Colt Officers Model Special
Recently picked up a Colt Officers Model Special. The serial # is 7851XX. Anyone know what year it was made? Also, does anyone know a reputable 'smith that can re-time it? This gun definitely has seen a lot of use, and looks like either the hand or bolt (probably both) need to be replaced.
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There is no way to know when your revolver was made, only when it was shipped from Colt. No records were kept of manufacture dates after World War II. The serial number charts indicate your revolver was probably shipped in 1950, but it is not uncommon to find shipping dates a year or more out of sequence. A factory letter is the only way to know for sure.
A worn hand is characteristic of Colts of this design. The hand holds the cylinder tight against the bolt stop as the trigger is pulled, which accounts for much of the superior accuracy of Colt revolvers, but that means the shock of firing is transferred to the hand, accelerating the wear.
The condition usually only shows up when cocking the hammer slowly. It is more annoying than anything else because the hand always rotates the cylinder the last little bit as the trigger is pulled so the cylinder is locked in time at the moment of firing. Cocking the hammer rapidly will also mask the condition as inertia will cause the cylinder (especially a loaded one) to continuing rotating until the bolt drops into the cylinder notch, with the pulling of the trigger applying the usual pressure to the cylinder at the moment of firing.
The bolt almost never needs replacing. Just buy a new hand ($15 list at Brownells) and install it yourself. Almost always, that will be all that is needed, with no special fitting required. No special talent or gunsmithing skill is needed to take off the side plate and replace the hand. The hand is the same on all I-frame revolvers (the OMS is an I-frame if you did not know) from the Army Special introduced in 1908 through the current 2003 Python.
It is also possible to "stretch" the old hand by peening it in the thin part to lengthen it, but a new hand is always preferable.0 -
Thanks for the info JudgeColt. I found the same problem as SaxonPig. Tried both a new hand and one from an Official Police that I own, neither worked. The timing problem is just like you described, it's basically fine unless I cock the hammer slowly. I'm just concerned that the gun will spit lead out the sides if I fire it double action without getting it worked on. I also wasn't sure if this was an I frame or an E. Wood grips from my Python fit it, but I have Pachmayers built for Colt I frames that won't. There is too much steel going across the grip frame in the center area that blocks the grip screw from getting through. The screw on Pachmeyers is somewhat thicker that the factory screw on wood grips, and it's just thick enough to catch the metal on the frame.
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Years ago I had a Colt Model .357 that was out of time. I heard of and tried the peening method to lengthen the hand. My mistake as it stretched the hand but that threw the extra notch out of alignment and the hammer would not come all the way back. After several tries I got it to function but this is best done by a pistolsmith. 0 -
Sorry if your hands took handfitting! I have got to hand it to you for pointing that out to me. On the other hand, I guess I have just been lucky. Maybe more current hands are more oversize so as to be fitted by hand. I have not bought one since the 1980s, and still have a couple on hand. (I guess you could say I have hands on hand!)
Anyway, there is no increased danger of "spitting" because the last pull of the trigger as it releases the hammer rotates the cylinder into place. You can demonstrate that by holding onto the hammer as you pull the trigger to release. You will see the cylinder snap into place with the last pull of the trigger. Unless it really annoys you, you are fine the way it is.0
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