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99-587: Introduced in 1927, the Detective Special was the first short-barreled revolver produced with a modern swing-out frame. It was designed from the outset to be chambered for higher-powered cartridges such as the .38 Special , considered to be a powerful caliber for a concealable pocket revolver of the day. The Detective Special uses a slightly smaller frame than the Colt Official Police or Smith & Wesson Model 10 (K-Frame) revolvers, but

198-600: A "half-cock" notch safety but the design was revised in 1983 due to numerous inadvertent discharges. The M1 Garand created a safety with a metal rocking lever at the front of the trigger guard that is now called the Garand-style safety , used in the Ruger Mini-14 rifle and Marlin Camp carbine . Some bolt-action rifle safeties have three positions: "fire" which allows the gun to fire, "safe" which does not allow

297-525: A 3-inch (7.6 cm) barrel variant was again offered. In 1986, facing stagnant sales numbers as well as rising production and labor costs, Colt discontinued production of the Detective Special. Colt filed for bankruptcy protection in 1992. After reorganization, the company restarted production of the Detective Special in 1992. The post-1991 Detective Special is sometimes called the Fourth Series, and featured "composite" (rubber), wrap-around grips with

396-600: A block to prevent them from contacting the firing pin. In addition some manual safeties such as the Ruger SR9 pictured lock the pistol's slide closed when in Safe position whereas, for example, S&W M&P manual safeties do not lock the slide closed. The benefit of these design variances have not been clearly stated or pointed out by manufacturers, however, in the Ruger SR example, a chambered round cannot be ejected to empty

495-459: A button under the slide, whereupon tension from the striker spring would push it back to the engaged position. Thus, engaging the safety also relieved some tension in the striker spring. As the Ortgies is a pocket pistol meant for personal defense, this feature eliminates the problem of failing to disengage the safety when one needs to shoot. Gripping the pistol tightly is all it takes to disengage

594-472: A chambered cartridge. A second purpose is to allow the sear to "catch" a hammer that is falling when the trigger has not been pulled, such as in cases where a drop jarred the sear loose or when the hammer was not fully cocked before being released. However, a safety notch used to "half-cock" a firearm is an active feature that must be engaged, and does not positively prevent accidental discharges in all cases. A certain amount of manual dexterity and familiarity with

693-403: A decocker, manual safety, or both. However, the exact configuration depends on handgun type, year, make, and model. Double-action only (DAO) pistols, which usually use designs similar to traditional double-action but without the ability to remain cocked, do not usually have external safeties. Most single-action revolvers have no external safeties. The original designs, which dated to back before

792-501: A discharge, with internal safeties preventing non-trigger-pull discharges (e.g., dropping the gun). Almost all modern semi-automatic handguns, except some exact replicas of antique models, have some form of safety mechanism including a "drop safety" that requires a trigger pull to discharge a cartridge. Single-action designs such as the Colt 1911 virtually always incorporate a manual safety, while traditional double-action pistols incorporate

891-560: A dull parkerized finish. Dubbed the Colt Commando , the new weapon was primarily used to arm units of Military police , security guards at U.S. defense plant installations and shipyards, as well as limited clandestine issue to agencies involved in overseas espionage and military intelligence . In mid-1942, the Springfield Ordnance District (SOD) was given control over procurement and distribution of

990-463: A feature, and as a result if the trigger was held the newly chambered round would be fired as soon as the breech had been closed. Such disconnects or interlocks are generally simple to incorporate, and in fact are a by-product of many firearms' actions; pulling the trigger while the breech is unlocked or open does nothing as the mechanism is not fully reset until cycling is complete. As such these features are often not considered "true" safeties, although

1089-458: A firearm is also required to "half-cock" a firearm; unfamiliarity with how to engage the "half-cock" position can result in accidental discharges. Moreover, safety notch and "half-cock" style safeties are prone to breakage which can result in unintentional discharges leading to severe personal injuries or death. A firing pin block is a mechanical block used in semi-automatic firearms and some revolvers that, when at rest, obstructs forward travel of

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1188-606: A given revolver to a particular issue is best done by serial number. During the 1960s, the grip frame of the Second Series Detective Special was shortened, matching that of Colt's other snub-nosed pistols, the Cobra and Agent . Despite this alteration, the Detective Special's overall grip size remained unchanged, as Colt fitted the Second Series with new, lengthened gripstocks that extended below

