Colt Police Positive .38 question

[jhinalabama]

SO I got this Colt Police Positive .38. The firing pin has a little up and down wiggle. Is this normal? The gun is in like new condition. I've never had a Colt with the firing pin made on the hammer, It looks ok but just wasn't sure.

Thanks

 

[Fla_dogman]

I'm not sure about the Colt but I know the S&W has a loose or floating firing pin pinned into the hammer. It's designed to move a little.

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[jhinalabama]

Thanks, that's what this one looks like too.

 

[lamarw]

I also have a Colt Police Positive .38 Special. Mine is a First Issued manufactured in 1921. The nose firing pin on the hammer does and is supposed to wiggle up and down. It is a neat little revolver.

 

[SaxonPig]

99.9% of people are unaware that the Police Positive and the Police Positive Special are two separate models. The PP was made in 32 and short 38 caliber. The PPS was made with a larger frame and cylinder for the 38 Special (and 32-20). Most people say PP when they really mean PPS.

 

[damienph]

Possibly because early model Police Positives chambered in .38 special, like my 1922 model, are roll marked on the barrel - Police Positive .38 Special - and except for the word "Special" after the ".38" denoting the chambering there is no other reference to Special anywhere on the revolver.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

The firing pin on a S&W is held in place by a hollow rivet which has had its ends flared to hold it in place. The rivet is very obvious on a S&W hammer. The firing pin is free to rotate up and down slightly on this rivet. This is a design feature, it is not an accident. At the last instant as the hammer falls all the way, the firing pin 'finds its way' through the hole in the hardened bushing mounted in the recoil shield.

The firing pin on a Colt Double Action revolver is held in place by a solid rivet. But the end of the rivet has been ground flush with the faces of the hammer and is often hard to see unless viewed at just the right angle. I have a bunch of Colt Police Positive Specials, but this 32-20 Police Positive Special has the most visible rivet, only visible when the light is just right. Like the firing pin on the S&W, the firing pin on a Colt is also able to rotate up and down slightly. For the same reason.

Unlike Rimfire Smiths, which have a frame mounted firing pin and a flat faced hammer, Rimfire Colts have the firing pin fastened to the hammer. The arrangement is the same, with the firing pin held by a solid rivet, except in this case, the firing pin is fixed in place, it does not move in the hammer at all. The rivet is there on the hammer of this 22 RF Police Positive Target, but it is very difficult to see.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy Again

Barrel markings on a few Police Positive Specials:

Police Positive Special from 1952.

Police Positive Special from 1932.

Police Positive Special from 1922.

Police Positive Special, 32-20, from 1926. Of course, this marking is a bit redundant. In the Winchester world, the cartridge was 32 WCF, for 32 Winchester Center Fire. To the rest of the world it was 32-20, for 32 caliber and 20 grains of Black Powder. I guess Colt wanted no mistakes, so they marked it 32-20 W.C.F. Most of my Winchesters have the WCF marking, but I have an 1892 Winchester from 1928 marked 25-20 W.C.F. Go figure.

Not a Police Positive Special, just a 22 Rimfire Police Positive Target model from 1936.

 

[lamarw]

Nice layout and display Driftwood. It depicts both the hammer firing pin question and SaxonPig's point on the revolver's nomenclature.

 

[James K]

Ideally, any firing pin should strike the primer straight on, not at an angle. Striking at an angle can cause misfires and other problems, including a difficulty in retracting the firing pin when the trigger is released, a necessity for a swing cylinder revolver. That is why most center fire revolvers have pivoted firing pins that are guided by the frame to a straight forward movement before the primer is struck.

The firing pin rivet is apparent on S&W revolvers, but Colts and other revolvers have it too, it is just polished over and not obvious.

Jim

 

[jhinalabama]

I think mine is like a 1977 model. Thanks for all the feedback.