColt]

Re: Officer\'s Model Special & Coltwood Stocks?

Colt 38, I belive your OMS would be 1950 vintage. I was being a bit facetious in mentioning the possibility of a "Special Order" for wood stocks. I just do not believe that was done much Post-War. Spend your $75 for a letter and find out. (Bad luck will return the stock type as "not listed.")

Since the plastic Colt stocks were greated with about as much appreciation as the locks on the new Smith & Wesson guns, I suspect many were replaced with wood. Back when factory stocks were almost universally replaced with custom stocks, a lot of used wood stocks were in boxes at gun shows. Still are to a degree. I like to look for valuable stocks in those boxes, and have found some Colt plastic that the seller assumed were worth little because they were plastic. I have a couple of pairs of plastic I-frame stocks, but do not want to sell them in case a gun like yours shows up with incorrect stocks.

What is the screw style on your stocks? Is it blue with the big head (almost .25-inch in diameter), or is it nickel with the small head (about .125-inch) and gromet around the screw socket? The nickel screw is the Pre-War style, so probably would not be correct for your revolver.

 

[Colt38]

Re: Officer\'s Model Special & Coltwood Stocks?

JudgeColt:

Thanks for your great input! Since the OMS in question, is virtually, NIB, it would appear, that the person(s)who owned it, did not ever intend to shoot this gun? And, possibly, just wanted to collect it? In view of this, I would only guess, that(As you have suggested?)that the owner, just didn't like the plastic(Coltwood)stocks-and, had changed them, to the checkered wood, "service" stocks(Instead of to the target style, stocks, for shooting purposes)?

I'm going to go back to the Gun Shop, and take a look, at the type of screws(Used to fasten the grips)and, I will report this back to you here, on this forum? Thanks, for the "Tip" about the different grip screw types, used(Both, pre-war and, post-war)?