Posted: 2/2/2011 3:43:25 PM EDT
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I have a J-frame for pocket carry but was thinking about looking into a Colt. I don't know much about their revolvers, but they seem to be a bit bigger than the little Smiths... and 6 shots as well?
It was also my understanding that many of them are not fit for +p rounds. I'm just feeling around to see if there is something I can replace the Smith with. |
Not big at all. Slightly bigger than a J-frame, but not by much. In a large pocket, like on cargo pants, khakis, or a coat, they work well for pocket carry. A bit big for most jeans, but most jeans are only good with mouseguns like a Kel-tec 380, IMO. My Cobra, as seen above, now wears smaller Pachmayr grips rather than the big OEM ones. |
| very close in size to a k frame. the 1 extra round in the cylinder is not worth it to me, to someone else perhaps. As a civilian I highly doubt the single extra round is going to matter. I always carry a reload and or my seecamp 32 in a pocket so I am satisfied with the small lighter smith |
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The post-1972 heavy, shrouded barrel Colt "D" frames were rated for use with +P ammo.
The steel framed models were factory rated for "up to" 3000 rounds and the aluminum models were for up to 1500 rounds of +P. At that point, the gun was to be sent in to Colt for inspection and possible repair or even frame replacement. The older guns were not factory rated, but even they can handle a little use with +P. Mostly with the Colt's older or newer, you should do most shooting with standard .38 Special and load with +P for "business". Size-wise the Colt "D" frame is "about" the same size as a S&W "K" frame, and has a cylinder the same size. Bulk-wise, the "D" frame is less bulky than a "K" frame and seems smaller. The Colt "D" frame guns were famous as being the highest quality snubby revolvers, and were certainly the most accurate. It was always the Cadillac of the 2" revolvers. |
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Quoted:
very close in size to a k frame. the 1 extra round in the cylinder is not worth it to me, to someone else perhaps. As a civilian I highly doubt the single extra round is going to matter. I always carry a reload and or my seecamp 32 in a pocket so I am satisfied with the small lighter smith At first glance, a popular argument seems to be about one round difference between colt D frames/smith K frames and the 5 shot smith J frame (not the mousegun v. snubnose which is another can of worms). practical experience suggests far more. The Smith J-frame handsomely wins the "worst-shooting quality gun" award in my book. Even standard pressure . 38 is chore, and any weapon I am not willing to put at least 100 rds downrange at any given range trip is not a gun worth relying upon as a primary CCW. knowing what I do, I'd probably never consider a J frame again. The D and especially the K offer more than an extra round: they offer a platform that doesn't make you feel like the victim of an industrial accident after a full range session. That said, I had a bad experience with fewer than 50 rounds of factory +P and a late model DS. After 2-3 widely-spaced cyllinders of +p for testing purposes, I would not shoot +p out of the gun again, unless it was aimed at an armed assailant. |
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Thanks for the info guys. Does Colt still do inspections on these guns? I won't be using +p except for the worst case scenarios, but I would like to know it is not going to disassemble itself the first time I need to. Anyone know what the cost is?
I've already started looking for one. 
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Colt will still inspect and repair the "D" frame guns, but they no longer have frames, so if it's been fired enough to stretch or damage the frame, that's it.
In 30 years, I very, very seldom saw a "D" frame that was damaged or excessively worn by anything other than just plain insane hot loads some fool fed it. Shooting +P ammo even in the older guns won't cause it to "disassemble itself", all that happens is that the gun wears faster and the service life is reduced. The old style Colt's do require normal service sooner than other brands of guns, simply due to the design. Gunsmith Grant Cunningham explains this very well: First: +P ammo in "D" frame guns. http://grantcunningham.com/coltammo.html Second, the "fragile" Colt action. http://www.grantcunningham.com/blog_files/colt_python_delicate.html |