I just bought myself a birthday present

C

chaim

New member
I went to the gunshow today and made a purchase that looks like a nice one. My birthday isn't until next month but since I just picked up a gun yesterday and with Maryland's one a month law I won't get to pick this one up until a week before my 32nd birthday, so I guess it is my birthday present from myself :D.

I picked up a Colt Police Positive for $175. For around here that seems to be a great price. I looked on GunBroker and there that seems to be about average, but after transfer fees and shipping I did better than I likely would there too. This gun has good blueing (the blue up on the muzzle, mainly around the crown, is a little worn like it spent some time in a holster, but otherwise it was good) and the lockup was as tight as a bank vault.

Now I have some questions since I know S&W and Taurus revolvers much better than Colt.

First, I am hoping this is a Police Positive Special. The dealer sold it as a .38spl and not knowing the model I had no reason to doubt or double check the markings. Now I see if it is truely a Police Positive it is a .38s&w (and no younger than a 1943 gun). Is there anything on the gun (aside from the caliber markings which I didn't look at) that could clue me in that I got the .38spl? Do most dealers and others speak of the .38spl model as a Police Positive instead of a Police Positive Special in which case I am worrying unnecessarily? I think the serial number is 667xxx (it is the only number on the sales slip, it may be a stock number). If that is the serial number is there a way I can see how old this gun is? The gun was sold as a .38spl (that is what the tag said) and as a Police Positive (maybe the dealer didn't notice that it was a .38s&w, maybe he messed up on the correct model name).

Are there any reliability or other issues that I should be aware of with the Police Positive/Police Positive Special? I assume that I shouldn't shoot +Ps out of it (assuming it is actually a .38spl model).

This gun comes with some horrible rubber grips. I'm not usually a rubber grip fan, and these being older grips as well they aren't as comfortable as newer rubber grips and they are huge. I can't really find a source for grips for this gun. I've checked the net for about an hour and can't find them. I would like wood Colt grips (first choice), fake (I can't afford real) ivory (second choice), or other wood grips (last choice). Does anyone have a good source online for grips, or do I just have to scour the gunshows?

With these grips, unless added aftermarket, I think it is more likely that I have the Police Positive Special (.38spl, discontinued in 1973) instead of the Police Positive (.38s&w, discontinued in 1943).

Also, I am familiar with S&W's frame standardization (J-frame, K, L, N) but know nothing about Colt's. Which frame is this on? What other models also are built on this frame and are the grips interchangeable?

I'm looking forward to picking up this gun. It will be my first Colt. Since I won't need the gun for defense, only for fun, (in revolvers I have a Taurus 605 which will be better for deep concealment when I move to a CCW state and a S&W 65LS for home defense and primary carry when I move to a CCW state, plus several more appropriate autos as well) I will keep it if it turns out to be a .38s&w. I just hope it is a .38spl since the ammo is cheaper and easier to find. I guess if it is .38s&w and if I really like shooting it I'll just need to accelerate my plans to get into reloading ;) .
 
Not much on Colts but if the barrel is marked .38S&W it is not a .38 special.

You might want to pay it a visit before you pick it up. If it is not a .38special, looks like you have an out as they sold it as one.

Fingers crossed.

Sam
 
C.R. Sam,

If it is .38s&w I may try to cancel the sale. It was marked .38spl on the tag and that would be much more convenient, however if it is .38s&w I may take it anyway (it would be a pre-1943 gun and thus have some history and it would be my first Colt, plus this gun is in great shape).

All,

On my request for info and websites, is there anyplace I can go other than Colt's website to get info. They charge $25 just to tell me when it was made (if it is after 1943 I would be fine) and $50 to get "identification and general information". A complete background check including various certificates and info that only a collector would care about would run a minimum of $75. For my purposes I may get away with the $25 if this one was made after 1943 (when the .38s&w version was discontinued) but if it was earlier I'd need to go with the $50 check.

To add $50, or even $25, to the cost of the gun in order to know what I can shoot with it really isn't worth it. I think I'll pay a visit to the dealer tomorrow to see if the caliber is marked clearly (I really didn't notice it, though I wasn't looking for it, at the show). If it isn't (I'm not familiar with the way Colt does things) I guess I have a decision to make.
 
Surely somebody here can give more info on it.

Something else to look for.
It could be marked.....38 Colt New Police.....or....38 Super Police. Both of which are different iterations of the .38 S&W, NOT .38 Special.

Sam
 
The dealer isn't open on Monday so I didn't get to check the markings. Turns out he is open Wen-Sun evenings. A hobbiest instead of a professional dealer. I guess that means that it is either more or less likely to be marked wrong on his tag:D . Less professional so he may not know his stuff, but if he is doing it because he loves guns he may know more about them than the average guy who runs a shop as a business (probably both, depending upon the makes/models he knows/likes best).

