Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

Colt Agent finish and grips

GunHawke
[8D][8D] From all of us in sunny Florida.....

I have a Colt Agent, the alloy frame .38 with the dark grey finish. What IS the finish on the Agent actually called? Is it parkarized or something Colt cooked up?

Also, mine should be the 2nd version because of the shouded ejector rod....but the wood grips/stocks are NOT smooth, they're checkered. The ser# is 106126......can you help with year of manufacture??

Thanks ahead of time!!

Jim Michaels
GunHawke



"They blink an eye or draw a breath before they pull a trigger. I won't!" J.B. Books
0

Comments

3 comments

Date Votes
  • RancheroPaul
    The name of the process of putting color on an aluminum frame is called "anodizing" which is a process that was originally black. Some of the early guns with this process on their aluminum parts have turned a blue sort of purple and even some of the very early specimans with this finish have turned a very deep maroon. Anodizing can be done by a metal finishing company and there may be some in your local phone book. However, if you are looking at "Collector Value" of this gun, do NOT refinish it as it was quickly lessen its value a great deal, (50% or more).

    According to the serial number, 106126 LW would have been produced in 1961. If you gun doesn't have the "LW" suffix and has another Letter or letters either before or after the numbers, it would be from another time. Because you say this gun has a "shrouded ejector rod" you may have missed the "Alphabet letter or letters before the number or after the number and your gun may be a later manufactured gun. The Agent was only produced one way, and one way only! This gun had fewer options and different accessories than any other Colt gun. These guns all came with Checkered Walnut Grips and no others were offered from the factory until the 70's. However, in 1966 the grip frame was shortened and the grips overlap at the butt from that time on. They were still checkered walnut with the colt medallion at the top. The markings on the Agent stayed the same throughout the entire production of these guns. It was about 1973 when the change was made to the "shrouded ejector" which was added and the 3rd generation Detective Special grips without medallions were used which were of the overlapping butt design, also, and still checkered.

    Double check your serial number for letter before or after the number, otherwise if your gun has the LW marking, it would have had a barrel change sometime in its life. Hope this helps!


    I Miss The World I Grew Up In!
    0
  • GunHawke
    Hello RancheroPaul!!

    You're detailed!! Thank you!

    Here's what I discovered....my ser # is actually W 06126...and the checkered wood grips do overlap the frame bottom and do have the Coly gold (although faded) medallion. Does that zero it in????

    And I TOO miss the world I grew up in! Touche.

    Jim Michaels
    GunHawke



    "They blink an eye or draw a breath before they pull a trigger. I won't!" J.B. Books
    0
  • RancheroPaul
    Later Serial Numbers for the Agent were "shared" with the Police Positive Special, Detective Special, Diamondback, and Cobra. The next "number up" was given to whatever gun was being made so any of these five models could end up with consecutive serial numbers as well as consecutive numbers within the models as a normal factory run of numbers. Just a little trivia for whatever its worth.

    The number you have now determined, W 06126 would have been manufactured in 1982, which would account for the "Shrouded Ejector Rod" barrel configuration and the "wrap under" style of grips which would be correct on a gun made in 1982. And now we have it all "sorted" out..... Enjoy the gun! They are fun......and incidently, the "Agent" was never chambered for any cartridge but the .38 Special.


    I Miss The World I Grew Up In!
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity