Make: Colt

Model: New Service

Serial Number: 335336

Year of Manufacture: 1933

Caliber: .38 Special

Action Type: Single/Double Action Revolver with Swing-Out Cylinder

Barrel Length: 6"

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a square notch in the top strap.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered walnut with silver-colored Colt medallions. The inside of each panel is stamped "7738". The grips have even light handling wear with a few nicks and scuffs. The checkering is well defined. There are tiny losses on the bottom-front corners. There are no cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good condition as not original to the gun.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original, matching numbers.

Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion, but there is scattered stubborn fouling including leading. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 7-8/10.

Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 90% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at most edges. There are some scattered minor nicks and scratches. There is infrequent minor oxidation, most in the grip areas. The action shows light operational wear including a thin turn-line on the cylinder. The screw heads are lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Very Good-plus condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this revolver. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This revolver comes in a hinge-lid cardboard Colt box with model-matching label, bore brush, and serial-matching test target. The bottom of the box had the serial number hand-written in pencil, it has been crossed out in pencil.

Our Assessment: The Colt New Service revolver was one of the most formidable double-action sidearms of the early 20th century, serving military, police, and civilian markets alike. Introduced in 1898, it became Colt’s flagship large-frame revolver and remained in production through 1944. While typically produced for large-caliber cartridges such as .45 Colt, there were some smaller caliber guns made such as this example chambered for .38 Special. It is a handsome revolver, retaining the great majority of its metal finish, a nice bore and strong mechanics, quite nice for a gun approaching 100 years old. It appears to come with its original box, though for some reason the serial number was crossed out on the bottom. We suspect that it is in fact the original box, especially with the included serial-matching test target. This is a nice find for the Colt or revolver collector. Please see our photos and good luck!