A Collector Grade Colt Police Positive .38

McShooty · May 23, 2013, 12:28 PM

I found this gun in the handgun case at my friendly, local gun shop on the day before Thanksgiving last November. It is a Colt Police Positive .38 S&W First Issue. It has a factory nickel finish and appears to have Colt factory MOP grips, although they are not numbered to the gun. It has no wear of any kind and appears to be unfired. A name is engraved on the right side of the frame. A couple of minutes on the internet identified the name as that of a long term police chief of a medium-sized Midwestern city in the early nineteenth century. The letter I obtained from Colt says the gun was shipped as a single unit to a large hardware retailer in Chicago in November, 1914. This leads me to think that it might have been a presentation piece. It is clear the Chief never carried or fired this gun. I am pursuing leads for further provenance regarding this interesting revolver.

James K · May 23, 2013, 01:00 PM

Beautiful gun. The information on the previous owner adds to the value. If you could access the newspapers in that city, it might be possible to find out when or if the gun was presented to the chief.

Jim

McShooty · May 23, 2013, 07:31 PM

Yes, I have to travel a ways to access the pertinent newspaper files but hope to do that some time this summer. I need to make a correction. I meant to say "..in the early ninteen hundreds" instead of the early nineteenth century in regard to the chief's tenure.

Winchester_73 · May 24, 2013, 06:59 AM

Very nice revolver. Did it letter as pearl/nickel? I actually have a membership to a newspaper archive site, so you can PM me the name or even post it here and I will see what I can find for you.

SaxonPig · May 24, 2013, 11:31 AM

That's a beauty.

PetahW · May 24, 2013, 01:13 PM

.

JMO, but that's about as good as it gets, for collectible 20th Century DA Colt revolvers.

Nice find !

.

Grant D · May 24, 2013, 03:53 PM

That is one beautiful revolver!!

**Mike Irwin** · May 24, 2013, 03:56 PM

Is that the right style Colt grip medallion for a gun of that age?

I hesitate to ask what they've priced it at.

Buzzcook · May 25, 2013, 12:24 AM

Is the gun stamped .38 S&W or .38 New Police?

McShooty · May 25, 2013, 05:58 PM

On the left side of the barrel the gun is stamped "Colt Police Positive .38" and neither S&W nor New Police is specified. I understand that Colt never would have put "S&W" on one of their guns, but occasionally "New Police" will be on 32s and 38s, but not this one. The grips are an interesting issue. The Colt letter verified the nickel finish, but opposite "Type of stocks:" it said "Not listed". I haven't seen enough vintage colts to know whether the grip medallions are appropriate to the period of the gun or not. I will say the image of the rampant colt on the medallion matches the one engraved in the metal, left side of frame, pretty closely. So the image of the rampant colt, with a lance between his front legs and arrows in his mouth, was used in the early 1900s, if not before.

**4V50 Gary** · May 25, 2013, 11:08 PM

May we have a shot of the trigger guard? I'm curious as to how well it was polished.

McShooty · May 28, 2013, 09:59 AM

Take my word for it, all parts of the gun are polished to the same level. The fit, finish, action smoothness, etc., are entirely comparable to good, 20th-century S&Ws.

aarondhgraham · May 28, 2013, 02:10 PM

Shiny!

Aarond

.

May 23, 2013, 12:28 PM	#1
McShooty Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2012 Location: Northern Missouri Posts: 480	A Collector Grade Colt Police Positive .38 I found this gun in the handgun case at my friendly, local gun shop on the day before Thanksgiving last November. It is a Colt Police Positive .38 S&W First Issue. It has a factory nickel finish and appears to have Colt factory MOP grips, although they are not numbered to the gun. It has no wear of any kind and appears to be unfired. A name is engraved on the right side of the frame. A couple of minutes on the internet identified the name as that of a long term police chief of a medium-sized Midwestern city in the early nineteenth century. The letter I obtained from Colt says the gun was shipped as a single unit to a large hardware retailer in Chicago in November, 1914. This leads me to think that it might have been a presentation piece. It is clear the Chief never carried or fired this gun. I am pursuing leads for further provenance regarding this interesting revolver.

May 24, 2013, 06:59 AM	#4
Winchester_73 Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Pittsburgh PA Posts: 2,863	Very nice revolver. Did it letter as pearl/nickel? I actually have a membership to a newspaper archive site, so you can PM me the name or even post it here and I will see what I can find for you. __________________ Winchester 73, the TFL user that won the west

May 24, 2013, 03:56 PM	#8
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,382	Is that the right style Colt grip medallion for a gun of that age? I hesitate to ask what they've priced it at. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

May 25, 2013, 11:08 PM	#11
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,832	May we have a shot of the trigger guard? I'm curious as to how well it was polished. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

May 28, 2013, 02:10 PM	#13
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 8,638	Ooooooooooooooooooh,,, Shiny! Aarond . __________________ Never ever give an enemy the advantage of a verbal threat. Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once. Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it? Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)

May 23, 2013, 01:00 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Beautiful gun. The information on the previous owner adds to the value. If you could access the newspapers in that city, it might be possible to find out when or if the gun was presented to the chief. Jim

May 23, 2013, 07:31 PM	#3
McShooty Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2012 Location: Northern Missouri Posts: 480	Yes, I have to travel a ways to access the pertinent newspaper files but hope to do that some time this summer. I need to make a correction. I meant to say "..in the early ninteen hundreds" instead of the early nineteenth century in regard to the chief's tenure.

May 24, 2013, 11:31 AM	#5
SaxonPig Senior Member Join Date: April 24, 2006 Posts: 1,900	That's a beauty.

May 24, 2013, 01:13 PM	#6
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	. JMO, but that's about as good as it gets, for collectible 20th Century DA Colt revolvers. Nice find ! .

May 24, 2013, 03:53 PM	#7
Grant D Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2011 Location: Brazos County, Texas Posts: 1,038	That is one beautiful revolver!!

May 25, 2013, 12:24 AM	#9
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	Is the gun stamped .38 S&W or .38 New Police?

May 25, 2013, 05:58 PM	#10
McShooty Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2012 Location: Northern Missouri Posts: 480	On the left side of the barrel the gun is stamped "Colt Police Positive .38" and neither S&W nor New Police is specified. I understand that Colt never would have put "S&W" on one of their guns, but occasionally "New Police" will be on 32s and 38s, but not this one. The grips are an interesting issue. The Colt letter verified the nickel finish, but opposite "Type of stocks:" it said "Not listed". I haven't seen enough vintage colts to know whether the grip medallions are appropriate to the period of the gun or not. I will say the image of the rampant colt on the medallion matches the one engraved in the metal, left side of frame, pretty closely. So the image of the rampant colt, with a lance between his front legs and arrows in his mouth, was used in the early 1900s, if not before.

May 28, 2013, 09:59 AM	#12
McShooty Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2012 Location: Northern Missouri Posts: 480	Take my word for it, all parts of the gun are polished to the same level. The fit, finish, action smoothness, etc., are entirely comparable to good, 20th-century S&Ws.