The Colt Cobra is a lightweight, aluminum-framed, double-actionshort-barrelled revolver, not to be confused with the Colt King Cobra. The Cobra was chambered in .38 Special, .38 Colt New Police, .32 Colt New Police, and .22 LR. It holds six shots of ammunition and was sold by Colt from 1950 until 1981.^[1] In December 2016, it was announced that Colt would be producing a new run of the Colt Cobra with a steel frame and a fiber optic front sight. This model was released in early 2017.

Product development and usage[edit]

The Cobra was made in two models: the First Model, made from 1950-1971 and weighing 15 ounces unloaded with 2-inch barrel, and an improved Second Model, made from 1972-1981, recognizable by its shrouded ejector rod and Baughman-style ramp front sight, with an unloaded weight of 16 ounces. The Cobra is the same overall size and configuration as the famous Colt Detective Special and uses the same size 'D' frame, except that the Cobra's frame is constructed of lightweight aluminum alloy as compared to the all-steel frame of the Detective Special. In the mid-1960s, the Detective Special's and Cobra's grip frame was shortened to the same size as that of the Agent.The Cobra was produced in calibers .38 Special, 32 Colt New Police, .22 LR, and a rare few in .38 S&W. The .38 Special Cobra was available in 2, 3, 4, and 5 inch barrel lengths. The .32 caliber version was available in 2- and 3-inch barrel lengths. The .22 LR Cobra was available only with the 3-inch barrel.

Standard Cobras were blued with round-butt grip frames. The .38 Special Cobra with a 2-inch barrel was available with a nickel finish at additional cost. Early models also had a square-butt option.

First, identifying a Colt revolver can be frustrating because beginning in 1840 Colt always started each new model at serial number '1', and progressed upward until the model was discontinued, OR until the mid-1960's when the serial number system changed to meet Federal law. My neighbor has a Colt Agent.38 special that she is interested in possibly selling to me. I have no clue what this revolver is worth. I want to give her a fair price. Blued finish that I would say is probably in 85% condition(bit of holster wear). There is a little bit of rust, but not much. I believe it is a 1965 model as the serial number is 161XXXLW and according to proofhouse.com it fits. Jun 30, 2009 Colt Model 1855 Side Hammer “Root” Pocket Revolver Colt Models 1 and 1A Serial #1-384 Colt Model 2 Serial #476-25000. Colt New Agent Colt Double Eagle. First, identifying a Colt revolver can be frustrating because beginning in 1840 Colt always started each new model at serial number '1', and progressed upward until the model was discontinued, OR until the mid-1960's when the serial number system changed to meet Federal law.

It was announced in 2016 that Colt would re-release the Colt Cobra in 2017. The Third Model (2017-present) is offered only as a 6 shot DA/SA revolver in .38 Special (+P Capable) with a 2' barrel. This model will be offered with a Matte Stainless Steel finish and has an unloaded weight of 25 ounces. At the 2018 Shot Show, Colt debuted the Colt Night Cobra, which has a matte black finish and a front night sight. It is also double action only.^[2]

Production subvariants[edit]

Colt Aircrewman[edit]

The Colt M13 Aircrewman was an ultra-lightweight version of the Detective Special constructed of aluminum alloy, and made from 1951-1957 for use by US Air Force aircrews. They are distinguished by the Air Force medallion in the place of the Colt medallion on the checkered wooden grips, as well as a cylinder made of aluminum alloy. Within two years of issuance, reports of cylinder and/or frame failure began to plague the Aircrewman and its Smith & Wesson counterpart, the Smith & Wesson Model 12, despite issuing a dedicated low-pressure .38 Special military cartridge, the Caliber .38 Ball, M41 round.^[3][4] However, the cylinder fractures continued, and the weapons were eventually withdrawn from service.^[5]

Colt Courier[edit]

The Courier was produced in .22 Long Rifle, 32 Colt NP, 32 S&W long and short. Frame and cylinder are constructed of lightweight aluminum alloy. It was made from 1954 to 1956. Approximately 3,000 were produced in the two years.

Colt Agent[edit]

The Colt Agent was another model similar to the Cobra. The original Agents were very well made, with high polished finishes and highly checkered walnut grips. The bottom of the Agent grips was slightly shorter than that of the Cobra. The original Agent weighed 14 ounces and was available only in .38 Special caliber, with a 2-inch barrel and blued finish. It was made from 1955 to 1979. The original Agents had a smaller grip frame from the Cobra which made for a deeper concealment and the grip frame was later changed to match the Cobra in the late 60s. A slightly revised version of the Agent was released in 1973 with a shrouded barrel with a weight of 16 ounces. In 1982, the Agent was briefly revived by Colt, this time with a parkerized finish; production continued until 1986, which made the Agent a much cheaper version of the Cobra.

