The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Information Regarding the Colt Detective Special

haon8 · August 30, 2012, 02:32 PM

Hey all, a couple of days ago my dad and I bought a 2nd generation Detective Special on Gunbroker. We currently have a 3rd generation DS, a Colt Agent, and a Colt Cobra, but we wanted to complete the series with a DS with the exposed ejector rod. The one we just got is special, however, as it has a factory nickel finish and factory hammer shroud, the latter of which has been hard to come by for us (on a DS, at least), and we've never seen a shrouded DS in nickel. The price point was pretty hard to beat, too ($800), so we went for it.

I was hoping to get some information, though. First off, the DS we just got doesn't have factory grips. The ones it has are nice and all, but it's always nice to have a factory set for showmanship. My dad is content with the non-factory grips it has, but his birthday is coming up, so I've been thinking about buying a set for him regardless. I came across a few sets on Ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ht_1223wt_1163

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ht_1223wt_1163

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ht_1104wt_1163

The big problem is that I don't know if these grips are factory. The seller informed me that they were made by "Jay Scott," which was apparently owned by Colt and produced grips for them, which is why they have the medallions and could brand "Colt" on the packaging. I like the way that they would accent the nickel finish on the gun, but was hoping to get some input about them from you guys. Are they of good quality? Do they look nice in person, or do they look cheesy? Finally, would collectors consider these grips to be "factory," or are they just another 3rd party pair?

I was also trying to find some production info on the hammer-shrouded Colts. From what we've seen (or haven't seen, as the case may be), they are very rare these days. I was wondering if there's any way to tell how many were produced originally, or if they were all special order. The Agent we have (1st generation) also has a hammer shroud, though they appear to be more common on the Agents.

Thank you!

August 30, 2012, 02:32 PM	#1
haon8 Member Join Date: July 12, 2011 Posts: 30	Information Regarding the Colt Detective Special Hey all, a couple of days ago my dad and I bought a 2nd generation Detective Special on Gunbroker. We currently have a 3rd generation DS, a Colt Agent, and a Colt Cobra, but we wanted to complete the series with a DS with the exposed ejector rod. The one we just got is special, however, as it has a factory nickel finish and factory hammer shroud, the latter of which has been hard to come by for us (on a DS, at least), and we've never seen a shrouded DS in nickel. The price point was pretty hard to beat, too ($800), so we went for it. I was hoping to get some information, though. First off, the DS we just got doesn't have factory grips. The ones it has are nice and all, but it's always nice to have a factory set for showmanship. My dad is content with the non-factory grips it has, but his birthday is coming up, so I've been thinking about buying a set for him regardless. I came across a few sets on Ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ht_1223wt_1163 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ht_1223wt_1163 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ht_1104wt_1163 The big problem is that I don't know if these grips are factory. The seller informed me that they were made by "Jay Scott," which was apparently owned by Colt and produced grips for them, which is why they have the medallions and could brand "Colt" on the packaging. I like the way that they would accent the nickel finish on the gun, but was hoping to get some input about them from you guys. Are they of good quality? Do they look nice in person, or do they look cheesy? Finally, would collectors consider these grips to be "factory," or are they just another 3rd party pair? I was also trying to find some production info on the hammer-shrouded Colts. From what we've seen (or haven't seen, as the case may be), they are very rare these days. I was wondering if there's any way to tell how many were produced originally, or if they were all special order. The Agent we have (1st generation) also has a hammer shroud, though they appear to be more common on the Agents. Thank you!