OMM at LGS. Come to Poppa!

2679 Views 22 Replies 12 Participants Last post by capstan, Nov 20, 2013

Queen Anne's Revenge

Discussion Starter · Nov 17, 2013

Well, I have been thinking that I needed was an OMM in .22, but of course, I knew that they just didn’t exist. Well, yesterday, as my wife was visiting a friend at her shop, lo and behold, there was a small hole-in-the-wall gun store. I wandered in and found this, a Colt OMM in .22. The price was good and it came with the nice early full-checkered grips. Then clerk asked if I wanted to see the box. Of course, it had the box, target, sight tool, cleaning rod and the Welcome to Colt pamphlet. Not only that, Proofhouse has it as a 1953 and it is a duo tone.

Well, I did not know that the OMM came in a duo tone. I am not that knowledgable about the OMM, but what does everyone think? I am assuming in this condition and with the box and papers, a duo tone is desirable.

(Photos are before cleaning, but everything is in excellent condition!)

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1 - 20 of 23 Posts

greekgeek

· #2 · Nov 17, 2013

Wow what a great find! Looks sharp.

Parrisjr

· #3 · Nov 17, 2013

Some of the best finds are found where you would least expect it.

Well done!

LEO918

· #4 · Nov 17, 2013

Great find. Lucky you.

saintclair

· #5 · Nov 17, 2013

From viewing the target, I would say it is pretty accurate! Nice find !

aircraftman

· #6 · Nov 17, 2013

Great find, congrats on a beautiful Colt.

I love the dual tone finish - very cool!!

Malysh

· #7 · Nov 17, 2013

Very nice.
Dual tone Colt revolvers were made from 1947-1954. To the best of my knowledge, all Colt revolvers made in this era were dual tone.
Although I am a sucker for them, I doubt this gun being dual tone makes it anymore desireable (valuable), unless Colt made very few during the dual tone era.

moosedog

· #8 · Nov 17, 2013

That's a beauty. I wouldn't mind owning one in 22 myself.

ssgunnip

· #9 · Nov 17, 2013

A nice gun and still undervalued in my opinion.

Queen Anne's Revenge

Discussion Starter · #10 · Nov 18, 2013 (Edited)

As an interesting observation, when I started to clean it, I removed the grips. The rear side plate screw is domed and the left grip panel is indented where the screw head is. I believe the grips are original so this would tend to show that target stocks were only used with flat head screws.

Oh, and the muzzle is in the white as well. Cool!

capstan

· #11 · Nov 18, 2013

Great Find. The OMM .22's are excellent target revolvers

JudgeColt

· #12 · Nov 18, 2013

Queen Anne's Revenge said:
The rear side plate screw is domed and the left grip panel is indented where the screw head is. I believe the grips are original so this would tend to show that target stocks were only used with flat head screws.

That seems to be a contradictory statement. If this OMM has a domed screw, how does that show that target stocks were only used with flat head screws?

Queen Anne's Revenge

Discussion Starter · #13 · Nov 18, 2013

It doesn't. It is more of a comment in the python world where the debate is whether a domed screw indicates service grips and a flat screw was used on target grips. All I am saying is that it appears as if the presence of a domed screw does not always mean service grips.

capstan

· #14 · Nov 19, 2013

Did you take off the grips and see if the one was gouged out a liitle to allow for the "domed" head screw? If not, and the grip/stock just fit nicely right over the domed screw head, then Maybe the assumption that the full checkered target grips/stocks needed a flat head screw is in fact wrong.
Let us know what you find under the stock -that should help resolve this.

Queen Anne's Revenge

Discussion Starter · #15 · Nov 19, 2013

The grip has the impression of the screw head in it, slot and all.

capstan

· #16 · Nov 19, 2013

Queen Anne's Revenge said:
The grip has the impression of the screw head in it, slot and all.

Ok,So there was no whittling on the inside to allow for the screw head? The grip was just tightened down so that the screw head crushed into the wood some?
Maybe the original flat headed screw was lost,and someone replaced it with the domed head screw just because they happened to have one? Or maybe when the gun was originally assembled, they used the wrong screw?

I will check my OMM's and see if they have flat or domed screws under the grips.

capstan

· #17 · Nov 20, 2013

I checked my OMM 1954 .22 with the full checked target stocks.

It has the domed type screw head at the rear of the sideplate. I took off the grips/stocks and YEs there is the indentation of the domed screw head on the inside of the grip,but no gouging of the inside of the grip panel. Apparently they just tightened the grip until the wood pressed in some to accommodate that screw head. Perhaps, only the Python had the flat screw heads at the rear of the side plate for target grips????

This is a another piece of I teretsing trivia to know. Maybe others can check the screws on their OMM also to further verify. Ot maybe Colt switched over to the flat head screws later on.
Anyone else

JudgeColt

· #18 · Nov 20, 2013

I have two Officers Model Match revolvers. The 1953 .22LR has a domed rear side plate screw. The 1959 .22WMR has a flat rear side plate screw. All of my Pythons have flat rear side plate screws, including 1XX and 128XX. Based on the report of capstan, the change to the flat rear side place screw apparently occurred sometime after 1954. Based on my Pythons, I would speculate the change occurred in 1955.

73shovel

· #19 · Nov 20, 2013

It is very likely that this 1953 revolver originally came from the factory with Coltwood service stocks and a domed side plate screw.

Queen Anne's Revenge

Discussion Starter · #20 · Nov 20, 2013 (Edited)

Well, based on a catalog page sent to me by a member, the OMM was only offered with the full checkered walnut square stocks. I assume one could special order service stocks, but based on the above observations by other members, I tend to believe the domed screws came with the target stocks at least until later in the 50s or so. I also believe this particular OMM came from the factory with a domed screw and target stocks.

FWIW, I believe the thread pitch is different for the two side plate screws.

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