Detective Special

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  • Last Post 24 May 2025
davemarkowitz posted this 24 March 2025

A couple weeks ago I won a Gunbroker auction from a local FFL for a 1974 Colt Detective Special. I've generally been a S&W guy but wanted a DS and was able to get it for $505 + PA's 6% sales tax. Since I was able to pick it up in person I didn't have to pay a transfer fee.

It came with a set of Pachmayr Compac grips but I found a set of period correct Colt wood stocks on eBay and got them for a reasonable price.

 

This weekend I was able to take it over to a friend's property and shoot it. This target shows my first 18 shots, fired 2 hands, double action from about 10 yards.

The ammo was a Lee TL358-158 SWC over 3.8 grains of HP-38, in mixed brass, and sparked by Servicio Aventura primers from Argentina.

With these grips I found that the knuckle of my middle finger got whacked a bit by the back of the trigger guard. I will probably try shooting it with the Pachmayrs, but I'm inclined to stick with the wood grips because the gun is more compact with them. I'm able to easily conceal it in my front pants pocket inside a DeSantis Nemesis holster.

I really like the Dick Special and after handling and shooting one, I think Colt should revive them. They're already making a beefed up D-Frame in the form of the new Viper, so putting a 2" barrel on the same frame and calling it a Detective Special should be a no-brainer.

--- Dave Markowitz

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trapdoor4570 posted this 25 March 2025

 

Just a quick FYI.

 From what I have heard and read.  A lot of them were loaded with the 200gr bullet to make up for the loss in velocity and energy with the 158 grain service round.  Probably with the newer controlled expansion bullets it wouldn’t make much difference..  I have the Lyman and RCBS 200 grain molds.  I am sure they will punch deeper even at the lower velocity. 

Nice revolver.  My pocket pistol is a .380 FEG copy of the Walther.   I like it better than the Walther.  Was talking to a couple of deputies that I know and I kidded them that they didn’t notice my pistol in my pocket, both of them tensed a second.  I don’t want them to die like a buddy of mine did on the Collier department did years ago.

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Ed Harris posted this 25 March 2025

You got it for a good price. I have a 3-inch. I like light alloy frame Agents as well.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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davemarkowitz posted this 25 March 2025

Something I noticed when shooting the Lee TL358-158s...

Our backstop is a hill and the ground was muddy. We also fired some 9mm 124 grain Blazer Brass FMJ from a couple Polymer 80s and a Springfield Echelon. The Lee SWC has a large meplat and caused much more mud to fly up than the much faster FMJ RN bullets did. I'd expect them to perform pretty well in meat.

--- Dave Markowitz

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Ed Harris posted this 27 March 2025

In mine I use mostly a "full charge" wadcutter with the 146 grain Saeco #348 double-end, bevel-based wadcutter at 1.20" OAL with 3.5 grains of Bullseye for 780 fps from a 2-inch, 830 from a 3-inch and 855 fps from a 4-inch revolver.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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davemarkowitz posted this 27 March 2025

Your full charge wadcutter load is my preferred snubbie load, actually. I've mostly used the button nose/bevel based 148 grain Lyman 35891 bought from Matt's Bullets.

Question: Do you have any data for full charge wadcutters loaded with Titegroup? I have Bullseye on hand but as you know most Alliant powders are in short supply currently while Titegroup is readily available.

--- Dave Markowitz

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sandwman posted this 29 March 2025

Nice pick-up. We can still find good deals if we are diligent. 

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trapdoor4570 posted this 30 March 2025

Ed thanks.  I am honestly surprised that you are getting those velocities out of a snubby.  Looks like everyone was assuming a much lower velocity out of those short barrels.  If I were to have guessed I would have said somewhere in the low 500’s as a max.  Thanks, always good to learn something new.

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davemarkowitz posted this 30 March 2025

I have a S&W Model 64-2 snub w/a 1.875" barrel, and ran some full charge wadcutters over my Garmin Xero chronograph from it. The loads were 148 grain button nose/bevel base wadcutters from Matt's Bullets over 3.5 grains of Bullseye. The 10 shot average was 760 FPS.

I need to load some more of those.

--- Dave Markowitz

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davemarkowitz posted this 24 May 2025

I had the Detective Special out at the range today and was able to run a new-to-me load over my Garmin. A Hornady 148 grain HBWC over 2.9 grains of Accurate No.2 and a Servicio Aventura primer (from Argentina) average 750 FPS from the Colt's 2" barrel.

The same load averaged a couple FPS less from my 2.5" S&W Model 66-2 in .357 Magnum. Could be a tighter B/C gap on the Colt, or more likely, the .357 chamber with .38 Special loads.

I have more of these loads that I'm hoping to put through a 4" gun soon.

--- Dave Markowitz

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Ed Harris posted this 24 May 2025

I have found TiteGroup and Bullseye track together for velocity at same charge weight. Difference in means is less than sample standard deviation in single digits. B-C gap affects velocity too. A min gap of pass 0.004 / hold 0.005 in a 2-inch snub beats a 4-inch at max pass 0.008 / hold 0.009. S&W may ship up to 0.010".

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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