1287-489: A gold medallion. Only a two-inch barrel was offered, in blue or hard chrome finish. The new production run continued only until 1996, when Colt introduced its stainless-steel SF-VI as a replacement for the Detective Special. From its introduction, the Detective Special used Colt's Positive Safety Lock ( hammer block ), first featured on the Police Positive; the mechanism interposes a bar between hammer and frame until

1386-406: A hammer follows the bolt carrier group forward as it closes. Examples of the variety of typical semi-auto mechanisms are a stiff double-action trigger pull with the safety off ( Beretta 92F/FS ), a double-action with no external safety ( SIG Sauer P-series , or Kel-Tec P-32 ), or a crisp single-action trigger pull with a manual safety engaged ( M1911 , FN Five-seven and certain configurations of

1485-413: A hammer, so the only way to return the trigger to its longer pull (safer) state is by means of a decocking or detensioning lever which actually releases the tension in the striker's spring without allowing firing pin full travel and internal safeties disengagement (such as the firing pin block which these types of firearms are generally fitted with). When a handgun is fitted with a "decocking" lever, there

1584-470: A loaded chamber indicator is an empty chamber flag . A trigger disconnector captures the hammer in the cocked position after a shot has been fired, even if the trigger is held to the rear as the gun cycles. This ensures the gun can only fire in the semi-automatic mode, as the trigger needs to be released to 'reset' and have the disconnector release the hammer back to the trigger sear. It also prevents out-of-battery " slamfire " malfunctions that occur when

1683-485: A loaded chamber under the hammer. Some single-action revolvers have relief cuts in between cylinder bores that allow the hammer to be rested directly upon the cylinder with no chance of interacting with loaded cartridges or primers. These are also known colloquially as "safety notches." They are usually found on black-powder revolvers, but there are also metallic cartridge-firing revolvers with safety notches. Most double-action revolvers have no external safety devices;

1782-517: A magazine disconnect, as a backup gun for law enforcement officers. "The absence of a magazine disconnect safety also is a benefit for tactical reloads that allow the user to engage a target with one round remaining in the chamber and the magazine out of the gun for reloading," Ruger said. A tactical reload is the tactic of replacing a partially empty magazine with a fully loaded magazine in a situation where increased capacity might be needed. These safeties, similar to grip safeties, are de-activated as

1881-688: A manual safety in its function, but is momentary; the safety is deactivated only while the shooter maintains their hold on the grip, and is reactivated immediately once the shooter releases it. The M1911 design is a popular example of a handgun with a grip safety, while the Uzi submachine gun and the HS2000 (marketed in the US as the Springfield Armory XD ) and its descendants are other notable examples of this type of safety. A related grip-type safety

1980-501: A mechanism that engages an internal safety such as a firing-pin block or trigger disconnect. An early example of its use was in the Browning Hi-Power pistol. As with any firearm feature, there is debate regarding the necessity of a magazine disconnect. Historically, most magazine-fed firearm designs had no magazine disconnector. There are exceptions, notably Ruger rimfire rifles and some of their newer handgun designs, and

2079-436: A natural consequence of the shooter firing the firearm, but are engaged in most other circumstances. The trigger is composed of two interdependent parts, and the shooter in firing the firearm manipulates both parts of the trigger. Conversely, unintentional pressure or a strike against the trigger is unlikely to do so, and such an action will not fire the firearm. Such a design, made popular by Glock pistols but originally used in

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2178-519: A single-action decocker was the Vis wz. 35 "Radom" redesign in 1932 to enable horsemen to safely holster their firearm with one hand. The earliest use of a cocking/decocking lever is the Sauer 38H from 1938. Ruger until 2007 manufactured "decock-only" variants of its P-series pistols, and the "two-way" decocking safety has been available on these pistols since their introduction. Many jurisdictions such as

2277-404: A spring-loaded pad that forms the upper portion of the trigger face and manipulates a similar lock. This design has more moving parts, but is advantageous in that accidental pressure on the lock release has reduced leverage thus requiring more force to pull the main trigger, where force against the lower portion does not release the lock and will not move the trigger. The loaded chamber indicator

2376-461: A stainless steel finish replaced the nickeled option during the Fourth Series. For the Second Series, caliber options were .32 New Police, .38 New Police, and .38 Special; only .38 Special was offered for the other Series models. The standard barrel length was 2 inches (5.1 cm), but also a (rare) 3-inch (7.6 cm) barrel was offered during the Second and Third Series. One early variant based on

