While you do not state what overall condition your Colt Detective Special is in.I would say that these small well made revolvers are going for 450.00 dollars and up.Again this is based on overall condition.The better shape it is in the more it is worth.
Most say 38 special on the barrel
The standard barrel length of the Colt detective special was 2 inches although in the second & third series there were some 3 inchers produced.
A handgun that Colt made.
They are two very different cases, minimally the barrel and breaches are different.
Made in 1973.
Caliber typically refers to the maximum diameter of a gun's barrel in hundredths of an inch. Sometimes a stated caliber (like .38 Special) is not equal to its actual caliber (.357 caliber). This is due to several reasons: 1- Marketing, 2- Measuring barrel diameter land to land, 3- Measuring barrel diameter groove to groove. 4- Measuring diameter of the chamber (brass casing diameter). Usually when a firearm uses millimeter instead of caliber, it tends to be a more accurate description of the projectile's diameter.
When you swing out the cylinder, it'll be visible on the frame under the piece that holds the barrel.
Well, it depends on what you mean. The caliber is "determined" at time of production based on whatever caliber the manufacturer wants it to be. The caliber can be determined later by looking on the barrel. The caliber will almost always be stamped somewhere on the barrel.
The age would be around 1949.
Try the Blue Book of Gun values
It should be marked as to caliber on the barrel.
one in good condition about 600