Over the course of the last several years many people have brought a wide variety of revolvers out to the range for use in training classes.
Early on, as an aid to helping shooters find the right gun for them, I carefully selected an array of the most popular guns for self defense use. In semi-autos "loaner" choices ranged from Glock 19's, 17's, 23's, 42's, 30S's, Smith M&P's (both 9mm & .22), 1911's, Shields, Bodyguard .380's, Ruger LCP's, Kahr TP 9's, to other forgotten styles.
Of course revolvers were often a big part of the training. It's funny how many times men would "apologize" for bringing one.
They didn't seem to understand how relevant & effective a revolver can be in the hands of someone trained in its usage.
The choices I offered as class revolvers varied from S&W 638's, 36's (a 3" that I loved but rusted too easily), 642's, a 63 (for low recoil/muzzleblast practice), a Rossi, a Charter Arms... to versions from Ruger.
The system that I had settled into was using a Ruger LCR .38 along w/ a Ruger LCR .22. I found that very few women could get through 250-300 rounds of .38 through an Airweight S&W or a lightweight Ruger, Taurus, or whatever.
Countless times I would swap the shooter out to the little Ruger LCR .22 when I would see obvious signs of distress or when the flinching became very apparent.
Many times (usually w/ Airweight 642's, Ruger LCR, Ruger LCP, or S&W Bodyguard) the lady would shoot one mag. or cylinder, & often just ONE SHOT then look at me & say, "I can't shoot that anymore..." because it was too painful.
While it is critical to spend as much time as possible getting used to their gun, a person can become pretty proficient w/ the operating characteristics of a revolver or semi-auto using a more user-friendly .22 that preferably has the same operational controls & manipulations.
The problem has been all of these lightweight .38's while being great for carry, are punishing during extended training sessions on the range. Several times I've had to break out the 1st Aid kit to tend to some cut or scraped skin suffered during recoil w/ them.
Out of frustration I finally sold the LCR .38. While it is a nice carry gun w/ a terrific trigger it's a bit light for extended shooting at the range for most ladies.
Occasionally a lady would bring out an old Colt Cobra or Detective Special. They seemed more user-friendly due to a variety of factors... primarily medium weight & great trigger.
I've been keeping an eye out for a Colt D.S. to add as a class gun. Well finally I picked one up recently & have been spending some time w/ it & have to say I am extremely impressed.
Jeff Cooper said, among many other things, that a good defensive handgun needs:
to be 100% reliable
to fit one's hand well
to have a good trigger
to have decent sights &
to be in an adequate caliber
I believe the Colt Det. Spec. fits those criteria very well.
As far as reliability goes these guns set the standard for revolvers for decades until the S&W J frames became more popular & took Colt's market share. In the 70's & early 80's most Police Officers carried a heavy 4" pistol on duty and many office personnel and/ or detectives carried a lighter 2" gun (Hence the name, "Detective Special").
Positives:
The grip is one of the most comfortable & natural pointing revolver grips I've ever used. It is very instinctive & comfortable. The gun just seems to align on the target perfectly w/ minimal effort.
The trigger is outstanding.
The double action is smooth & consistent & the single action (that I don't really use) is amazing.
By contrast one newspaper reporter brought out an unnamed revolver she'd never fired.
She had been carrying it for a few months & when we went to dryfire it before going "hot" she found that she didn't have the hand/ finger strength to pull the double action trigger ONCE
... That's a problem.
The sights are the typical front ramp/ rear notch combo that work better if the front ramp is painted a bright color.
The .38+p w/ modern defensive loads create a pretty good wound channel in soft tissue. In a lower power caliber, ammo choice is extremely critical so don't skimp when you "care enough to send the very best".
Other factors are:
Weight: At 25 oz. it is a little on the heavy side but not bad at all if you have a decent carry system.
Where the weight really helps is in reducing felt recoil. It is easier to shoot w/o feeling pummeled so new or exper. shooters will probably enjoy shooting it longer & more often.
