Detective Special Diamondback MK III, Lawman., Metropolitan, Official Police 1969 - 1978. Colt Long Guns top. Berdan (Russian) Model Rifle. On most modern Colt DA revolvers including the Detective Special, the serial number appears in three locations: on the frame at the crane opening, opposite that on the crane itself and on the inside of the sideplate. I have a colt 38 special dective spec like new condition.I looked up the serial number and the gun was made on 1975 there was 41,900 made that year I have looked everywhere online and I can't figure out how much it is worth please help.
Album here: http://imgur.com/a/tVfmC
Colt Detective Special Grips
I'm new to revolvers, I've done a little research on this Detective Special and I'm looking for more information. The serial number dates to 1995, the last year of production for these guns. I'm sure this gun has been fired, but not much, and I don't think it was ever carried.
Colt Detective Special Serial Numbers Year
A few questions:
Colt Detective Special Manufacture Date
Based on these pictures, what condition would you rate this gun? I've seen people talk about bluing with terms usually ranging from '90%' to '98%'. I can find no rust spots or wear marks, though there is a very slight bit of discoloration surrounding the cylinder release. There are very faint cylinder drag marks as well. How do you maintain a blued gun in this good condition?
I did find the recommendation for checking the lockup- pulling the trigger and checking for cylinder movement while the trigger is held back after the hammer is down. To me there does not seem to be any movement, indicating good lockup. Would this also indicate that the timing is good or is there another way for me to check that?
What's the deal with maintenance and parts replacement on this gun? I've seen a lot of people saying that with use, the hand/pawl will need adjustment and replacement, but there are very few competent gunsmiths who can work on colt revolvers and even fewer parts available for them to work with anyway. If one intended to shoot this gun, should they look and try to stock up some replacement parts ahead of time?
Is the detective special generally considered to be a worthwhile collector's piece or just a good carry gun with little collector value? I haven't been able to determine what common price for a gun like this would be, different models and years seem to sell for anywhere from a few hundred dollars to around $1000 and maybe a little more, some people talk about them like they're valuable collector pieces but I don't think the prices I've seen really line up with that. What would be a fair price for this gun now and do you think it would increase in value?