There’s a Colt Official Police at my LGS. I’m curious how these compare on action and trigger smoothness to the Pythons? I used to have a 1970s Python, which certainly was like glass. Wondering if I should investigate this Colt a bit more. It appears to be in really good shape.

My experience has been that Pythons have great triggers, and OPs will have very good triggers.  The OP has the potential to be every bit as good as a Python, though.  Not too many gunsmiths specializing in the old Colts these days, though.

The action is the same.   The Python will be smoother but the OP and the older Troopers can be surprisingly nice.

I have a Colt Army Special from 1921* that has a very smooth, if heavy trigger.


*I actually don't know if it was made in 1921 or earlier, but I know it was won at a shooting competition by Patrolman John Baradat of the N.O.P.D on 5-15-1921:

Thanks all. She looks nice - probably going to swing back by the store, check timing, trigger, and the basics, and if all is good get her.


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Price is a bit high for an OP.

The price is right on for a nice clean one , you never see them anymore , I passed them up over the years when they were around , I did find a very nice made in 1967 OP 4 in blue at a show a few years ago the dealer was selling of a person stuff that passed I think , I saw a very nice clean one on his table for like 300 bucks and I talked him down to 250 boy I jumped on it . that was a few yrs back it is very smooth action , looked unfired , no box , when and if I see one now they are 700 range .

Colt was starting to build a premium target revolver in 1904 with the Colt Officer Model Target, that model changed over the decades and became the Officer Model Match and was Colt's top of the line target revolver until the Python came along in 1955. Those two revolver models had seen special care and attention for both single and double action trigger characteristics. At some time in the 1960s Colt no longer concentrated their effort to get the double action in the OMM perfect, since Bullseye matches were shot in single action.

Other Colt E frame revolvers did not have the action job done to the same level of perfection at the factory but had to either smoothen out with use, or get a trigger job from one of the many gunsmiths that were familiar with the Colt action at that time.

$799 for an Official Police would have to be pretty close to perfect. You can get a very high condition Officer's Model Target for that. There's not a lot of demand for old Colt .38s outside of SAAs (of course) and New Service Targets / Shooting Masters.

Appears to be post WWII & after 1951.  Can't tell from pic, but hammer should NOT be blued. $799 for a really nice one these days isn't bad IMO.

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The trigger on my OMS makes Pythons cry and hang their heads in shame.