2475-595: A sufficiently firm trigger pull will always result in firing. The heavy trigger pull required to cock and then fire the firearm usually prevents accidental discharges due to dropping or mishandling the gun. Most modern double-action revolvers have an internal safety, either a hammer block or a transfer bar, that positively prevents firing without the trigger being pulled. The only modern double-action revolvers with external safeties are unusual cases available only on special order or modified through aftermarket conversions. Pistols made and imported by Glock Ges.m.b.H. , such as

2574-431: A two or four inch barrel, and incorporating several production economies including a non-gloss Parkerized finish. The Commando also lacked the usual metal checkering on the hammer, trigger, and cylinder latch, as well as the reflection-deadening treatment of the commercial version's top strap. In addition, plastic material replaced the wood grips of the civilian model. Approximately 48,611 Commando revolvers were purchased by

2673-458: Is a device present on many semi-automatic handguns intended to alert an operator that there is a round in the chamber. It is typically a small button or pivoting lever (though sometimes a rod, such as on the Ruger series of .22 LR handguns, which are not slide pistols), generally located just behind the ejection port on the slide of the handgun that pops up to indicate the presence of a round in

2772-477: Is a standard feature of the revolver, preventing the firing pin from striking the primer unless the trigger is deliberately pulled. The pistol's sights consist of a blade front and a simple U-notch shaped groove milled into the revolver's top strap. The top strap has a matte finish to reduce glare down the sight plane. The Commando was a wartime variant of the Official Police, manufactured with either

2871-452: Is a switch, button or lever that, when set to the "safe" position, prevents the firing of a firearm. Manual safeties are as varied as the designs of firearms themselves, but the two most common mechanisms are a block or latch that prevents the trigger and/or firing mechanism from moving, and a device that disconnects the trigger from the firing mechanism of the firearm. Other designs may block the hammer or striker from forward movement or act as

2970-581: Is believed that somewhere between 40 and 200 Fitz Specials left the Colt factory, made from various Colt revolvers, by Fitzgerald himself. The Fitz Special was the precursor to the modern snubnosed revolver and specifically the prototype for the Colt Detective Special , the first production two-inch snubnosed revolver. Even after the introduction of the Detective Special in 1927, Fitz continued to make custom revolvers for special clientele. Colt

3069-488: Is larger than the five-shot Smith & Wesson Model 36 / Model 38 / Model 42 (J-frame) revolvers. Although the Detective Special proved to be an instant success when first introduced, lackluster sales saw the elimination of the Detective Special from the product line in 1996. John Henry Fitzgerald, an employee of Colt Firearms from 1918 to 1944, first came up with the Fitz Special snubnosed revolver concept around

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3168-400: Is moved into place by the normal action of the trigger, providing similar "drop safety" to a firing pin block. Popular on bolt, pump and lever-action firearms such as shotguns and rifles, a bolt interlock disengages or blocks the trigger if, for any reason, the bolt/breech is not in its fully closed, ready position. A variation is the trigger disconnect which prevents the gun from firing until

3267-410: Is no need to pull the trigger while holding the lever like in a revolver. The actual process of "decocking" the gun is done by simply flipping the decocking lever to its "decocked" position with the fingers away from the trigger. A decocker or manual decocking lever allows the hammer to be dropped on a live cartridge without risk of discharging it, usually by blocking the hammer or retracting or covering

3366-403: Is that determining whether the gun is safe becomes linked to the presence of the magazine as opposed to actually checking the gun, opening the action, and making sure it is unloaded." Another concern is that if fatigue, debris or rust cause the disconnect mechanism to fail, it will most likely do so in the "fire" condition. Further arguments are that functionally without a magazine the firearm

3465-493: Is the decocking grip found on some H&K pistols like the P7 Series . The firearm is cocked and ready to fire only when the front of the grip is squeezed by the operator. When the grip is released, the firearm is decocked, and the single-action trigger will not cock the firearm, therefore it will not fire unless the grip is squeezed and the trigger pulled. Alternatively, the trigger can first be pulled and then it will fire when

3564-539: Is useless except as a club. Without the disconnect feature, a gun owner or police officer who accidentally releases the magazine in a gunfight would still be able to fire the bullet in the chamber; if a magazine was lost or otherwise not available, then at least the gun could be chambered with a single round to be used as a single-shot firearm. A Pro variant of the Ruger LC9s was introduced in December 2014, without

3663-635: The British Purchasing Commission and shipped to the United Kingdom for use by British and Commonwealth armed forces as a substitute standard sidearm. These revolvers bore British military acceptance markings, had a 5" barrel, and the butt was fitted with a military-style lanyard ring. Most of these OP revolvers were assembled from commercial-grade parts made before 1942. When the U.S. became involved in World War II ,