The quality on these guns is simply outstanding. Almost old world craftsmanship at its best.
Ammo capacity: 1 extra round may not seem like much when compared to a 13 or 15 rd. mag. but 6 rds. vs. 5 rds. is an increase of about 17%. It is interesting that it doesn't "feel" any bigger than the J frame Smiths to most people.
Overall feel (purely subjective) This gun splits the difference well between a lightweight 2" airweight/ lightweight gun & a 4" heavy barrel standard sized one. Light & small enough to carry but heavy enough to shoot comfortably & control while doing so.
The accuracy seems to be as good as any other quality revolver which is usually better than the shooter.
Aesthetics: While it is my least concern... well maintained versions of this gun are handsome.
Negatives:
The cylinder release isn't quite as intuitive as the S&W or especially when compared to the Ruger (my personal favorite) but it seems to work fine when one gets used to it.
While it can be found in chrome, nickel, & blued steel it is rarely available in satin stainless.
Although I believe there were a few rare hammerless versions made, most have an exposed hammer but it is at least low profile to reduce snagging for defen. carry. A more widely available factory hammerless would be nice except the gun is no longer in prod. anyway. The resale value would take a big hit if a gunsmith bobbed the hammer.
Since it is not as widely distributed as the J-frame S&W's it can be hard to find holsters & accessories like aftermarket grips for.
I've found that the Ruger LCR/ SP101 holsters as well as a few of the J-frames fit but trial & error is required.
Prices on these guns when in good condition can be on the steep side but if you shop around they can be found comparably priced to a quality semi-auto. However, the resale also seems to be very good in the event the trade bug hits you or economic difficulties arise.
Interestingly right now the "snake" guns (Python, Cobra, etc) have went crazy pricewise some of them selling from $1500-$3000 or more.
Thankfully the D.S.'s can still be had (in my experience/ area)for $400- $550 for a good used one.
Overall, I'm very impressed w/ the Colt Detective Special & would recommend it to anyone who is in need of a good defensive revolver.
Early on, as an aid to helping shooters find the right gun for them, I carefully selected an array of the most popular guns for self defense use. In semi-autos "loaner" choices ranged from Glock 19's, 17's, 23's, 42's, 30S's, Smith M&P's (both 9mm & .22), 1911's, Shields, Bodyguard .380's, Ruger LCP's, Kahr TP 9's, to other forgotten styles.
Of course revolvers were often a big part of the training. It's funny how many times men would "apologize" for bringing one.
They didn't seem to understand how relevant & effective a revolver can be in the hands of someone trained in its usage.
The choices I offered as class revolvers varied from S&W 638's, 36's (a 3" that I loved but rusted too easily), 642's, a 63 (for low recoil/muzzleblast practice), a Rossi, a Charter Arms... to versions from Ruger.
The system that I had settled into was using a Ruger LCR .38 along w/ a Ruger LCR .22. I found that very few women could get through 250-300 rounds of .38 through an Airweight S&W or a lightweight Ruger, Taurus, or whatever.
Countless times I would swap the shooter out to the little Ruger LCR .22 when I would see obvious signs of distress or when the flinching became very apparent.
Many times (usually w/ Airweight 642's, Ruger LCR, Ruger LCP, or S&W Bodyguard) the lady would shoot one mag. or cylinder, & often just ONE SHOT then look at me & say, "I can't shoot that anymore..." because it was too painful.
While it is critical to spend as much time as possible getting used to their gun, a person can become pretty proficient w/ the operating characteristics of a revolver or semi-auto using a more user-friendly .22 that preferably has the same operational controls & manipulations.
The problem has been all of these lightweight .38's while being great for carry, are punishing during extended training sessions on the range. Several times I've had to break out the 1st Aid kit to tend to some cut or scraped skin suffered during recoil w/ them.
Out of frustration I finally sold the LCR .38. While it is a nice carry gun w/ a terrific trigger it's a bit light for extended shooting at the range for most ladies.
