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I bought one a couple of weeks ago - my first Colt in 30 years or so. It's an interesting piece and I'm glad I bought it.
First off, I think the rumors of Detective Special's being "delicate" are overstated. Colt stated some time ago that if you shot 2,000 or 3,000 rounds of +P you should send it back to them for "adjustment." That may sound delicate to some, but I don't expect to shoot 2,000 rounds through it, standard pressure or +P, for the rest of my life.
Second, remember these guns went to war, so they aren't particularly delicate.
Finally, it's a good idea to get one that's timed properly to begin with and you'll likely have little problem with it - many detectives carried these for decades without worry. Basically, while gunsmith availability is a theoretical issue (you don't always need one), for me it isn't a real one. If you come to a real issue, send it to Colt or to Cylinder & Slide, and they'll take care of you.
There are some good reasons for buying a Colt Detective Special, but I'd rather no one else would buy them until my collection is complete. They're an overlooked gem, I think. They just feel like they have better quality than Smith or Ruger (which doesn't mean those aren't reliable).
Personally, I bought one for one reason - I want something I can be sure of being able to open and load when I get too old to rack a slide. The Colt just felt better than the Smith revolvers, but I did look into it enough to make sure it was timed proeprly before I bought it...
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