This is kind of a parts gun...I got it as a gift when I was 12 (an uncle had it; barrel was sawed off, cylinder was reamed out and didn't rotate, and the frame was pitted ). It lived in my parents' house, a forgotten heirloom, until I joined the LAPD. A couple of years went by and I got an assignment to the firearms unit. The armorers there fitted another cylinder and a post-war 5" barrel, timed it and got it shooting to POA. Still ugly, though. At the time, the LAPD had a ton of revolver parts and fixing my gun was a matter of picking out a cylinder, crane, firing pin and barrel. Harry Davis, ace LAPD armorer, got my revolver running for a cheeseburger and an order of fries (well done).

I made friends with the gentlemen at the Colt custom shop on one of my many trips to Camp Perry when I was shooting with the USAR Service Pistol Team. It didn't hurt that I grew up in CT. I gave my Colt to the guys at the custom shop on a trip home to CT; I was told not to expect anything for "several" months. A year later at Perry I was given the gun. It had been completely tuned (Python-Tedford action job) and refinished in Royal Blue. All pitting had been removed and all the markings re-stamped. It was gorgeous. Colt put a really nice set of Python stocks on it. I probably had the best-looking OP out there, done by the custom shop (for free). The revolver now wears a set of old Pachmayr stocks I got in the LAPD Armory that had been on one of the last Colts still on patrol in the 1980's. The copper carrying that gun shot four people with it; I thought grips with that history would be a perfect addition to my "working" gun.

Target was shot from a two-handed rest at 25 yards with factory .38 wadcutters several years ago. I'm not really a big Colt DA revolver fan, but this one is special. I've literally had several thousand rounds of free 158 grain lead ball and 148 grain wadcutters through it. Except for the turn line, it's still looking pretty good.

If it were 1935 again, I wouldn't have an issue carrying this Colt on patrol in a nice Hoyt breakfront holster.
Bob

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Last edited by RGK; 05/27/21.