Colt Viper[edit]

The Viper was essentially a 4' barrel version of the alloy-framed Colt Cobra in .38 Special. Introduced in 1977 and only produced that year, the Viper did not sell as well as Colt expected and was discontinued. In recent years, owing to its limited production run, the Viper has become quite collectable. Examples in good condition fetch unusually high prices.

Ammunition[edit]

Some have recommended against the use of +P-rated .38 Special cartridges in aluminum-framed Colt revolvers, as the Cobra was designed well before the '+P' designation. Others point out that +P ammunition is the same pressure as the regular pressure ammunition was before SAAMI lowered the standards in 1972 as a result of industry requests. They point out that the post-'72 loads are merely regular pressure ammunition labeled as '+P'. Some experts have done considerable testing so as to prove that +P .38 specials are not truly hot loads.^[6]

Colt Year By Serial Number

In the owners' manual accompanying some post-1972 Cobra revolvers, Colt recommended the use of +P ammunition for 2nd Model Cobra frames only, with the stipulation that the gun be returned to the factory for inspection every 1,000 rounds (compared with a 2,000–3,000 round interval for the 2nd Model steel-framed Detective Special).

The new 2017 reintroduction Colt Cobra revolver is rated to accept +P ammunition.

The Cobra should never be fired with extreme-pressure +P+ ammunition as there are no industry standards for such loads.

Notable users[edit]

• Jack Ruby used a Colt Cobra .38 to kill Lee Harvey Oswald on November 24, 1963 as Dallas, Texas law enforcement officials were transporting Oswald from the city jail to the county jail.^[7] The infamous gun was purchased for $220,000 at an auction held by Herman Darvick Autograph Auctions in New York City on December 26, 1991 by collector Anthony V. Pugliese III of Delray Beach, Florida. It was consigned by Jack Ruby's brother, Earl Ruby.^[8]
• Lee Marvin carried two Colt Cobras while playing Detective-Lieutenant Frank Balinger of the Chicago Police Department on the TV series M Squad.
• Monika Ertl used a Colt Cobra .38 to kill Roberto Quintanilla, the man who cut off the hands of the corpse of Che Guevara, in 1971.
• Legendary music producer Phil Spector was convicted of murdering actress Lana Clarkson with a Colt Cobra .38 at his Alhambra, California home in 2003.
• The Colt Cobra was the favourite weapon of Michele Cavataio, infact he used this weapon into the first mafia war.

References[edit]

1. ^Gun Collector's Club: Colt Cobra
2. ^'COLT COBRA (.38 SPECIAL +P)'(PDF). Colt's Manufacturing Company, LLC.
3. ^TM 43-0001-27, Army Ammunition Data Sheets - Small Caliber Ammunition, FSC 1305, Washington, D.C.: Dept. of the Army, 29 April 1994: The original USAF .38 M41 ball cartridge had a pressure limit of only 13,000 CUP, propelling its 130-grain FMJ bullet at a mild 725 feet per second.
4. ^Williams, Kevin, Colt Two-Inch Revolvers in U.S. Military Service, The Rampant Colt, Colt Collectors Association Magazine (June 2009)
5. ^Williams, Kevin, Colt Two-Inch Revolvers in U.S. Military Service, The Rampant Colt, Colt Collectors Association Magazine (June 2009)
6. ^http://shootingwithhobie.blogspot.com/2009/01/p-phenomenon-by-saxonpig.html
7. ^Christianson, Scott (2006). Bodies of Evidence: Forensic Science and Crime. Globe Pequot. p. 83. ISBN9781592285808.
8. ^Trask, Mike (March 11, 2008). 'From Jack Ruby to Las Vegas: A gun's trajectory'. Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 13 November 2014.

External links[edit]

• The Colt Cobra 38 Special.^{[permanent dead link]}
• Colt M13 Aircrewman RevolverForgotten Weapons

The Colt Detective Special is a six-shot, carbon steel framed, 2' barreled, double-actionrevolver, and the first example of a class of firearms known as 'snubnose revolvers'. Made by Colt's Manufacturing Company, this model revolver, as the name 'Detective Special' suggests, was intended to be a concealed weapon used by plainclothes police detectives.

