Any Colt Officers Target Model Experts Out There?

[Tinpan McGurk]

OK I have one for you..

 

I have a Colt Officers Target in .22 LR. Here's what I can figure out...it is a Third Model since they didn't make 1st or 2nd Models in .22 LR. Third Models were made from 1927 until 1949

It has the 3rd model checkered hammer and trigger but not on the cylinder  latch , Third Model frame with the two interlocking "S" shaped screw configuration on the left side of the frame..this was changed after the Third Model

Third Model sights and tapered barrel and has two line marking "Colt Officers Model .22 Long Rifle" but NOT "Officers Target Model"  

Serial numbers all match

Last Patent date is 1926 and the third model was introduced in 1927 so that makes sense

 

Now comes the hard part...according to the internet site called "proof house" which has lists of serial numbers  the last serial number for the Third Models made in 1949 was 56001 this one is over 100 numbers past that but they also show serial numbers for the year 1950 starting with #57200 . In 1949 they came out with Officers Model "Special"  or Fourth Issue with a bull barrel, very different sights and no checkering on hammer, trigger and  cylinder latch serial number starting with 60001.  The Fifth issue did not come out until 1959 but there are serial numbers listed from 1950 all the way to 1958.

 

So possible the cylinder latch on this one was changed some time in the past but it doesn't look like it, the grips are the later target style so were likely changed but serial number doesn't fit into the range even though the serial number match and the barrel is correct.

 

Any of you folks have any ideas?

 

TInpan McGurk SASS# 82891

 

 

 

Edited August 14, 2018 by Tinpan McGurk

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Guns are not 'proofed' in the USA. 

Colt is well know for sloppy record keeping and the fire they had didn't help.

Have you tried and of the Colt Collectors forums?

OLG

[J-BAR #18287]

Send a PM to Driftwood Johnson...I love his posts!!

[Tinpan McGurk]

thanks, 

 

by way of clarification I know that US fire arms are not proofed...there is a web site called "Proof House.com" that lists Colt, Browning and Winchester serial numbers as well as lists of things like US Military Small Arms Inspectors marks, Gun Codes and Markings, German WWII Ordnance Codes and other useful stuff.

 

I already called Colt but customer service didn't "have access to the serial number data" so I left a message but it sounded like they would only be interested if I wanted to pay for a letter..

 

thought I'd try here next since I know there a lot of pards out there with a wide knowledge of vintage foirearms

 

TInpan McGurk

 

 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Have you looked here? 

http://www.coltfever.com/Date_Made___Model_Info.html

 

Or here-

https://www.coltforum.com/

 

OLG

[Tinpan McGurk]

Yup,

 

Colt Fever and Colt Forum filled in the details I have...am trying to figure out the discrepancy in serial nos reported and a couple of anomalies on it like the uncheckered release latch and the nomenclature..I am thinking that it was built as one of the last of the third series, they still had leftover third series parts, had used up some third series parts like the checkered release latches but had gotten in the new model series 4 parts and used some of them to complete the last of the series 3's .  Since the barrels, sights, frame trigger, hammer etc were all different on the new release seems they would want to use up as much of the old stock as they could.  This is conjecture on my part so am seeing if anyone knows any more about it but the military did that sort of thing when they refurbished Garand Rifles etc so you find arsenal reworks correctly marked with the rework arsenal cartouche but with  mismatched part numbers..am thinking since it was just after WWII Colt did the same to finish off as much of the parts stock that they had??

TInpan McGurk   

[Shotgun Clay]

I've owned Smith's that obviously had been assembled from part runs made at different times (small ampersand on frame, large on barrel... stuff like that).