Make: Colt
Model: Officers Model Target
Serial Number: 362878
Year of Manufacture: 1914
Caliber: .38 Special
Action Type: Single/Double Action Swing-Out Cylinder Revolver
Barrel Length: 7 1/2"
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade pinned to a slotted base fixed to the front of the barrel, adjustable for elevation. The rear sight is a "U"-notch dovetailed to the topstrap, adjustable for windage.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered walnut with Colt medallions at their tops. The interior of each grip has non-matching numbers hand-written in pencil, the bottoms have "1955" and "FM" hand-carved. The grips have even light-moderate handling wear. There are some scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches with a more notable gouge on the left panel at the top-rear. The wood shows some discoloration from age and handling, more notable on the right panel. The checkering is generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Good condition as not original to the gun.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright and the rifling is sharp. There is some scattered light erosion and a few spots of minor pitting in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 7/10.
Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 85% of its current metal finish. The knurled knob is missing from the front of the ejector rod. The finish is thinning at most edges. There is light wear along the left of the barrel. There are some scattered spots of finish loss where it appears oxidation was cleaned off. There is handling wear in the grip areas. There are some scattered light nicks and scratches. There is scattered minor erosion under the finish. There is some dishing around screw holes and on the edges of the sideplate. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are still clear with slightly soft edges. Overall, this revolver is in Good-plus condition as refinished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: The Officers Model was Colt's premium revolver until the introduction of the super-premium Python in 1955. Back when revolvers were the target gun of choice, Colt models were the target revolver of choice and it’s easy to see why. Despite its age and having been refinished, the lockup on this 112-year-old revolver is still strong, a testament to the craftsmanship of Colt firearms, something not often seen even in finer commercial offerings today. This should still make for a fun shooter to this day and would be a neat addition to a Colt or vintage target revolver collection. Please see our photos and good luck!