Occasionally a lady would bring out an old Colt Cobra or Detective Special. They seemed more user-friendly due to a variety of factors... primarily medium weight & great trigger.
I've been keeping an eye out for a Colt D.S. to add as a class gun. Well finally I picked one up recently & have been spending some time w/ it & have to say I am extremely impressed.
Jeff Cooper said, among many other things, that a good defensive handgun needs:
to be 100% reliable
to fit one's hand well
to have a good trigger
to have decent sights &
to be in an adequate caliber
I believe the Colt Det. Spec. fits those criteria very well.
As far as reliability goes these guns set the standard for revolvers for decades until the S&W J frames became more popular & took Colt's market share. In the 70's & early 80's most Police Officers carried a heavy 4" pistol on duty and many office personnel and/ or detectives carried a lighter 2" gun (Hence the name, "Detective Special").
Positives:
The grip is one of the most comfortable & natural pointing revolver grips I've ever used. It is very instinctive & comfortable. The gun just seems to align on the target perfectly w/ minimal effort.
The trigger is outstanding.
The double action is smooth & consistent & the single action (that I don't really use) is amazing.
By contrast one newspaper reporter brought out an unnamed revolver she'd never fired.
She had been carrying it for a few months & when we went to dryfire it before going "hot" she found that she didn't have the hand/ finger strength to pull the double action trigger ONCE
... That's a problem. The sights are the typical front ramp/ rear notch combo that work better if the front ramp is painted a bright color.
The .38+p w/ modern defensive loads create a pretty good wound channel in soft tissue. In a lower power caliber, ammo choice is extremely critical so don't skimp when you "care enough to send the very best".
Other factors are:
Weight: At 25 oz. it is a little on the heavy side but not bad at all if you have a decent carry system.
Where the weight really helps is in reducing felt recoil. It is easier to shoot w/o feeling pummeled so new or exper. shooters will probably enjoy shooting it longer & more often.
The quality on these guns is simply outstanding. Almost old world craftsmanship at its best.
Ammo capacity: 1 extra round may not seem like much when compared to a 13 or 15 rd. mag. but 6 rds. vs. 5 rds. is an increase of about 17%. It is interesting that it doesn't "feel" any bigger than the J frame Smiths to most people.
Overall feel (purely subjective) This gun splits the difference well between a lightweight 2" airweight/ lightweight gun & a 4" heavy barrel standard sized one. Light & small enough to carry but heavy enough to shoot comfortably & control while doing so.
The accuracy seems to be as good as any other quality revolver which is usually better than the shooter.
Aesthetics: While it is my least concern... well maintained versions of this gun are handsome.
Negatives:
The cylinder release isn't quite as intuitive as the S&W or especially when compared to the Ruger (my personal favorite) but it seems to work fine when one gets used to it.
While it can be found in chrome, nickel, & blued steel it is rarely available in satin stainless.
Although I believe there were a few rare hammerless versions made, most have an exposed hammer but it is at least low profile to reduce snagging for defen. carry. A more widely available factory hammerless would be nice except the gun is no longer in prod. anyway. The resale value would take a big hit if a gunsmith bobbed the hammer.
Since it is not as widely distributed as the J-frame S&W's it can be hard to find holsters & accessories like aftermarket grips for.
I've found that the Ruger LCR/ SP101 holsters as well as a few of the J-frames fit but trial & error is required.
Prices on these guns when in good condition can be on the steep side but if you shop around they can be found comparably priced to a quality semi-auto. However, the resale also seems to be very good in the event the trade bug hits you or economic difficulties arise.
Interestingly right now the "snake" guns (Python, Cobra, etc) have went crazy pricewise some of them selling from $1500-$3000 or more.
Thankfully the D.S.'s can still be had (in my experience/ area)for $400- $550 for a good used one.
Overall, I'm very impressed w/ the Colt Detective Special & would recommend it to anyone who is in need of a good defensive revolver.
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