3762-633: The Colt Magnum Carry , this model was only produced for a year before the entire production of Colt revolvers (excluding the Colt Python ) ceased in 2000. Therefore, ultimately ending the Detective Special line. Interest has arisen over the use of higher-pressure (+P) .38 Special ammunition in the Detective Special. In their more recent owners manuals, Colt authorized limited use of +P ammunition in steel-framed revolvers (including earlier versions), citing 2000 to 3000 rounds before recommending

3861-460: The Glock 17 , incorporate a design with three levels of integrated safety, known as safe action ; there are no external safety switches on these handguns. First, an integrated trigger latch prevents the trigger body from moving unless the trigger is positively squeezed. Second, the gun's striker-firing mechanism is locked in place by an extension bar linked to the trigger; the striker cannot move unless

3960-511: The HK USP ). An alternative are striker-fired or " safe action " type firearms which have a consistent trigger pull requiring force greater than required by a single-action design, but lighter than needed for a double-action trigger. Many such firearms do not have an external safety or external hammer ( Glock pistols and the Walther P99 and variants). In both cases a trigger pull always sends

4059-497: The accidental discharge of a firearm, helping to ensure safer handling. Safeties can generally be divided into subtypes such as internal safeties (which typically do not receive input from the user) and external safeties (which typically allow the user to give input, for example, toggling a lever from "safe" to "fire" or something similar). Sometimes these are called "passive" and "active" safeties (or "automatic" and "manual"), respectively. External safeties typical work by prevent

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4158-443: The firing pin before releasing the sear . This eliminates the need to pull the trigger or to control the fall of the hammer; however, since all mechanisms can fail, it is still necessary to keep the muzzle of the gun pointed in a safe direction while decocking. A decock/safety is a combination manual safety switch and decocking lever. Two popular variants exist. In the "three-way" system, made popular by Heckler & Koch pistols,

4257-445: The firing pin , but is linked to the trigger mechanism and clears the obstruction to the pin just before the hammer or striker is released. This prevents the firing pin from striking a chambered cartridge unless the trigger is pulled, even if the hammer is released due to a faulty sear or the gun is dropped or struck by another object. A hammer block is similar to a firing pin block. It is a latch, block or other obstruction built into

4356-793: The "9.65mm handgun", the Detective Special was used by the military police officers of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces along with the M1911 pistol designated as the "11.4mm handgun", replaced by the Minebea P9 semi-automatic pistol, the Japanese license-made SIG Sauer P220 . A small number were used in some prefectural police headquarters of Japan including the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department . The six-shot Colt Detective Special

4455-472: The "Official Police" model. The changes included adding checkering to the trigger , matting the topstrap of the frame and widening the rear sight groove . Colt also upgraded the quality of the gun's finish from a dull blued finish to a highly polished blued surface. In 1930, Colt publicized that their Official Police model could easily handle the firing of heavily-loaded .38 rounds intended for competitor Smith & Wesson 's new large N-frame revolver,

4554-591: The .38-44. None of the comparable S&W revolvers could safely manage this feat. By 1933, the Colt sales catalog listed many law enforcement agencies as having adopted the OP as a sidearm, including the New York City , Los Angeles , Chicago , Kansas City, Compton and Signal Hill , and other police departments. In addition, many state police organizations and even the Federal Bureau of Investigation chose

4653-440: The 1897 Iver Johnson Second Model Safety Hammerless revolver , incorporates a trigger with a spring-loaded lever in its lower half. This lever which protrudes from the trigger face must be fully depressed in order to disengage a lock that allows the main trigger body to move. Unintentional pressure against the top of the trigger without pressing the lever does not disengage the lock and the trigger will not move. Other designs include

4752-674: The Commando, which transferred the revolvers to the end user. A few Commandos were shipped to the U.S. Maritime Commission and used as small arms equipment on U.S. merchant ships and ships provided to the Allies under Lend-Lease. Most Commando wartime production went to the DSC for use by security and police forces, while approximately 1,800 Commandos were used by the U.S. Navy, and another 12,800 revolvers distributed to various military intelligence agencies. Control over procurement changed in 1944, after

4851-521: The DS frame was the Colt Banker's Special . First produced in 1928, it was chambered in .38 Colt New Police (.38 S&W) and .22 Long Rifle. Few were made, particularly in .22LR caliber. The Banker's Special was popular with railway clerks, who often carried them on mail and parcel freight trains prior to World War II. During World War II production was discontinued, and the type was not revived following

