The Gangster Gun | Colt "Fitz Special" Revolver

[@skigdividerx4991]

I have a Navy Master chief challenge coin I got from 5 Navy SEALS in a bar. I could tell they were SEALS by the fatigues they were wearing and just their physical appearance. I sent them all a shot. In a few minutes they all got up and walked over to where I was setting and I stood up and the first guy shook my hand and had a coin in his hand and he told me it came from the secretary of the Navy and to keep it forever. I'll try to send you guys a pic. Those guys thanked me and I told them THANK YOU! Guys like you are the reason I'm able to sit in here and relax and have my freedom.

[@2Aknight762]

Normally with a cut trigger guard I would be concerned about safety, however I know that revolver probably has a 15 pound DA pull weight so it's almost impossible for an accidental discharge. Cool gun.

[@steezydan8543]

Yeah, I'd be more worried about it not being drop safe

[@theanxious]

That gun was engraved for me... James Brown. Go ahead and send it back to me haha!

[@Goldenwithaleash]

I love these cool pieces of functional history. My father has his 40’s manufactured Remington Rand 1911 from when he served in the Navy as an officer in the early 60’s. He befriended the Gunny in charge of the shooting range in Okinawa and when my dad went home that ol salty Gunny snuck a going away present in his duffel. Boy, you couldn’t get away with that now! I’ve shot it some and it works perfectly. It stood guard on countless family camping/backpacking trips when I was a kid until he finally retired it. It’s not worth a whole lot but of all the guns we own, it’s one of the few I’d never sell. It’s a prized family heirloom that I plan to pass down to my 4 year old son someday.

[@rebelray84]

Awesome piece of gun history, thanks!

[@lawrencemarocco8197]

Fitzgerald's modification of the Police Positive Special is what inspired Colt to come out with the legendary Detective Special. And the rest, as they say, is history.

[@BatCaveOz]

I was hoping that you would give Ian a shout out. I was not disappointed.

[@buckshot4428]

You should write Colt to see if they did the conversion. FYI I heard stories about my son's neighbor who used to work for IBM and he was quite the gun faker. He specilized in the Colt Sheriff's models and went as far as to change the rifling twist. His guns were so good that Colt could not tell they were fakes. He always did something to the gun so he could tell the fake from the original.

[@nappyboizboiz]

I’m intrigued to say the least

[@butchy586]

yeah ,i call bullshit

[@DK-gy7ll]

That cutaway triggerguard with a heavy DA trigger is no more dangerous than a light trigger and no manual safety on a Glock.

[@eriv4735]

💯

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

Was it Askins or Cooper who carried a 1911 at full cock, with the thumb safety off, and the grip safety taped down?

[@garrisonnichols7372]

This is really neat! I've heard of these guns but I didn't know anything about them. I thought it was a nickname for any snubnose revolver. I didn't know it was a custom made gun with alot of cool features to make it a quick draw handgun for concealed carry. Thanks for the video 👍

[@theanxious]

I had to come back and mention that ending 😆! I was not thinking of George Costanza when you said, "I'm a bootlegger baby". Absolutely hilarious! I had never heard of a Fitz Special until today myself either, thanks for tossing me a knowledge treat haha.

[@butchy586]

millions of them were fakes buy master gunsmiths.cant trust buying one without checking with colt on the numbers first

[@stephenhowald5797]

Please note that the idea for the Fitz was to provide big bore CONCEALABILITY, NOT "fast draw." Also, the New Service was available in .45 Colt (among other) calibers, while the M-1917 was chambered in .45 ACP. This might explain a possible cylinder swap from one .45 chambering to the other.

[@dnf7778]

Another great history lesson with Tom. Thank you sir

[@davidschaadt3460]

Beautiful gun ,I had a 1917 S & W .45ACP ,and I really miss it .I enjoy your programs .

[@jensenwilliam5434]

Thank you!!

[@Foche_T._Schitt]

If it was done by the factory then a Colt letter should prove it.

[@baileycooper5616]

I’ve never heard of fitz specials until Ian posted his video of one. I think they’re cool guns. I would like to have one someday.

[@tighay8693]

Thank you for the book from Mauser

[@CharlesJohnson-yd9ym]

Challenge Coin I have a U.S. Navy Retired Challenge Coin. Enough Said... Chuck in Michigan U.S. Navy 1977-1999 U.S. Navy Retired

[@bryancoombesart]

Love that INTRO!

[@bobspistolsandpaydirt8607]

Very cool and interesting…

[@burpengaryjosh5614]

You're a wolf in sheep's clothing mate! I got you figured 😄 love your work.

[@WAFFENAMT1]

Had a 38. Snub nose Revolver with Rubber grips, would actually sting and hurt my wrist and hand with every shot at the range, even with rubber grips, I can't even begin to imagine what shooting this would be like.

