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Old November 27, 2011, 10:16 AM   #1
Roughedge
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Colt DA 32

A friend brought me colt da32 with a 4" barrel that was passed down from his farther in law before he died. The gun is in bad shape and it seams the springs are gone or broken. He wants to restore it but I'm not sure if its worth it. The last pat.date on it is june 6 1900.
I'm almost afraid to open it up, what do you think?
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Old November 27, 2011, 12:18 PM   #2
Jim Watson
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I don't see a Colt DA .32 with 1900 patent in either Blue Book or Flayderman. It is likely some sort of late issue New Pocket or New Police before the Positive Safety action came in around 1905.

Parts are going to be scarce and fitting difficult.
Unless your name is Turnbull and he has a couple of thousand dollars to spare, it doesn't look very hopeful to me.

I would clean up any rust and frame it with the good side out for display only.
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Old November 27, 2011, 05:00 PM   #3
Gbro
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Can you post a few pictures?
Good and bad sides.
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Last edited by Gbro; November 28, 2011 at 09:07 AM.
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Old November 28, 2011, 06:06 AM   #4
Roughedge
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You can barely make out New Police on the side plate
stuff 012.jpg

stuff 013.jpg

stuff 014.jpg
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Old November 28, 2011, 08:16 PM   #5
James K
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That gun is the .32 Colt New Police. It dates to before the positive safety. That model was the one chosen, reportedly by Teddy Roosevelt, then New York City police commissioner, to arm the city police. Today, we would consider the .32 Colt to be inadequate for police use, but in 1896 it was state of the art, a compact, swing cylinder revolver with a decent DA trigger and, it was believed, enough power for crime fighting. Its compactness helped, since in those days police weapons were kept concealed under a long overcoat in order not to disturb the honest citizens. (It could be argued that that "see no evil" attitude toward police guns was partly resposible for the hatred of guns exhibited by present-day New York politicians and many of the state's and city's citizens.)

I think parts will be beyond scarce, as in unavailable. You could try a letter to Gun Parts Corp (www.gunpartscorp.com has the address) as sometimes they have small amounts of parts they don't catalog, but I wouldn't hold out too much hope.

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Old November 29, 2011, 03:34 PM   #6
Roughedge
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Thanks for the help , I gave it back to him and told him it would'nt be worth fixing, if it could be fixed at all.
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