Introduced in 1927, the Detective Special was the first short-barreled revolver produced with a modern swing-out frame. It was designed from the outset to be chambered for higher-powered cartridges such as the .38 Special, considered to be a powerful caliber for a concealable pocket revolver of the day. The Detective Special uses a slightly smaller frame than the Colt Official Police or Smith & Wesson Model 10 (K-Frame) revolvers, but is larger than the five-shot Smith & Wesson Model 36/Model 38/Model 42 (J-frame) revolvers.^[1]

Although the Detective Special proved to be an instant success when first introduced,^[2] lackluster sales saw the elimination of the Detective Special from the product line in 1995.

Design development[edit]

The Fitz Special[edit]

John Henry Fitzgerald, an employee of Colt Firearms from 1918 to 1944, first came up the Fitz Special snubnosed revolver concept around the mid 1920s, when he modified a .38 SpecialColt Police Positive Special revolver,^[3] by shortening the barrel to two inches, shortening the ejector rod, bobbing the hammer spur, rounding the butt, and removing the front half of the trigger guard. Reshaping the hammer and the butt allows the gun to be drawn quickly with little risk of the weapon snagging on clothing. The halved trigger guard facilitates quick trigger acquisition, even for shooters with large fingers or gloves.^[4]

Although historians disagree, it's believed that somewhere between 40 and 200 Fitz Specials left the Colt factory, made from various Colt revolvers, by Fitzgerald himself.^[5] The Fitz Special was the precursor to the modern snubnosed revolver and specifically the prototype for the Colt Detective Special, the first production two-inch snubnosed revolver. Even after the introduction of the Detective Special in 1927, Fitz continued to make custom revolvers for special clientele.

The Detective Special[edit]

Colt was so impressed with the Fitz Special that they decided to produce a sightly less radical version, the Detective Special, which is simply a shortened and somewhat streamlined Colt Police Positive Special. The Detective Special proved to be an instant success and was made until 1995.^[2]

Colt's Detective Special went through several issues or series.^[6] The First Series was produced from 1927 until 1946. Compared to later production models, the First Series used a narrower frame, with reduced clearance between the frontstrap of the gripframe and the rear of the trigger guard. Other distinctive features included a shorter ejector rod with an ungrooved, knurled tip; a checkered hammer spur and cylinder latch, a 'half-moon'–shaped front sight, and an overlapping screw and locking pin set-up on the right side of the frame. Grip panels were wooden. A rounded butt on the metal frame became standard in 1933, but pieces with the original square butt (like that of the Police Positive Special) continued to be produced into the 1940s.^[1]

The Second Series ran from 1947 to 1972. The ejector-rod was longer and had a groove in its knurled tip; a three-inch-barrel variant was offered, with a yet longer ejector rod. The cylinder latch was smooth, and the trigger spur serrated. The right side frame screw has no locking pin, and the rear half of the front sight is a serrated ramp. The grip panels were plastic in 1947, but were changed back to wood starting in 1955 (first with a silver-tone Colt medallion, and later a gold-tone). An optional hammer shroud was available from the factory to prevent the hammer from catching on clothing.^[1]

Transition from the First to Second Series was gradual, with some post-WWII Second Series guns retaining short ejector rods and checkered hammers. Because of this, assigning a given revolver to a particular issue is best done by serial number.

During the 1960s, the grip frame of the Second Series Detective Special was shortened, matching that of Colt's other snub-nosed pistols, the Cobra and Agent. Despite this alteration, the Detective Special's overall grip size remained unchanged, as Colt fitted the Second Series with new, lengthened gripstocks that extended below the frame.^[1]

The Third Series ran from 1973 to 1986. A new shroud extended down from the barrel, enclosing and protecting the ejector rod, and the front sight was changed to a full ramp. New, oversize wood gripstocks were introduced that covered the front frame strap. The Third Series featured improvements to the revolver's internal lockwork as well. As with the previous two Series models, a few nickel-plated guns were produced, and a 3-inch-barrel variant was again offered. In 1986, facing stagnant sales numbers as well as rising production and labor costs, Colt discontinued production of the Detective Special.^[7]

Colt Agent Serial Number Range

Colt filed for bankruptcy protection in 1992. After reorganization, the company restarted production of the Detective Special in 1993. The post-1992 Detective Special is sometimes called the Fourth Series, and featured 'composite' (rubber), wrap-around grips with a gold medallion. Only a two-inch barrel was offered, in blue or hard chrome finish. The new production run continued only until 1995, when Colt introduced its stainless-steel SF-VI as a replacement for the Detective Special.^[1]

From its introduction, the Detective Special used Colt's ‘Positive Safety Lock’ (hammer block), first featured on the Police Positive; the mechanism interposes a bar between hammer and frame until the trigger is pulled, preventing accidental discharge if the hammer is struck (e.g., if a dropped gun falls onto its hammer) with the trigger forward.^[8] First and early Second Series Detective Specials are becoming highly sought after by collectors, particularly if they are in prime condition and still have the famous Colt 'Royal Blue' finish.