Right now I am leaning towards keeping it if it is the wrong caliber:) (.38s&w). It is my first Colt, it is in great condition and if it is .38s&w it is no younger than 59 years old (history). I guess that will just mean that I'll have to hurry up and start reloading:D . I do still hope that it is .38spl, however, due to convenience and I do need to know which it is so that I will know what I can shoot (if I can shoot .38spl out of it I'd hate to limit myself to .38s&w, if I can't I'll certainly need to know). Also, even though I won't need it as a defense gun I may occasionally use it for defense if I can shoot .38spl as it has more character than my new S&W and Taurus.
 
chaim...

Considering the condition of the pistol in question, I think that I would opt to keep it, determine the exact caliber, and get it checked out by a competant gunsmith. Even if it is only .38 S&W (and older calibers are not my specialty) I think it still has some historical value.

IMN(ot)S(o)HO...it may well be worth the money to get a background letter from Colt. It's a gamble, but sure to add at least something to the value of the gun.

I think that you can still get some .38 S&W from specialty shops or oddlot dealers.

That is one of the exciting things about buying old guns, you never know what you have until you know what you have. (No matter where you go, there you are?)

Good luck.
 
Does this show an anti-Smith & Wesson bias on your part, Chaim?
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:D
Not really, I still want an M10 and/or M15 and/or M14, etc in .38, an L-frame in .357 (preferably blue) and some more K-frame .357s (a 3" 13 to compliment my 3" 65 would be great, a 19 would be nice). However, if I like this gun it has piqued an interest in Colt revolvers that wasn't there before- maybe I'll have to check out some more.



Considering the condition of the pistol in question, I think that I would opt to keep it, determine the exact caliber, and get it checked out by a competant gunsmith
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Especially with the condition that is the way I am leaning.

I think that you can still get some .38 S&W from specialty shops or oddlot dealers.
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Actually, I think it may be growing in popularity again due to Cowboy Action shooting. I know that several local shops and Bass Pro Shops carry it locally. Like all the hard to find calibers it is expensive though (I never really paid that close attention because I never planned to buy a .38s&w gun but if I recall it was somewhere between $15-20 a box, I think it is usually closer to $20).
 
I have seen professional gun shops mislabel the tag on their guns. Mod 64 smiths markes as mod 67's. I think they do this intentionally to try to charge more. Or maybe I'm overly suspicious and it's just honest mistakes. I just want to say, do not trust the tags marked on the guns, they are often wrong and misleading. Examine the gun for yourself. If it's a .38 S&w and you buy it, it'll be harder to get good selection of ammo.
 
If it is .38 S&W....Starline lists new brass for em, $82/1000 postage paid. I would slug the bore befor buying any bullets. Those critters varied quite a bit in bore diameter. Being a Colt, it might be on the tight side which would be good.

Sam
 
The Police positive was usually simply marked 38 on the barrel. A quick check is to just try to put a 38SPL in it. Most likely you'll find that it won't go all the way in.

Most of the Police Police Positives were chambered for the 38 New Police (COLT wouldn't admit that they used 38S&W). There have been some that were bored out so that a 38spl would fit. That's kind of scary since the 38SPL was far more powerful than the 38S&W.

I'd sure suggest that you keep is as the 38S&W is unbelievably accurate and fun to shoot. You can get new stuff or if you have the dies and all, do reloads.

Love them cute little Police Positives.
 
I made it to the shop today and took another look at it. Well, I think the stamp that showed the chambering may have only said .38 but the model name was Police Positive Special. So I will be fine with .38spl. It is a relief since .38 spl is so much cheaper and easier to find but I actually was a little disappointed too. I had been thinking about what I'd do if it was .38s&w and decided to keep it since it would have more history (it would be no newer than 1943 manufacture) and it would be something that few people have so I guess I ended up getting myself primed for the .38s&w. Well, I guess I'll eventually have to look for one in .38s&w too:) .

Anyway, now I know for sure which gun it is does anyone know of some good sources (online preferably) for grips?


Edited for spelling: 6/13 at 8:40pm EST.
 
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Chaim....unless you know more about it than stated in your last post, you still don't know.

Police Positive Special came chambered in (amongst others) both .38 New Police and .38 Special. The New Police is the same as the .38 S&W.

Sam
 
Sam, as usual you are right. I looked back at the entry in the book I've been using and the Police Positive Special was made in all the calibers of the Police Positive plus .38spl so I guess I'll have to check it again. Then again, I guess I can wait until I pick it up- if I was slightly disappointed when I thought it was .38spl I guess I'll definately be keeping it if it is .38s&w. I can still pick up ammo for it, I have a few .357s so if I buy .38spl (cheaper) I can still shoot it in something and if I buy .38s&w (one or two boxes, that stuff ain't cheap) I can still shoot it out of a .38spl or .357 (I'd only shoot it out of the spl, who want 3 rings in the cylinder of a gun). I guess I do at least know for sure which sized gun it is so if I can find a source I can at least get grips for it now.
 
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