Colt Shooting Master .38 Special, 6-inch, High-Polish Blue, 1936 Pre-War Target Revolver
This 1936 Colt Shooting Master in .38 Special is a pre-war target revolver built on the New Service flat-top target frame. It features a 6-inch round barrel, fully adjustable target sights with a Patridge front, and a high-polish blue carbon-steel finish with a factory matte/anti-glare flat topstrap; the barrel top is polished blue. Produced in comparatively limited numbers, it carries hallmark pre-war target features and includes aftermarket orthopedic wood target stocks.
Condition
Overall Condition: Fair condition, showing extensive 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: The revolver retains solid mechanical integrity. The high-polish blue finish shows scratches and blemishes. The bore is clean and shiny. There is carbon buildup above the forcing cone and scorch marks on the cylinder consistent with normal use.
What’s Included
- Colt Shooting Master .38 Special revolver (6-inch) with aftermarket orthopedic wood target stocks installed
Built on the Colt New Service flat-top target frame, this Shooting Master represents Colt’s pre-war premium target line. The six-shot fluted cylinder, .38 Special chambering, and 6-inch round barrel reflect the model’s purpose-built, target-oriented configuration and 1930s production heritage.
The sighting system is set up for precision work, pairing a tall Patridge front sight with a fully adjustable target rear sight featuring a micrometer-style windage wheel. The barrel retains an exposed knurled ejector rod without a shroud.
Controls and finish details include a smooth, uncheckered cylinder latch, a standard trigger, and a wide, checkered hammer spur. The revolver is finished in high-polish blue carbon steel with a factory matte/anti-glare flat-top strap; the barrel top, frame flats, cylinder, and barrel sides are high-polish blue. It carries the commercial rollmark "COLT SHOOTING MASTER .38" on the barrel.
Aftermarket orthopedic wood target stocks are installed. These large, two-piece stocks incorporate a thumb rest, palm shelf, and a full base extension, giving the revolver a distinctive target profile. A small triangular proof/inspection mark is present above the serial on the crane window.