A great old Colt from The Twilight Zone

[Euclidean]

Oh boy Oh boy! I needed this about like I needed a hole in the head but for $250, that's right a measly $250 for such a thing, I had to take it.



This is a Colt Agent. I've always wanted a Colt revolver and now that dream is fulfilled. I don't think I could have done much better.



These revolvers were chambered in .38 Special but they're not +P rated. The factory reccommends, and I'm going off memory here, that after 1000 rounds of +P ammunition you send your gun in for inspection.



You can see the finish is actually in pretty good shape but it's not perfect. It looks to me like it was carried a lot and shot moderately. The lockup is incredibly tight and the trigger pull is delectable. Very crisp, and light but not too light. Grips are original and there's some minor wear on the cylinder but it's perfectly acceptable.



Despite being not a whole lot longer than my 642, this gun offers a superior sight picture. Most of these revolvers were sighted in and made with a 158 grain load in mind, and I bet if I was up the task it could shoot nice and tight groups for such a small gun. I can also get a three finger grip on it. I bet I could shoot circles around my 642 with this gun.



I like my 642 a lot but to be honest, this $250 Colt that was probably made before I was born or perhaps shortly thereafter is a much better gun. I might just have to start carrying it. Used but not abused this is a truly fine revolver.

Now here's the creepy part...

My late grandfather loved quality .38 caliber snubnose revolvers. He loved them like some of you people love 1911s. He told me when he was still with us that on the street, in the real world, he never needed any more or any less gun than that.

We speculate he had as many as 13 at one point. He traded into and out of the things all the time. Probably 2/3 of them or more were Smith and Wessons but he liked Colts too and always had at least two. What's more they were all blue and wood. No stainless guns for him.

Now unfortunately, my uncle, who has since been forgiven, took it upon himself when my grandfather was no longer able to live at home to turn the house upside down and take almost all of these guns, save one, and sell them for a quick buck. We've lamented this for years because we wanted to keep these guns in the family.

At the time of the incident, a record was made of what my aunt had believed my uncle had swiped and sold off. My grandmother for some reason had made a careful list of the guns and their serial numbers.

Out of pure curiousity, I called my aunt Vivi (pseudonym).

"Vivi, do you have the list of guns that you think Uncle Lunkhead stole and sold off all those years ago?"

"As a matter of fact I do. I was going to throw it away."

Anyway it turns out the list only has either the first or last 4 digits of each serial number.

"One Agent revolver, black finish, wooden handles, serial number 4861"

Forgive my grandmother. The word Agent is right there on the barrel so she probably assumed it was made by some company called Agent. She could use a gun fairly well back in her day, but she never was terribly gun literate.

The last four digits of this Colt's serial number are 4861.

Cool huh?

I think I'll carry it for a couple of days and see if I get the urge to wear a fedora and a carefully ironed pair of slacks.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Bud White]

Good find they are a great gun i have a cobra which is pretty much the same thing again not rated for +P and i dont think i would push it you can still find some various aftermarket grips if your so inclined and for the 250 its a steal

[Bud White]

Also dont dry fire it as ive been told there prone to brake the hammers

[Betty]

Very cool, Euc. I think the little Colts are the some of the nicest looking revolvers (I love my Cobra).

And very Twilight Zone in a good way. You got yourself a Colt and a family piece made it back home.

Do you like those skinny grips? I find those are too uncomfy in my hands.

[Euclidean]

They don't provide the nice purchase that I normally prefer. However, the fact that they are curved means they provide a longer surface to grasp. I can get a much more solid grip on them.

The trouble is I haven't shot it yet and I fear that the gun might travel in my hand a little bit between shots. I'll have to try it and see.

But no grip on a small gun will ever be to my complete satisfaction, at least no grip short enough for me to pocket the gun.

[Euclidean]

Also dont dry fire it as ive been told there prone to brake the hammers

Thanks Bud. I'll have to find out where I put those snappy cappies.

I don't plan on really giving it that much of a workout. But I've just got to fire it...

[Bud White]

Sorry ment firing pin but ya get the point

[Euclidean]

Don't sweat it Bud I hear the two terms used interchangeably all the time when revolvers are being discussed.

[QKShooter]

VERY Nice Colt Revolver!
It looks GOOD in your hand!

[Captain Crunch]

Euc, you lead a charmed life!

Now don"t you EVER sell that Colt (unless it's to me).

[OD*]

Nice find! Congrats.

this $250 Colt that was probably made before I was born

When were you born?

The parkerized Agents & Commandos were made in the early 1980s. They were Colt's version a "budget" Detective Special built on the "D" frame. The "D" frame with the enclosed ejector rod was introduced in 1972.

The original , Cobra, Aircrewman, Courier & Agent
Commando and Detective Specials all had exposed ejector rods, FWIW.

These are what the originals looked like

[Euclidean]

1981. I figure it could have been made as late as 1992ish or as early as 1976ish but I could be tottally wrong about that. It's a low digit serial number I think. I seem to remember that the serial numbers go from 42XXX to 48XXX but I am not a Colt expert and I could be 100% wrong so someone please let me know if I am.

[SARR001]

******* find. If only I could be so lucky.

[Bumper]

That's pretty cool, if largely Twilight Zone like. I second what Betty said, it was just coming back home. I always liked Colt revolvers and wouldn't mind having one of those myself.

[Euclidean]

Actually there is a slight break in the case. Someone has informed me that this Agent is probably from the last run they ever made, and said it couldn't be any older than 1973 vintage (I think) and it was most likely made in the mid 1980s.

That puts it well within the realm of possibility.