4950-431: The DSC formally objected to being charged additional handling fees by the armed forces, and was then authorized to procure the Commando directly from Colt. After World War II, Colt resumed commercial production and returned to the prewar polished blued finish, but retained the 'Coltwood' grips until 1954 when the checkered wooden grips were reintroduced. During the postwar period, Colt fell on difficult financial times and

5049-489: The First Series used a narrower frame, with reduced clearance between the frontstrap of the gripframe and the rear of the trigger guard. Other distinctive features included a shorter ejector rod with an ungrooved, knurled tip; a checkered hammer spur and cylinder latch, a "half-moon"–shaped front sight, and an overlapping screw and locking pin set-up on the right side of the frame. Grip panels were wooden. A rounded butt on

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5148-585: The OP as their issue revolver. The U.S. Army also bought some of the revolvers, issuing them to military police and to federal agencies in need of a revolver for their armed agents, such as the Treasury Department , Coast Guard , and Postal Inspection Service . Many Official Police revolvers were also bought by the police forces and militaries of various South American countries. Between May 1940 and June 1941, 49,764 Official Police revolvers in .38 New Police or .38/200 caliber were purchased by

5247-403: The OP, as well as the unit cost, Colt responded by simplifying the gun. Savings were achieved by eliminating all unnecessary exterior polishing operations, substituting a smooth-face trigger and hammer, and fitting the gun with simplified checkered wood grips with the Colt medallion; the latter was soon replaced by 'Coltwood' molded plastic grips. Instead of the normal bluing, the revolver was given

5346-610: The Sig Sauer SP 2022 in 2005. and all 9mm cartridges Colt Official Police The Colt Official Police is a medium frame, double-action revolver with a six-round cylinder , primarily chambered for the .38 Special cartridge , and manufactured by the Colt's Manufacturing Company . Released in 1908 as the Colt Army Special , the revolver was renamed the "Colt's Official Police" in 1927 in order to better market to law enforcement agencies. It became one of

5445-479: The State of California require some form of "drop safety" on all new firearms, which are usually passive safeties designed to reduce the chance of a firearm accidentally discharging when dropped or roughly handled. Such safeties generally provide an obstacle to operation of the firing mechanism that is only removed when the trigger is pulled, so that the firearm cannot otherwise discharge. Drop tests were introduced with

5544-410: The U.S. State of California passed legislation in 2006 requiring magazine disconnects on all new handgun designs sold in the state starting January 1, 2007, which has resulted in their widespread availability in other jurisdictions as well. The arguments in favor of a magazine disconnect are that if the gun cannot fire without a magazine, then an accidental discharge can be prevented if someone removes

5643-514: The U.S. government requested contracts to supply .38 revolvers required for arming security personnel charged with the security of government buildings, shipyards, and defense plant installations against sabotage or theft. Commencing in 1941, small quantities of the .38 Colt Official Police were procured directly from the Defense Supplies Corporation (DSC). When government purchasing officials objected to production delays of

5742-493: The US Civil War, had no internal safety to render them drop-safe, and were usually carried with an empty chamber under the hammer. Many original single-action revolvers have a half-cock "safety" notch on the hammer, but these are not drop-proof. Modern single-action revolvers, those made after the early 1970s, almost always have an internal safety, such as a hammer block or transfer bar. It is safe to carry such firearms with

5841-419: The action and normally positioned to prevent the hammer contacting the cartridge primer or firing pin when at rest. Similar to the firing pin block, the obstruction to the hammer's travel is removed as a consequence of pulling the trigger. This allows the hammer to contact the primer or firing pin only when the trigger is pulled. A transfer bar is also used in revolvers and some exposed hammer rifles, but works

5940-408: The base of the hammer, that allows the sear to catch and hold the hammer a short distance from the pin or cartridge primer, in a " half-cocked " position. The safety notch works first by allowing the handler to retract the hammer a short distance from the firing pin or primer, such that dropping the firearm on its hammer will not result in an energy transfer to the pin or spur, which could then discharge

6039-407: The bestselling police firearms of all time, eventually coming to exemplify typical law enforcement officer weaponry in the 1950s. The Official Police was also used by various U.S. and allied military forces during World War II . As the 20th Century began, the older .32 caliber revolvers which had been standard-issue for the majority of American police departments began to be phased out in favor of

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6138-416: The chamber. Such devices have been in existence for decades; strictly speaking, loaded chamber indicators are not safeties, nor are they efficacious with an untrained user. Another form of warning is an indicator behind the ejector port that does not rise enough to disrupt a shooter's sight picture , but enough to be easily seen or felt to alert a user that there is a round in the chamber. The opposite of

