My handgunning history started with a Colt. My real time with handguns started with a Colt Frontier Scout.
This was the the first handgun I had extensive experience with and it was a loaner. The owner of the air freight outfit at the local municipal airport was a bit of a gun guy. He had a nickel Colt Frontier Scout 22. It had the shorter (4 5/8”?) barrel. The frame, grip frame and loading gate was made of something called ‘Zamak alloy’ or something. I’ve since read that it’s heavier than aluminum alloys used at the time in firearms manufacture. According to information on the internet, the material has zinc as a base metal in an alloy with aluminum, magnesium, and copper.
He had it in a nicely fitted holster that fit low-slung under a cartridge belt in the fashion of the rigs worn by TV Western actors of the 1960s.
It was a part of the Colt handgun line made from 1960 to 1970.
He loaned me that gun, made me promise not to do anything stupid with it (I was a teenager at that time), and sent me on my way. The bullet loops were loaded full — and I didn’t use a single round of his ammo.
The bright nickel shined in the sun, particularly the sights. It was not a bullseye gun, but I learned to make some really good hits with it. I was particularly fond of the uncheckered walnut stocks on the classy little handgun.
The first centerfire handgun I ever owned is a Colt Python. This example was blue, with a six-inch barrel. I’d gotten it from a fellow GI who served at Ft. Benning GA, as I was.
Back in those days, a short four-years after passage of the 1968 federal Gun Control Act, I couldn’t purchase “handgun ammunition.” If it was 12 gauge, 30-06 or 300 Win. Mag, I was okay. I’d just had to fire the XM16E1 in basic, along with the M60, the Light Anti-Tank Weapon and other firearms meant for war.
The motor sergeant in the outfit to which I was assigned accompanied me to a Gibson’s store in Columbus GA and “straw-purchased” a box of Federal 158gr JSP ammo for me. Now, some 54 years later, that gun is still hanging around.
I shot the state’s peace officer Spring Conference bullseye match, the NRA Short Course, in 1978 and took High Novice. It could be that’s why the stock old gun, made in 1968, remains.
Later, I’d gone to work for the hometown police department. The sergeant on overnights carried a Colt Gold Cup. A southpaw on the shift carried a Commander hammer-down in a Jordan holster with a thumb break strap. I can’t recall anyone on days or evenings who carried the service pistol. I was on a search for a 45 auto of my own and a former officer of the agency had a Colt National Match (pre-Gold Cup) for sale.
It was in pretty bad shape, finish wise. It came with one magazine, marked “C-R” on the floorplate. The gun ran properly with that magazine – the one it arrived with – and a “gun show special” that had been “tuned” by a pro at the range. The third gun show magazine was trash and the pro who’d helped me threw it over the berm.
So, the original factory magazine was lost to the ages before I got there in 1977; I still have that magazine. The others I used were purchased at a gun show, with the now-expected miserable results. The “C-R” is a gun made under contract to Colt for WWII and, according to research, it stands for “Colt-Risdon,” Risdon being the company making the magazine.
I found out about magazine problems on a qualification run, my first at the outfit. After that bit of magazine tuning, the Colt ran fine and my first qual was a 96%.
Now refinished to prevent further rust decay, that gun is likewise still around.
I’ll skip over my next Colts to one that has special meaning. It was purchased for me by my wife on my fiftieth birthday.
Used, it was found at Cabela’s in the Gun Library. She told me I should have it, I made a deal on it and I wanted it to be special based on that means of acquisition.
The sights were the standard Colt Accro and ramp front. My friend, Mike Rafferty, just happened to have a front sight that had originally been destined for an Officers Model Match in his toy box. He passed it on to me. Bill Laughridge recommended I search for a Champion Gun Sights Part Number 860-301, a “Drop-In Replacement Sight for Colt Elliason and Accro Sights” to duplicate the Colt Elliason sight from years past.
As I’d discussed the gun with Bill, the checkup on the gun was done by his shop, Cylinder and Slide, Fremont, NE. The timing was slow and the cylinder had end shake. The headspace was oversize at .013 (should have been .007” - .008”). The hammer was striking the rebound lever.
The Cylinder & Slide wizards removed the endshake and retimed it. They also increased the firing pin protrusion to make up for the open headspace. A “Super Action Job” was done and they corrected the hammer strike on the rebound lever.
The Champion Gunsights and the original Colt partridge front sight were installed. Bill noted that the crown on the barrel was slightly crooked, but didn’t correct due to original nickel finish.
My new-old Python came back with a 3 ½ pound single action pull, down from nearly six pounds. The double action trigger exhibited no stacking, and pulled straight through smoothly at 7 ¼ pounds, an even three pounds less than original.
The gun was then re-wrapped and shipped to Pat Hogue to be fitted for new stocks – which it now wears.
Colt still makes the Gold Cup and makes new versions of the Python. I’ve had good luck with them, as well as the King Cobra Target in 22LR. It’s not the old Frontier Scout, but it’s a great shooting 22 Colt.
– Rich Grassi, Editor of The Tactical Wire