Valuing a used "hybrid" Colt

Slyk · July 28, 2015, 09:01 PM

I recently traded into a Colt revolver. The barrel is roll-marked "Agent" and it has the shrouded ejector rod. The frame is not an alloy; heavier. The serial number is b44xxx. Blue steel, snub-nose in .38 special. It seems to be a detective special that has been re-barreled.

Assuming this is accurate, how would I value this gun for a sale value, given that it seems to be neither a Det. Special or Agent but some sort of hybrid? Mechanically it is excellent, and there is very little blue wear

Thanks for your thoughts-

2ndsojourn · July 28, 2015, 09:33 PM

It's not a hybrid. It's a variant of a colt cobra, without the higher polished finish. Check gunbroker sold prices.

SaxonPig · July 29, 2015, 09:38 AM

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Yup- Agent was a low cost version of the DS. Check out selling prices on the DS models (what, $600-$650 or so?) and take $100 off for your Agent.

Just my opinion...whatever it's worth.

SaxonPig · July 29, 2015, 09:39 AM

Oh BTW- The Cobra was the alloy frame version of the DS.

Jim Watson · July 29, 2015, 05:07 PM

The serial number range comes up as a 1971 Police Positive Special or Detective Special, which agrees with the steel frame.

It might be marked Agent because
A previous owner wanted a shorter barrel than a Police Positive Special and had the Agent barrel put on.
or
A Colt employee was careless about what bin he got a barrel out of for a Detective Special.

They seem not real careful about such stuff; I have a Service Model Ace .22 with a 70B serial number as for a .45.

SaxonPig · July 29, 2015, 06:35 PM

QC at Colt in the 1970s was the pits. I saw some horrible guns in dealer's display cases back then. But then, at least they were making some guns.

Roughedge · July 30, 2015, 03:29 PM

Some employees at colt could have a personal gun made however they wanted . I've seen a few one of a kind by doing that but unless you have a letter from Colt there's no way to prove it.

Dfariswheel · July 31, 2015, 09:11 PM

Following Occam's Razor, the most likely case is a Colt Police Positive Special or Detective Special that was rebarreled.

It's very common to see Colt and some S&W revolvers that for one reason or another an owner rebarreled it, and just used whatever barrel he could find.
no matte the barrel markings.
Yes, there have been cases of factory errors, but those are no where near as common as people seem to think.

The Agent was in no way a low cost version of the Detective Special.
It was every bit as good as the DS or Cobra and originally had the same bright polished finish as the DS and the Cobra.
The Agent only went to a matte black finish after 1982.

The Agents "place" was as a minimum size six shot revolver for deep concealment.
In that, it was simply the aluminum Cobra with a shorter grip.

July 28, 2015, 09:01 PM	#1
Slyk Junior Member Join Date: July 25, 2015 Posts: 8	Valuing a used "hybrid" Colt I recently traded into a Colt revolver. The barrel is roll-marked "Agent" and it has the shrouded ejector rod. The frame is not an alloy; heavier. The serial number is b44xxx. Blue steel, snub-nose in .38 special. It seems to be a detective special that has been re-barreled. Assuming this is accurate, how would I value this gun for a sale value, given that it seems to be neither a Det. Special or Agent but some sort of hybrid? Mechanically it is excellent, and there is very little blue wear Thanks for your thoughts-

July 30, 2015, 03:29 PM	#7
Roughedge Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2011 Location: Monroe,NC Posts: 669	Some employees at colt could have a personal gun made however they wanted . I've seen a few one of a kind by doing that but unless you have a letter from Colt there's no way to prove it. __________________ The man that die's with the most stuff win's!

July 28, 2015, 09:33 PM	#2
2ndsojourn Senior Member Join Date: January 15, 2013 Location: South Jersey Posts: 1,416	It's not a hybrid. It's a variant of a colt cobra, without the higher polished finish. Check gunbroker sold prices.

July 29, 2015, 09:38 AM	#3
SaxonPig Senior Member Join Date: April 24, 2006 Posts: 1,900	^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Yup- Agent was a low cost version of the DS. Check out selling prices on the DS models (what, $600-$650 or so?) and take $100 off for your Agent. Just my opinion...whatever it's worth.

July 29, 2015, 09:39 AM	#4
SaxonPig Senior Member Join Date: April 24, 2006 Posts: 1,900	Oh BTW- The Cobra was the alloy frame version of the DS.

July 29, 2015, 05:07 PM	#5
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	The serial number range comes up as a 1971 Police Positive Special or Detective Special, which agrees with the steel frame. It might be marked Agent because A previous owner wanted a shorter barrel than a Police Positive Special and had the Agent barrel put on. or A Colt employee was careless about what bin he got a barrel out of for a Detective Special. They seem not real careful about such stuff; I have a Service Model Ace .22 with a 70B serial number as for a .45.

July 29, 2015, 06:35 PM	#6
SaxonPig Senior Member Join Date: April 24, 2006 Posts: 1,900	QC at Colt in the 1970s was the pits. I saw some horrible guns in dealer's display cases back then. But then, at least they were making some guns.

July 31, 2015, 09:11 PM	#8
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	Following Occam's Razor, the most likely case is a Colt Police Positive Special or Detective Special that was rebarreled. It's very common to see Colt and some S&W revolvers that for one reason or another an owner rebarreled it, and just used whatever barrel he could find. no matte the barrel markings. Yes, there have been cases of factory errors, but those are no where near as common as people seem to think. The Agent was in no way a low cost version of the Detective Special. It was every bit as good as the DS or Cobra and originally had the same bright polished finish as the DS and the Cobra. The Agent only went to a matte black finish after 1982. The Agents "place" was as a minimum size six shot revolver for deep concealment. In that, it was simply the aluminum Cobra with a shorter grip.