Well used Colt Officer's Model has been passed down the line

My father had a Colt officers model .38 for many years.  I first remember it being in the house about 1960 or so, but he likely had it well before that.  I recall shooting it as a child, and thinking that it was powerful, and loud.  My brother was given the pistol; I did not feel slighted, as there were plenty of guns to go around.  One of the interactions that I had with the old Colt was when it was impounded when my brother got into some legal difficulties.

The Colt was sent to the Crime Lab in Madison, Wisconsin.   I was going to graduate school in Madison at the time.   My father still owned the pistol, and he asked if there was anything I could do to check on it.    I made a visit to the Crime Lab and inquired as to what the status of the revolver was.  They asked if I was a lawyer.  I said that I had studied the law a bit (which was true).   A couple of weeks later, the pistol was back in my father’s possession (about 300 miles away). 

Now several decades later, the revolver has been refinished.  Perhaps it had picked up some rust, I never understood the reason for the refinish.  I recall it being in better shape, but a lot can happen in 40 years. 

It has been passed on to the next generation.    I know that there are experts who can give me an idea of some of the quirks of the pistol.   I do not have a serial number.

Is the cylinder pin/ejector rod standard?   Examples that I have seen have a different end shape, that is not as broad as this one. 

The cylinder latch is different than most Officer models that I have seen.  Was it a substitute, or an older version?   Maybe it was an economy measure during WWII?

While the pistol has considerable sentimental value to the younger set, the finish has been rather beat up, and the refinish job left much to be desired. 

When I took the pictures, it still locked up tight, but the double action trigger was a bit stiffer than the Smith & Wesson models that I have become accustomed to.   The single action pull was delightful.

I always liked the sight adjustment system on these guns, even if the notch and bead were very fine, smaller than what I now prefer.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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