Make: Colt
Model: New Service
Serial Number: 347712, DPS No. 36
Year of Manufacture: 1937
Caliber: .38 Special
Action Type: Single/Double Action Swing-Out Cylinder Revolver
Barrel Length: 4"
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a square notch integral to the topstrap.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered black hard rubber with "COLT" in oval at their tops. The right panel has a loss at the bottom-rear corner across the indexing stud hole. There are some light nicks and scratches. There is some scraping on the bottom of the right panel. The checkering is well defined. There are no cracks. Overall, the grips are in Good-plus condition.
Type of Finish: Nickel
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the rifling is sharp. There is some minor erosion in the bore, mostly toward the muzzle-end. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 8/10.
Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 85% of its current metal finish. There is some finish loss at edges including at the muzzle and along the rear sight channel in the topstrap. Most of the balance is in the backstrap which is missing nearly all of its nickel finish and shows signs of grinding (see Our Assessment). There are some scattered light nicks and scratches with evenly scattered minor swirling. There is a little surface oxidation, mostly covered by the grips when installed. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings range from clear to worn and incomplete. 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: Included is a Colt Archives letter and a copy of Joey Gordon's article "A Tale of Two Friends and a Gun" from his book "That's The Way I Remember It - Stories of the Texas Rangers". The letter indicates that this revolver was shipped as a .38 caliber, 4", nickel finish, engraved "Texas Public Safety Dept" on the strap and number "36" on the butt, shipped to the State of Texas on September 17, 1937 as one of 50 guns of the same type in the shipment.
Our Assessment: The Texas Department of Public Safety is the statewide law enforcement department in the Lone Star state, comprised of multiple divisions including Highway Patrol and the Texas Rangers. Over the decades, they have purchased a pretty wild array of duty revolvers including the Smith and Wesson 38/44, Highway Patrol, Model 19, and the Colt Border Patrol and New Service. This example is a New Service chambered for .38 Special with a 4" barrel and originally finished for DPS with nickel plate in 1937.
The revolver shows wear consistent with its age and service, having had a new nickel finish applied at some point in its life. It is possible it was refinished while in service, as the most notable finish loss is on the backstrap where the Texas Public Safety Dept. marking was removed. According to the included copy of an excerpt from Texas Ranger Joey Gordon's book, removal of this marking was required before the revolver could be sold out of service with only a couple of known guns making it out without removal.
In any case, this is a fascinating Colt New Service with documentation confirming its use by the Texas DPS. Especially for collectors from the Lone Star state, this will make a great addition to a collection. Please see our photos and good luck!
