38 Special cartridge is the Federal Nyclad 125-grain semiwadcutter hollowpoint, but these are no longer available. Marshall and Sanow state that the most effective standard-velocity. +P cartridges are not recommended for the aluminum-frame Agent. It is comfortable to carry and shoot, and the standard wood grips fit my hand reasonably well. The big advantage of the Colt over other snub-nose revolvers is that it holds six rounds. My Agent was made in 1963 and weighs 15 ounces unloaded and 18 ounces when loaded with 158 grain bullets. In 1972 it was redesigned to have a shrouded ejector rod. The Commando Special had the small grip on a steel frame. The Agent had the alloy frame and a slightly smaller grip size. The Cobra was the same gun with an alloy frame. 38 Special revolvers: the Detective Special, the Cobra, the Agent, and the Commando Special. Smith & Wesson 37.Ĭolt’s made four snub-nose. Far too many people go out and buy a high-end automatic pistol, but never get enough training or practice to understand it fully or operate it safely-most of these people should be carrying revolvers.Ģ. My personal belief is that only very well trained individuals should carry automatic pistols. In his book In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection Massad Ayoob argues that revolvers are more suitable for “amateurs” and automatics are more suitable for “experts” or “professionals.” Watching a person who is unfamiliar with an automatic pistol handle one will convince you very quickly that they (and everyone around them) would be safer with a revolver.
This article is by no means intended to argue that revolvers are superior to self-loading or “automatic” pistols, but I would suggest that a revolver may be more the more appropriate choice for personal defense for the vast majority of people. 'Pistols of the Japanese police in the postwar era'. Hartford, Connecticut: Colt's Manufacturing. ^ Colt Detective Special Owners Manual.^ a b Colt Detective SpecialArchived January 12, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
^ Fjestad, SP: Blue Book of Gun Values, 29th Edition Blue Book Publications, Inc., Minneapolis, 2008.^ The Fitz Colt: The snub-nosed revolver benchmark 9/02/15 by Chris Eger.^ The Fitz Special by Gary Paul Johnston, April 20, 2012.^ a b Gun Review: Colt Detective Special revolver in.Massad Ayoob's Greatest Handguns of the World. ^ a b c d e f g h Ayoob, Massad (15 March 2010).They were used from 1975 to 1988, being progressively replaced by Smith & Wesson revolvers (mostly the S&W model 13) along with French Manurhins and the Sig Sauer SP 2022 in 2005. The Colt Detective Special was the first revolver issued to French customs agents, meant to replace the old Browning 10/22 and MAB D pistols.