6237-408: The cocked hammer, and thus an inadvertent trigger pull is less likely. However, the act of cycling the action on such a firearm (as a natural consequence of discharging the firearm, or to chamber the first round) will leave the hammer cocked in single-action mode. To return the pistol to its safe state, it is necessary to uncock (decock) the hammer, usually by holding the hammer spur, carefully pulling

6336-427: The company introduced few new models. At Smith & Wesson, both output and new model civilian and police sales improved, and the sales margin gap between the two corporations progressively tightened. Finally, in the 1960s, S&W took over the lead. A contributing factor to this change may have been Smith & Wesson's generally lower cost per unit, accompanied by a double-action trigger pull on their Model 10 that

6435-527: The factory. The DAO or 'Bobbed Hammer' Detective Special was otherwise the same as the standard Fourth Series Detective Special. In 1997, Colt released the SF-VI/DS-II (Small Frame, 6 round/Detective Special 2) is a Detective Special with a stainless steel frame and simplified for easier manufacturing in both .38 Special and .357 Magnum. In 1999, the .357 Magnum version of the SF-VI/DS-II was renamed

6534-411: The federal Gun Control Act of 1968 for imported guns. A safety notch is one of the oldest forms of drop safety, used on older single-action revolvers manufactured before the invention of the hammer block, some lever-action rifles, 1911 -pattern guns, and hammer-fired semi-automatics that were designed before the invention of the firing pin block. The safety notch is a relief cut made in the tumbler at

6633-436: The frame. The Third Series ran from 1973 to 1986. A new shroud extended down from the barrel, enclosing and protecting the ejector rod, and the front sight was changed to a full ramp. New, oversize wood gripstocks were introduced that covered the front frame strap. The Third Series featured improvements to the revolver's internal lockwork as well. As with the previous two Series models, a few nickel-plated guns were produced, and

6732-604: The government during World War II. Of this total, approximately 12,800 were issued to various intelligence services such as US Military intelligence and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Many of the latter were procured with the two-inch barrel, referred to as the "Junior Commando". A few Commandos saw service overseas in the war zone. Regular production deliveries of two-inch "Junior Commando" revolvers began in March 1943, at approximately serial number 9,000. More than 12,000 of

6831-461: The grip is subsequently squeezed. Finally, if both the grip is squeezed and the trigger pulled simultaneously, the pistol will fire. Another, unusual variant was found in the Ortgies semi-automatic pistols. To disengage the safety, a user would squeeze a lever until flush with the rear of the grip. The lever then would latch in the disengaged position until the user released it again by pressing

6930-516: The gun be returned to the factory for inspection. Many believe that this was due to potential liability rather than engineering requirements, as the standard pressure ammunition of yesteryear was about the same pressure as modern +P ammunition. SAAMI lowered the pressures in 1972. Due to the good concealment qualities of the revolver, the Colt Detective Special was used as a weapon mostly by plainclothes police detectives, though it

7029-488: The gun during or after the unloading process. With a magazine disconnect depressing the trigger into a bullet trap or other safe direction, such as downrange, will not clear the round in the chamber because the trigger is disabled. When an empty magazine is inserted the firing system becomes reactivated, even though the trigger has been previously depressed. The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute stated that an "obvious concern with magazine disconnect features

7128-486: The gun has not only been fully and completely cycled, but the trigger is released and squeezed again. This defines the behavior of semi-automatic firearms which require a separate trigger pull to fire each successive cartridge and ready the next, and this is the preferred mechanism of disengaging the trigger on repeating-action firearms. Older pump-action shotguns such as the Winchester Model 12 did not have such

7227-584: The gun with the manual safety in the safe position. The safety must be OFF to clear the weapon. In the M&;P design, the slide can be manually actuated and a chambered round ejected with the manual safety in safe position. One possible benefit of the slide-safety lock may be that, upon holstering, the slide cannot be snagged and hung up out of battery. Manual Safeties are the oldest forms of "active" safety mechanism and are widely used; however, many "double-action" firearms such as revolvers do not have manual safeties as

7326-611: The handler may decock the firearm by pushing down on the safety lever from the "Fire" setting, or engage the safety (even on a cocked firearm) by pushing the lever upwards. A simpler "two-way" system was popularized by the Walther PP and is also commonly seen on the Beretta 92 : engaging the safety also decocks the firearm. The SIG Sauer line of pistols, such as the SIG P226 , frequently feature decocking levers. The earliest use of