[@ThugShakerActualMcTactical]

You can definitely get used to shooting a snub nosed.

[@dmre0]

i have a 1in colt .38 its not even that bad with +p rounds. maybe you need some more time on the range. i have a .45 that has some real kick though

[@tamaramartin3153]

Damn it I'm 2nd taking home the silver today

[@MrBuckeye63]

Great video 🤣🤣🤣 Thanks for posting!!!

[@AbbyNormL]

Not to turn this great firearm site into a political debate, I respectfully submit that given the incompetent actions of the Commander-in-Chief, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, service Secretaries, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, various service Chiefs of Staff and the commander of CentCom in the past few weeks, I think we should try to collect the challenge coins of the lowest ranking service members and Units/Commands. I’ll just be happy with the coin of my former home, the challenge coin from the Commanding Officer of the USS Bremerton (SSN-698) (Plankowner).

[@CharlesJohnson-yd9ym]

Well Said!!! BRAVO ZULU!!! Chuck in Michigan U.S. Navy Retired

[@montiac1333]

he wasnt joking XD

[@patrickfort4467]

One of the photos in the book he leafed through was of Col. Norman Schwarzkopf, father of the general of the same name.

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

A fun fact. Thanks for sharing !!

[@bigtreg]

Love you video’s. Can you do one on Spanish Ruby This is an interesting little gun. Thanks. Keep it up!

[@montiac1333]

fr tho rip that book

[@ryans7569]

I really enjoy you chanels content.

[@cowboywoodard2569]

Business Man's gun!!

[@bandpassmess]

..45 DANG SLEDGEHAMMER

[@AbbyNormL]

Only problem is you can buy the Barrack Obama coins on eBay for under $20 each. The fun part of getting challenge coins is to personally acquire the coin from a high ranking person. Not buying a replica or generic coin from eBay.

[@LegacyCollectibles]

Agreed

[@ryann5247]

0:20 You know I keeps dat mf Thang on me!

[@MGB-learning]

Outstanding video!

[@mattedwards4533]

I have a problem with that pistol? The cylinder wasn't engraved?

[@mattwebb6437]

Another advantage for gangsters, it shares a common cartridge with the Thompson sub-machine gun.

[@thomasloks]

You missed a business opportunity there. You could have become T Sellek's personal firearms acquisition specialist. He's a good guy I've heard from people who have met him.

[@cowboywoodard2569]

Lindberg had one ,cut out trigger guard

[@steventhomas7844]

You can just throw that Obama coin away...

[@ronaldreuwer7971]

In the TV show heck Ramsey Heck carried a sawed off pistol every body made fun of it Richard Boone was Heck

[@danoneill2846]

Yep

[@nerozero8266]

