Colt Army Special .38 Special DA/SA Revolver, 5-Inch Barrel, Blued, 6-Shot, 1923 Hartford Production
This Colt Army Special stands out as a late-production example made in 1923 in Hartford, Connecticut, near the transition to the Official Police line. It is a medium Colt E-frame, six-shot DA/SA revolver with a 5-inch barrel, blued steel finish, and Colt's Positive Lock internal safety. Classic features include fixed sights, the "COLT ARMY SPECIAL .38" barrel rollmark, and black hard-rubber checkered grips with Colt medallions.
Condition
Overall Condition: Good condition, showing some signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Overall Condition: Good - Clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Bore Rifling: Good Rifling - Intact, well-defined lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: This revolver is in solid shape, with scattered scratches and small blemishes visible on the blued finish. The bore is clean and shiny.
What’s Included
- Colt Army Special .38 Special revolver (5-inch barrel)
Manufactured in 1923, this Army Special represents the late period of the model before Colt's shift to the Official Police. It retains the medium E-frame architecture and a six-round, swing-out fluted cylinder with a star extractor. The barrel carries the correct "COLT ARMY SPECIAL .38" rollmark.
The revolver uses a double-action/single-action system with an exposed hammer and a smooth trigger. Colt's Positive Lock internal safety is incorporated. The top strap is smooth (not matted), and the ejector rod is unshrouded with a knurled tip for positive manipulation.
Sighting is straightforward and durable: a fixed half-moon front blade pairs with a milled top-strap groove for the rear. The frame and barrel wear a blued steel finish, and the grips are the period-correct black hard-rubber, checkered with the COLT oval and rampant colt medallion.
Built in Hartford, Connecticut, this example aligns with late Army Special production features and assembly practices, including typical assembly markings on the crane and frame window. Chambered in .38 Special with a 5-inch barrel, it offers the classic handling and lines that define this Colt lineage.