7425-418: The interlock helps prevent misfires due to a cartridge not being fully in battery when its primer is struck by the pin (known as firing "out of battery"). Passing handguns or rifles to another person with the action open (known as "show clear") is recommended by elementary gun safety . A magazine disconnect feature does not allow a user to fire the gun when the magazine is withdrawn (even partially) by means of

7524-529: The larger-bore .38 caliber. In 1908, Colt introduced a sleek and modernized revolver they dubbed the Army Special, which in the powerful (for the time) and popular .38 Special quickly became the issue service revolver of many departments. During the same period, revolvers began to fall out of favor with the U.S. Military , especially after the adoption on the M1911 semi-automatic pistol . As military sales of their revolvers dropped off, Colt realized

7623-402: The late 1960s, called the "MK III" series. MK III models consisted of simpler versions of several classic Colt revolvers with updated lockwork, based on a new "J" frame, which failed to attain commercial success and was cancelled after only three years. and all 9mm cartridges Safety (firearms)#Hammer block In firearms , a safety or safety catch is a mechanism used to help prevent

7722-423: The late 1990s and early 2000s include a mandatory integral locking mechanisms that must be deactivated by a unique key before the gun can be fired. These integral locking mechanisms are intended as child-safety devices during unattended storage of the firearm—not as safety mechanisms while carrying. Other devices in this category are trigger locks , bore locks, and gun safes. The most common form of safety mechanism

7821-399: The longer, harder trigger pull to cock and fire double-action provides adequate trigger safety, while keeping the firearm in a more ready state. A grip safety is a lever or other device situated on the grip of a firearm which must be actuated by the operator's hand, as a natural consequence of holding the firearm in a firing position, in order for the firearm to fire. It is usually similar to

7920-417: The magazine but forgets that a round has been chambered. Also, if losing possession of the firearm is imminent, the operator can render the firearm useless by removing the magazine. Firearms expert Massad Ayoob found instances where during a struggle, police officers carrying a pistol with a magazine disconnect were able to prevent being shot with their own guns by ejecting the magazine. One disadvantage of

8019-399: The magazine disconnect is that it may add tension to components of the trigger mechanism, making the trigger pull uneven or heavy. A safety argument against a magazine disconnect is that if a round is left in a chamber due to extractor failure or other reason the firearm will revert to being live unexpectedly when an empty magazine is reinserted. This is a danger because the user may dry fire

8118-533: The metal frame became standard in 1933, but pieces with the original square butt (like that of the Police Positive Special) continued to be produced into the 1940s. The Second Series ran from 1947 to 1972. The ejector-rod was longer and had a groove in its knurled tip; a three-inch-barrel variant was offered, with a yet longer ejector rod. The cylinder latch was smooth, and the trigger spur serrated. The right side frame screw has no locking pin, and

8217-537: The mid 1920s, when he modified a .38 Special Colt Police Positive Special revolver, by shortening the barrel to two inches (5.1 cm), shortening the ejector rod, bobbing the hammer spur , rounding the butt, and removing the front half of the trigger guard. Reshaping the hammer and the butt allows the gun to be drawn quickly with little risk of the weapon snagging on clothing. The halved trigger guard facilitates quick trigger acquisition, even for shooters with large fingers or gloves. Although historians disagree, it

8316-403: The opposite way from a hammer block. The transfer bar has the spur that would otherwise be on the hammer, or encloses a firing pin similar to autoloading designs. The hammer itself cannot contact a loaded cartridge, but must instead strike the transfer bar, which then contacts the cartridge primer with the spur or pin. The transfer bar is normally positioned out of line with the hammer's travel, but

8415-440: The popularity and strong sales of their pistols with civilian law enforcement agencies could form a replacement market. By 1927, the overwhelming sales of two popular models, the Army Special and Colt Police Positive , had assured Colt's dominance of the law enforcement firearms market. Colt's marketing strategy was further fine-tuned by making a few superficial alterations to the Army Special revolver and then renaming it as

8514-537: The rear half of the front sight is a serrated ramp. The grip panels were plastic in 1947, but were changed back to wood starting in 1955 (first with a silver-tone Colt medallion, and later a gold-tone). An optional hammer shroud was available from the factory to prevent the hammer from catching on clothing. Transition from the First to Second Series was gradual, with some post-WWII Second Series guns retaining short ejector rods and checkered hammers. Because of this, assigning

