Colt OFFICERS MODEL 22 MATCH
I have a COLT OFFICERS MODEL 22 MATCH with a 4 inch barrel did colt make one on 4 inch?
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There are a number of different Oficer's model pistols we would need to know what vintage yours is serial number would let us know if you don't want to post complete serial number just substitute an X for the last digit. 0 -
Colt cataloged no Officers Model Match .22 caliber revolvers with 4-inch barrels. All were 6-inch. Are you sure it is not a Trooper, which is essentially the same gun with a 4-inch barrel?
If it is not a Trooper, most likely the barrel has been cut. If the front sight looks original, then a factory letter is in order to determine whether it is a one-off factory original. (Very unlikely.)0 -
Yes, Colt made a gun called the Officers Model Target (third issue) in .22LR with a 4" barrel. They were made from 1930 to 1949. Thirtieth Edition Blue Book, pg 566.
If you post pictures of your gun it would be helpful. I have 3 "Officer's Model Match" revolvers, a .22LR, a .22Magnum and a .38 spl. These were only made with 6" barrels.0 -
The poster identifies the gun in question as a .22 caliber "Officers Model Match," a particular model of the Officers Model series introduced in 1952, well after the period when the Officers Model Target variation was made. However, the .22 caliber Officers Model Target was NEVER cataloged in any barrel length except 6-inch either, so incorrect identification of the model variation cannot be the explanation for the 4-inch barrel. Only the centerfire Officers Model Target was offered in barrel lengths other than 6-inch.
Again I say, IF the gun in question is not a Trooper, it is almost certain that the barrel has been cut. Only a factory letter will verify. IF the gun would happen to letter as a factory 4-inch Officers Model Match, it would likely be one-of-a-kind and very valuable. The chances of that being the case are beyond slim and none.
Whenever a gun in non-standard configuration is found, the first thought should be that it is a modified, non-original gun, NOT that it is a "special order." That is merely wishful thinking.
Until the 4-inch barrel is confirmed by a factory letter, and the chances of that are almost none, assume that it is merely a modified gun. That will cut the value by more than half, in my opinion.0 -
I am always amused when someone quotes the always unreliable "Blue Book" as "proof" of something listed in the "Blue Book." LL assumes that just because it is listed in the "Blue Book," that makes it so.
The "Blue Book" is notorious for its errors, and the Colt section probably contains more than any other section of the book. Anyone not familiar with Colt variations should not rely on the "Blue Book" for information. The best Colt book is "The Book of Colt Firearms" by Wilson and Sutherland. Even it contains some errors, but it is the "Bible" of Colt reference works. TBOCF correctly shows any .22 caliber Officers Model as being available only with a 6-inch barrel. See pages 355 and 366.
The quoted "Blue Book" listing erroneously lumps the centerfire and rimfire Pre-War Officers Models together. That cannot be done since the centerfire models have various barrel lengths (the listing is not even accurate in its listing of centerfire barrel lengths, since there are 4-, 4.5- and 5-inch lengths in the centerfire guns, in addition to the standard 6-inch length) that the rimfire does not.
I do not claim to know everything about Colts, but, in over fifty years of Colt collecting, I have never seen a .22 caliber Officers Model of any vintage with other than a 6-inch barrel. I have a fairly complete catalog collection from about 1900 to current and no catalog in my collection shows a .22 caliber Officers Model in anything but 6-inch barrel.
Since LL has based his reply on the "Blue Book," I will take a few minutes to point out some of the more obvious errors in the 30th "Blue Book."
On Page 546, there is reference to a "Model 1911A1 Commercial." There is no such thing. The proper name for the gun being described is "Government Model." "Model 1911A1" is a military designation and was never applied to commercial guns.
On Page 552, there is reference to a "Commander (Pre-70 Series)." Since there are no "Series 70 Commanders," there can be no "Pre-70 Series" Commanders. The collet bushing is what makes a Model O a "Series 70." The Commander and Combat Commander have never had a collet bushing so cannot be "Series 70" pistols. Notice that there is no "Series 70" marking on any Commander or Combat Commander, unlike a Series 70 Government Model or Gold Cup that is marked "Mark IV/ Series '70" on the slide. Perhaps the "Blue Book" error was generated when Colt put a "70" prefix in the serial numbers of Commanders and Combat Commanders for a while. The serial number prefix is a mere coincidence and has nothing to do with the characteristic that makes a Model O pistol a "Series 70," the collet bushing.
One of the worst errors in the "Blue Book" is the reference to "Issues" of various Colt models. Colt never used the term "Issue" and the Colt collector community does not use or recognize the term.
Here is the reason why "Issue" as used by the "Blue Book" is so misleading and should not be used. The "Blue Book" says there are three "Issues" of the Detective Special. There are many more.
The Detective Special was introduced in 1927 as a variation of the Police Positive Special. These early guns had a square butt. For the sake of illustration only, I would call these guns "First Issue." In 1933, the butt was changed to what Colt calls "round butt," which would be "Second Issue." After World War II, the front sight was changed from round to ramped, which I would call "Third Issue." These early Post-War guns had plastic stocks, which were changed to wood in the mid-1950s. I do not consider the stock material as another "Issue," but some might. In 1966, the butt frame was shortened, which is "Fourth Issue." In 1972, the shrouded barrel was introduced, which I count as "Fifth Issue." In 1984, Colt introduced a "discount" version of the Detective Special with matte finish called the Commando. Some might consider that another "issue" of the Detective Special. I do not because the Detective Special remained in production during that time. The Detective Special and Commando were discontinued for 1987. Colt redesigned the lockwork in 1995 and introduced the SF-IV, which could be called the "Sixth Issue." It was replaced by the DS-II in 1997, which could be called the "Seventh Issue." The DS-II was discontinued after 1998. The Magnum Carry was introduced in 1999 and could be called the "Eighth Issue." The Magnum Carry was discontinued in 1999, along with all other Colt double-action revolvers except the Python, which has now been discontinued as well. The point is, do not use the term "Issue" in regard to Colts.
The broader point is to NEVER rely on the "Blue Book" for anything. Seek the advice of a person knowledgeable in Colts, or, at least, consult a reliable Colt reference book, such as "The Book of Colt Firearms." The "Colt Forum" is frequented by knowledgeable Colt people who are willing to share their knowledge, and it will be a lot more reliable than the awful "Blue Book."
In closing, no .22 caliber Officers Model of any vintage ever had any barrel length but 6-inch, no matter what the "Blue Book" says.
I rest my case.0
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