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Selected Handgun Detail

Colt
Model Detective Special
Colt Revolver Detective Special .38 Spl Variant-3
Scale To:
Gun Dimensions Width:No Data
Length:6.75-in Height:No Data
Barrel:2-in Weight:21-oz
Variant 3 of 8
Gun Rankings
  • Power Factor (158 grain bullet)105544
  • Recoil Factor (158 grain bullet)3.72 ft-lb
  • Total Capacity6 rounds
  • ConcealabilityGood
  • Defense Factor54%
Gun Specifications
Type:Revolver
Produced:1973 - 1986
Caliber:.38 Spl
Action:revolving chamber
Trigger:double-action (DA/SA)
Safety:none
Cylinder:6-round
Frame:nickel finish steel
Grip:walnut
Sights:fixed blade and notch
Notes:third issue
Manufacturer
Colt's Manufacturing Company, LLC
More Info
Gun Value
MSRP:$529.00Used Est:$1,050.00
Last Update:8/27/2023
About the Gun

Colt's Detective Special is considered the first "snubnose" revolver and was intended to be a concealed weapon used by plainclothes police detectives. It was the first short-barreled revolver produced with a modern swing-out frame. Between 1927 and 1993 the gun was produced in four variations, or "issues" that incorporated changes in the frame dimension, sight type, barrel shroud and grip. While the Detective Special was produced primarily for the .38 Special cartridge the "second issue" variant was also chambered for the .32 S&W long (AKA .32 Colt New Police).

Cartridge Specifications
Cartridge: .38 Special
Alias: .38 Smith & Wesson Special
More Info
Ballistics for This Gun
Selected Bullet Mass:158 grains
MV:668 ft/sec ME:157 ft-lbs
About the Cartridge

Developed by Smith & Wesson and introduced along with its Military & Police Model revolver in 1902, this was originally a military cartridge intended to replace the unsatisfactory .38 Long Colt then in use by the Army. Colt brought out its own version of the .38 Special in 1909, which differs from the original only in bullet shape, being a flat-point style. The .38 Special is considered one of the best-balanced, all-round handgun cartridges ever designed. It is also one of the most accurate and very widely used for match shooting.

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