👍

[@steveshoemaker6347]

~~~Thanks

[@NUFIGHTER]

I had a feeling my CMDCM (Command Master Chief Petty Officer) Challenge Coin would be trumped by a Presidential Challenge Coin.

[@brandonneuman1317]

It has my initials on it bjn.

[@dustycamaro7908]

The heck is a challenge coin?

[@redcat9436]

Seriously?

[@chuckschillingvideos]

@@redcat9436 A lot of people don't know. Seriously.

[@chuckschillingvideos]

A challenge coin is something of a "you were there" commemorative so that if someone challenges your claim to have been somewhere or done something, you can produce the coin to prove your claim. Very popular with US service units, particularly those who serve abroad and particularly those that have seen combat. Members of AA and other support groups are also well known to carry these.

[@HippieDave351]

Can you do a history of Erma?

[@chuckschillingvideos]

If you don't have paperwork from Colt to that effect, it's not a factory conversion. Any number of gunsmiths could have done this work and also the engraving. And these are NOT gangster guns. These conversions were almost always requested by police officers/detectives for plainclothes/off-duty carry. I don't understand why, when given a choice between the most likely story for a firearm and an outlandish and uncorroborated story, you ALWAYS opt for the outlandish, uncorroborated one.

[@aknation4418]

I have 4 star general

[@tighay8693]

Hello, magician, when you shoot a video about a Mause HSC r 7.65 caliber, and at that time you show all sorts of garbage and offered me a book for $ 70

[@johnfilangeri8568]

Wouldn't it be cool if the J and B in the inscription stood for James Bond. Is middle name was supposed to be Herbert. I can see a stylized H in the last letter. But, that may be wishful thinking. Especially, since Bond tended to see his firearms as more utilitarian. Maybe retirement gift. More appropriate than a gold watch for a double 0.

[@chuckschillingvideos]

You are aware that James Bond is a fictional character, are you not?

[@johnfilangeri8568]

@@chuckschillingvideos Of course I am. Do you not have an imagination?

[@chuckschillingvideos]

@@johnfilangeri8568 I have an imagination. I just don't have a fantasy life, as you seem to have.

[@TheNewBowunter]

I would say this gun has ZERO chance to be a factory engraved OR factory done Fitz. If it were a factory Fitz, the VP mark is moved to the inside of the crane or somewhere close. I saw no VP mark on this gun. And engraving is crude. And all the Fitz's I have seen never had the grip frame modification like this one. I think this this was just local gunsmith done. IMOP

[@chuckschillingvideos]

But that's not a sexy story, hence the outlandish claim for factory conversion with no evidence whatsoever.

[@nonyabiz9487]

All I need to do is send you one E-4 Mafia coin and it trumps every Presidential coin on the planet because we all know who really runs the show..

[@ralphh4131]

From russia with love

[@infjintegrityvsnarcissism7295]

Sorta a proto Detective Special

[@MrSloika]

'They were trying to get rid of sharp edges...' Presumably to eliminate snag points, so they cut the trigger guard, which totally makes sense. Guns like this just make me wince.

[@matthewdiehl1647]

Yeah imagine if in a scuffle, the gun gets banged around a little, the half trigger guard gets bent upwards, now the trigger cant be pulled. Terrible terrible flaw

[@deedavis427]

You totally got this gun wrong. It was never a gangster gun. Mr. Fitzgerald was a police officer, veteran, and excellent gunsmith who consulted for Colt. This gun was prized among Police Officers, collectors and Shooters. Colt made 20 of these guns in the factory and yes they are highly prized and very expensive as collector items. Mr. Fitzgerald made numerous others in his own gunsmith shop, some estimate another 40 to 80. Charles Lindberg owned one and he prized it.

[@alfulton5946]

I definitely don't like the Fitz special. I would much prefer the original version

[@robviousobviously5757]

"the swivel"?? I am disappointed... yoke next time please.

[@rockeypoole5480]

B

[@hotrod1984s10]

You need to do some more homework...... Thats NOT a factory Colt "Fitz Special"

[@jeffadams9807]

This Is A FAKE, The Cylinder In Not Engraved...

[@GunsmithSid]

Yeah - I really want to believe that this guy is knowledgeable, but he loves ‘conjecture’ and keeps showing clear red flags and does not find them worthy of mention. I had an old client that was also a gunwriter and he had about 10 Fitz’s and I even altered a 1917 to match one of his real ones. No, the shortened grip frame does not indicate ‘factory made’, this was gunsmith stuff. If the factory made a short barrel, they wouldn’t cover the patent dates with the sight. The triggerguard wasn’t cut at the front on some examples, but it was thinned on the right side to get faster access to the trigger. The action was not neglected and the DA digger pull is usually about 9 pounds. This guy (Legacy) has some nice guns and I’m glad he shares them with us, but the more I watch his content, the less likely I am to buy or recommend his wares.

[@chuckschillingvideos]

@@GunsmithSid He always takes the low road and opts for the most outrageous/outlandish claim and repeats any story he is told without doing any fact-checking. I wouldn't buy anything from him based on the story, because the story isn't worth anything.

[@suaveray]

Absolutely NOT Colt's factory work. Cool gun but Colt's factory had nothing to do with this alteration.

[@tighay8693]

I see yours every day I watch your videos only Park Walter PPK Walter PPK Nothing like there is no other make a normal video so that you have more subscribers

[@henrybucki7813]

almost turned you off. i disliked him almost as much as potato head

[@kenibnanak5554]

I am a little upset you decided to call these gangster guns. They were custom orders or gifts from Colt. There were very few gangsters wanting that kind of paper trail on a gun they carried. If I made a video about how mostly crack heads and Meth dealers own PPKs you would perhaps understand where I am coming from. If a real gangster ever actually had a genuine Fitz revolver, it was probably stolen. Also BTW, my Government issued 4" Police Positive was in .38 Special not .32. The Fitzgerald .45s also sometimes had a special walnut grip Fitzgerald designed for them. It filled the hand behind the trigger guard much like a Tyler T grip does. My own Fitz 1917 had that Fitz grip, but I had a great gunsmith named Bob Collins fit it with a replacement 3" barrel (with an S*W type front sight), and repair the trigger guard. Sadly I sold that one back in the 80s, but I still have a picture of it. Also BTW if you read the Sunday funnies back in the 50s or 60s you probably noticed C. Gould's Dick Tracy carried Fitz Specials. LoLI believe so did A. Capp's Fearless Fosdick (LiL Abner). There were only few true Fitz guns made before a Nazi bomb killed Mr. Fitzgerald, but I truly doubt very many (if any) were given by Mr. Fitzgerald to gangsters. The 3 I have seen were all originally owned by law enforcement personnel.