8613-402: The safety. Most traditional semi-automatic double-action/single action (DA/SA) pistols are designed to be carried with the hammer down (uncocked) on a chambered round, with or without a manual safety engaged. The pistol is considered safe in this state as the "double-action" pull that both cocks and fires the firearm is both longer and heavier than the "single-action" pull that simply releases

8712-410: The striker, and the mechanism is designed to have insufficient force to ignite the primer of an active cartridge from this state even if the sear lock and firing pin block both fail. Rifles come with various safeties. Some use a cross-bolt safety button, others a wing safety at the rear, or even a "half-cock" notch (such as found on older lever-action rifles). The Winchester Model 94 originally utilized

8811-423: The trigger is depressed. Third, as with most pistols, a firing pin block actuated by the same extension bar prevents the pin coming into contact with the primer unless the trigger is pulled to clear the block. Although not generally considered a safety feature, the resting state of the gun (excluding a dry/misfire) has the striker in a "half-cocked" state; pulling the trigger will fully cock the weapon before releasing

8910-440: The trigger is pulled, preventing accidental discharge if the hammer is struck (e.g., if a dropped gun falls onto its hammer) with the trigger forward. First and early Second Series Detective Specials are becoming highly sought after by collectors, particularly if they are in prime condition and still have the famous Colt "Royal Blue" finish. The Detective Special was initially available in both bright blued and nickel finishes;

9009-454: The trigger pull or prevent the firing pin from detonating the cartridge or both. Firearms with the ability to allow the user to select various fire modes may have separate switches for safety and for mode selection (e.g. Thompson submachine gun ) or may have the safety integrated with the mode selector as a fire selector with positions from safe to semi-automatic to full-automatic fire (e.g. M16 rifle ). Some firearms manufactured after

9108-399: The trigger, and then slowly lowering the hammer on the firing pin. Hammer-fired semi-auto pistols have a beaver tail to protect the shooter's hand from the slide, which makes it more difficult to securely and firmly grasp the hammer with the thumb than a double action/single action revolver, thus making an accidental discharge more likely. Striker-fired pistols, on the other hand, do not have

9207-490: The two-inch Commandos encountered today are actually postwar conversions from four-inch models produced during the war. A rare variant featuring a rounded grip, with barrel lengths of two and four inches. With a very limited production run of 2,500 units produced from 1955–1956, the Marshal became a true collectable. The moniker "Official Police" was borrowed by one model in a new generation of revolvers Colt introduced in

9306-405: The war's end. The Colt Commando Special was a version of the Detective Special with a matte finish and rubber grips; produced from 1984 to 1986, it was chambered in .38 Special and weighed 21.5 oz (610 g). During the Fourth Series production run of 1992 to 1996, Colt offered the Detective Special with an optional de-spurred 'bobbed' hammer and double action only lockwork, direct from

9405-423: Was also a popular off duty and backup firearm for uniformed police officers. It was used by bodyguards for personal defense and shooting sports. The Colt Detective Special was a popular weapon before the semi-automatic pistol replaced the revolver in many police departments, government agencies, and militaries. Myanmar Police Force and some other countries are still using them as officers' sidearms. Designated as

9504-439: Was machined of fine carbon steel , with blued or nickel-plated finishes, and was offered in 4, 5 and 6 inches (100, 130 and 150 mm) barrels . Built on Colt's .41 or "E" frame, it was manufactured in a variety of chamberings, including .22 LR , .32-20 (discontinued in 1942), .41 Long Colt (discontinued in 1938), and the most common and popular, the .38 Special. Colt's "Positive Lock" firing pin block safety

9603-404: Was preferred by many agencies teaching the new combat-oriented double-action revolver training. Colt announced the discontinuation of the Official Police in 1969, stating that competitive production of the design was no longer economically feasible. With a total production of over 400,000 pistols, the Official Police ranks as one of the most successful handguns ever made. The Official Police

9702-570: Was so impressed with the Fitz Special that they decided to produce a sightly less radical version, the Detective Special , which is simply a shortened and somewhat streamlined Colt Police Positive Special . The Detective Special proved to be an instant success and was made until 1996. Colt's Detective Special went through several issues or series. The First Series was produced from 1927 to 1946. Compared to later production models,

9801-479: Was the standard issue sidearm of Crime Wing inside Hong Kong Police Force , replaced by SIG Sauer P250 after years of use. The Colt Detective Special was the first revolver issued to French customs agents, meant to replace the old Browning 10/22 and MAB D pistols. They were used from 1975 to 1988, being progressively replaced by Smith & Wesson revolvers (mostly the S&;W model 13) along with French Manurhins and

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