Colt Revolver Continued Army Special Serial Numbers

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In 1908 Colt introduced a new revolver to replace an earlier one that dated from 1892 and had been adopted as the U.S. military service handgun. Expecting this trend to continue they named the succeeding model the Army Special and continued the original serial number series starting at 291,000.
The revolver you have (464,258) was made in 1921.

By 1927 it became clear that the military, having adopted a .45 pistol in 1911, was no longer interested in .38 revolvers. But on the other hand they had been widely adopted by law enforcement organizations. As a consequence they renamed the gun to Official Police and continued to make it until 1977.

The Army Special was offered in .32-20 (.32WCF) as a companion to those who had similarly chambered rifles, .38 Special and .41 Long Colt. Cataloged barrel lengths were 4, 5 and 6 inches.

The standard stocks were made from a black hard-rubber compound. Unfortunately as this material aged it became brittle, and often cracked or chipped. As a result sound pairs are valuable in their own right. Also they were individually hand fitted to each frame, and serial numbered to the gun on the inside. Be careful to take care of them.

If the revolver is still in good shape and locks up tight it is safe to shoot with any standard velocity .38 Special ammunition sold today.
Thanks, Old Fuff. The hard rubber grips are nearly pristine, but I haven't taken them off to check the serial number yet. When I do I'm going to give the gun a good cleaning to see how much original finish is left on it, but it seems a little rough. The only mechanical issue I see is that if you cock the hammer slowly the cylinder locking notch doesn't quite get to the bolt every time. (Timing?) There is a ding in the barrel about two inches back from the muzzle at about 4 o'clock as you hold the gun, but, from what my officer said, his great-grandmother was a mean ol' lady who lived to 103! She might have taken someone's teeth out with it! He also has an old box of ammo with some rounds left in it. He seemed surprised when I told him they might have some value, too.
When I get it cleaned up (Just taking old oil/grease dirt/carbon residue off, not "patina."), I'll post pictures.

I don't know if he'll ever shoot it again, but he'll sure have something to pass on to his kids and grandkids. "Let me tell you about my great-grandma. She was a mean ol' lady, and this here is her gun."
Colt Official Police.
On the crane:

663627 along with an L above to the right and an S below.

When was this puppy made? Thanks
Made in 1941. The letters are inspector's stamps. You may find a duplicate stamped in the inside of the crane opposite the ones on the frame.
We didn't really enter the Second World War until 1942. Only 3 weeks of 1941 were left after the attack on Pearl Harbor. What interests me is apparently it is devoid of UK proof marks and military stamps. While it's expensive, you might consider getting this one lettered by Colt to see exactly when it was shipped, and to whom. It would also confirm (or not) that it was made as a .38-200 and not an aftermarket rebarreling job - which is unlikely.

Smith & Wesson made the most .38-200 revolvers because for all practical purposes they only made K-frame .38 revolvers. Colt on the other hand made .50 and .30 caliber belt fed machine guns, Browning Automatic Rifles (BAR's), 1911A1 .45 pistols, and Official Police/Commando revolvers in .38 Special and .38-200. If that wasn't enough they also produced some .32/.380 Pocket Pistols, Detective Specials, and small lots of other models assembled from pre-war parts.
My granddad had this Colt and it shows up from 1890s to 1950 based on the serial number. Colt DA .41. On the grip frame 23 27x On the crane 51x and frame a 2 with 51x below. Which number do I use to look this up. I have tried them different ways and they come up about 25-30 different models. 3" barrel. Once I cleaned her up she started sounding like a real revolver.
Any help on a mfg date and model would be appreciated
iam, you show a Model of 1889 Navy made in 1892. 2327X is the serial number. (Come on, guys if you want something looked up for you, give a complete description, including serial number.)
.41 caliber and hard rubber grips show it is a commercial version.
a) 357 magnum
b) 6"
c) square
d) 6 shot
e) adjustable
f) 014XXE
g) its not in my hand currently, no model number
I do know it's a python
Go to
http://www.colt.com/Customer-Services/Serial-Number-Lookup
and enter the real serial number to get the year made.
Thanks Jim. I wasn't even sure 100% what the serial number was. I guess I was close enough though. Thank you for your help.
Colt Python AL46xx anyone know the approximate date of manufacture.
Wriggly sorry we missed this, looks like 1980 mfg.
How about a Detective Special?
Cal .38 Special
Serial # HA3893
Colt website says no record of this: 14612NF, but I have it and is a short barrel New Frontier marked "44-40" on the barrel, with a 44 Special cylinder.
I put this Official Police on layaway today. 4", 38 of course, double screws on the right side.
S/N is 698973 No prefix.
Hey brother, I have an extra mainspring for that Colt I don't want to throw away, PM your address and I'll send it to you.
New to the group, although I been reading for a while. I have 3 questions regarding my 1961 Colt Detective special that I hope those who are more knowledgeable can assist me with. #1 is, there is a V stamped beneath the serial number, what does this stand for? #2 is, I found NS stamped on frame beneath grips, any idea what this stands for? ( my guess is nickeled steel) #3 is I have original mother of pearl grips, I would like to store these and install walnut or similar wood on it to carry more often, any thoughts? I would hate to break the original grips, I may consider pachmayr which seem to be easily found. Thanks for info and opinions.
Yes leave those for display. MoP is not a great choice for everyday carry.
The 'V' under the serial number is like the assembler's ID , the 'NS' is probably INS for "inspected". (Several sources on the Colt forum)

Last edited: Sep 30, 2017
I think that's 1944 though I am looking at additional sources.
bewrong Member

Joined:

Jan 6, 2018

Messages:

1
a) .38 special ctg
b) 4" barrel
c) square butt
d) 6 shot
e) fixed sights, serrated ramp on front
f) 329790 T behind the crane, z0714996 penciled on bottom of butt
g) official police stamped on barrel
rslane32 Member

Joined:

Jan 23, 2018

Messages:

1
hello all,can you guys tell me what type of bullet to put in this gun? are they 38 special? or 38 super? or something else?
Rslane32, I have that same Officers Model 38, it's 38 Special.
New, bare with me
38 spc
2" bbl
6 rds
Rnd butt, "coltwood" plastic w/emblems
Sn 303XX
Cobra LW
I believe a 1954 vintage
Looking for value and info