Colt's?

[azmike]

Was at the Tucson gun show this weekend, and noticed a couple of wheelguns that intrigued me.  There were several old Colt Official Police revolvers out, mostly in .38 special.  They all showed substantial finish wear, but I did not handle them (my war chest was dedicated to finding an Encore frame this time, so I did not want to tempt myself.  As it was, I nearly walked out with a minty Security Six and a Taurus Tracker in .45acp.  Narrow escape.).

Does anybody have experience with these, or the Police Positives?   I am a big revolver fan, and figure I can never have too many .38's.  Don't want to get burned on someone else's junk, so I was wondering generally if these Colt models are worth examining used, or are they known for being fragile, unreliable, or hard to repair?  

Thanks,

Mike

[GrantCunningham]

Was at the Tucson gun show this weekend, and noticed a couple of wheelguns that intrigued me.  There were several old Colt Official Police revolvers out, mostly in .38 special. {....} Does anybody have experience with these, or the Police Positives?  {...} I was wondering generally if these Colt models are worth examining used, or are they known for being fragile, unreliable, or hard to repair?  

First, read this; while focusing on the Python, it applies to all Colts:

http://grantcunningham.blogspot.com/2006/01/is-colt-python-delicate.html

Any Colt is worth owning. They aren't being made any more, and are currently experiencing rapid appreciation in value. While OPs are the most reasonably priced right now, I don't expect this to continue.

A Colt, given proper maintenance, is no less rugged than any other revolver in a similar frame size. They are not fragile - fragility being defined as "easily broken or damaged" - but they do require a bit more attention to maintenance if they are to be expected to perform at their best. Bad maintenance will result in increased wear, and with parts becoming more scarce it is important to maintain the gun properly.

Repairs? Yes, they're more difficult to work on than a S&W, and those of us experienced enough to work on them are getting few and far between. Parts, as mentioned, are getting scarcer and more expensive. Make sure it's in good condition before you buy.

Hope this helps.

[uncle joe]

In my opinion the Colt python is without a doubt the best looking and possibly the best shooting handgun ever made. Years ago I shot on our police dept. shooting team in competition with a 6" Python the only modification was a smoothed out trigger that felt like you were pulling your finger through soft butter. I won several trophys with that gun before I quit shooting competition and sold it to a young fellow who still competes and still wins. I spoke with him recently and he said he turned down $1000.00 for the gun.

[azmike]

Many thanks for the informative replies.