Calibers and finishes[edit]

The Detective Special was initially available in both bright blued and nickel finishes; a stainless steel finish replaced the nickeled option during the Fourth Series. For the Second Series, caliber options were .32 New Police, .38 New Police, and .38 Special; only .38 Special was offered for the other Series models. The standard barrel length was 2 inches, but also a (rare) three-inch-barrel was offered during the Second and Third Series.^[1]

Submodels and variants[edit]

One early variant based on the DS frame was the Colt Banker's Special. First produced in 1928, it was chambered in .38 Colt New Police (.38 S&W) and .22 Long Rifle. Few were made, particularly in .22LR caliber. The Banker's Special was popular with railway clerks, who often carried them on mail and parcel freight trains prior to World War II. During World War II production was discontinued, and the type was not revived following the war's end.

The Colt Commando Special was a version of the Detective Special with a matte finish and rubber grips; produced from 1984 to 1986, it was chambered in .38 Special and weighed 21.5 oz.

During the Fourth Series production run of 1993–1995, Colt offered the Detective Special with an optional de-spurred 'bobbed' hammer and double action only lockwork, direct from the factory. The DAO or 'Bobbed Hammer' Detective Special was otherwise the same as the standard Fourth Series Detective Special.^[8]

Ammunition[edit]

Interest has arisen over the use of higher-pressure (+P) .38 Special ammunition in the Detective Special. In their more recent owners manuals, Colt authorized limited use of +P ammunition in steel-framed revolvers (including earlier versions), citing 2000 to 3000 rounds before recommending the gun be returned to the factory for inspection.^[9] Many believe that this was due to potential liability rather than engineering requirements, as the standard pressure ammunition of yesteryear was about the same pressure as modern +P ammunition.^{[citation needed]}SAAMI lowered the pressures in 1972.^[1]

Usage[edit]

Colt Agent Revolver Parts

Due to the good concealment qualities of the revolver, the Colt Detective Special was used as a weapon mostly by plainclothes police detectives, though it was also a popular off duty and backup firearm for uniformed police officers.^[1] It was used by bodyguards, and for personal defense and shooting sports.

The Colt Detective Special was a popular weapon before the semi-automatic pistol replaced the revolver in many police departments as well as law enforcement units and armies. Myanmar Police Force and some other countries are still using the batches as officers' sidearms.

Replacement[edit]

Designated as the '9.65mm handgun', the Detective Special was used by the military police officers of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces along with the M1911 pistol designated as the '11.4mm handgun', only to be replaced by the Minebea P9 semi-automatic pistol, the Japanese license-made SIG Sauer P220. And a small number were used in some prefectural police headquarters of Japan including the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.^[10]

The six-shot Colt Detective Special was the standard issue sidearm of Crime Wing inside Hong Kong Police Force, only to be replaced by SIG Sauer P250 after multiple years of use.

The Colt Detective Special was the first revolver issued to French customs agents, meant to replace the old Browning 10/22 and MAB D pistols. They were used from 1975 to 1988, being progressively replaced by Smith & Wesson revolvers (mostly the S&W model 13) along with French Manurhins and the Sig Sauer SP 2022 in 2005.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdefghAyoob, Massad (15 March 2010). 'The Colt Detective Special'. Massad Ayoob's Greatest Handguns of the World. Iola, wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. pp. 55–63. ISBN1-4402-1458-1.
2. ^ ^abhttps://gatdaily.com/gun-review-colt-detective-special-revolver-38-spl/ Gun Review: Colt Detective Special revolver in .38 Spl
3. ^https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2012/4/20/the-fitz-special/ The Fitz Special by Gary Paul Johnston, April 20, 2012
4. ^FindArticles.com | CBSi
5. ^https://www.guns.com/2015/09/02/fitz-colt-snub-nosed-revolver-benchmark/ The Fitz Colt: The snub-nosed revolver benchmark 9/02/15 by Chris Eger
6. ^Fjestad, SP: Blue Book of Gun Values, 29th Edition; Blue Book Publications, Inc., Minneapolis, 2008
7. ^Trzoniec, Stanley W. (1986). 'Colt's Detective Special'. American Handgunner. 21 (2).
8. ^ ^abColt Detective SpecialArchived January 12, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
9. ^Colt Detective Special Owners Manual. Hartford, Connecticut: Colt's Manufacturing. 1994. p. 12.
10. ^Sugiura, Hisaya (September 2015). 'Pistols of the Japanese police in the postwar era'. Gun Professionals. Hobby Japan: 72–79.

External links[edit]