question colt commando

tlt235

I have just picked-up a 4" Colt Commando 38 spec. appears to be an early model with the smooth had wooden grips, also stamped on the barrel is Property of the Goverment of Puerto Rico, the gun is very tight and locks up really good the serial number is 4 digit and under this is two swords crossed, I have had alot of firearms but not such as this any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Terry

CountryGunsmith

If the serial number is over about 3000, it is 1943.

The Colt Commando is a military variant of the Colt Official Police. In 1942, the government contacted Colt for a 20,000-unit order of the Official Police revolver for the Defense Supplies Corporation or DSC, a governmental agency responsible for arming plant guards, government contractor security, police departments, etc. Colt responded with a per-unit price of $28 which prompty caused the Springfield Ordnance District to pass a catfish. The SOD told Colt that was too much, Colt said that was cheap as an OP got. The SOD requested the gun be redesigned to meet a per-unit price of $25, and thus the Commando was born. The Commando is an Official Police with a matte finish and uncheckered cylinder latch/trigger. The grips were 'Coltwood' so I believe yours have been replaced at some point.

A little over 50,000 Commandos were made with most distributed through the DSC. There were direct military sales that were procured around the DSC, as well as 'gray-market' orders that went to various intelligence-type organizations.

Since the Commando is a searchable Colt model, I would suggest getting a factory letter that would show where the Colt was originally shipped. DSC records are somewhat murky, so tracking past that is problematic. I would not be surprised if your gun went to Puerto Rico AFTER World War 2, though. There was a rebuild/reissue of the Commandos in 1945.

Very interesting revolver you have...







Scrappy Doo sleeps with the fishes.

tlt235

Thanks very much for the info.