Inherited S&W K 32 long and Colt Police Positive Special... Help

[Bereabuck]

My father left me with many guns, including these two along with a Remington M1911A1, Walther P38 AC43, and a Colt Woodsman... Which I will post in the appropriate forum.

I had the two shown below appraised, but he seemed a bit confused about these. I appreciate any help you can offer about the guns' values, history, etc. I'm not a collector like my dad was, but I feel the bug coming on.

Sorry I'm a bit ignorant, but that's why I'm here. I can post any other needed photos.

 

[Jim Watson]

I regret to tell you, but that is not a K32.
It is a much more common .32 Hand Ejector and worth more like $200.

The Colt is nicer than my Dad's.

 

[Bereabuck]

Yikes

Bit of a difference in value. Looks like my appraiser was confused and added a zero. That's a disappointment. Does the Colt look about right? Thanks for your help, Jim.

 

[Jim Watson]

As I said in your thread on the autos, I don't like to guess prices but think they are all at the top of the market.

I don't think your appraiser added a zero, I think he did not know what he was looking at. Even a shabby K32 would probably be worth two grand. Just that this is not one.

 

[Bereabuck]

How can I explain?

I'd like to go back to my appraiser and show him why this isn't what he thought. What characteristics can I share with him? Curiously, there is a stamp on the barrel that shows 32 Long CTG... With what appears to be a K in front of it. Could be an X. Perhaps this confused him... He sure spent a lot of time on this one and consulted with someone else.

 

[Jim Watson]

A K 32 is a substantially larger gun, on the same frame as the K 38 which is the same as the Military & Police .38 but with adjustable sights.

The squiggle before the .32 Long CTG barrel mark is just a bracket that S&W used in their roll marks. There ought to be one after the caliber mark, too.

The serial number given is very low. Is that the number off the bottom of the butt? Numbers inside the yoke are assembly numbers of no significance after the gun is completed.

 

[Bereabuck]

Jim, yes, there is also a squiggle after the mark. Yes, that number is off the butt and there is a longer number inside.

 

[Clark]

I got this police positive Colt 32-2- made in 1930 in Jan of this year.
It was on consignment with a large estate.
They don't have any more deals like that and I can't find any elsewhere.

image above is same as link below.

 

[Revoltella]

Does that Colt actually say Police Positive Special on the barrel, or just Police Positive. I thought the ones marked Special were all in .38 Special?

 

[SaxonPig]

The Police Positive was made for the shorter 38 and 32 calibers. The Police Positive Special has the longer frame to accommodate the longer 38 Special and I think the 32-20 would also require the larger frame. I believe a 32-20 would be a PPS.

 

[Clark]

It says special on the barrel.

Pic above same as link below

 

[Mike Irwin]

My Colt .32-20 is certainly marked Police Positive Special.

My Colt Police Positive in .32 S&W Long simply isn't physically large enough to chamber the much longer .32-20 cartridge.

 

[SaxonPig]

My 32-20 Colt says Army Special on the barrel.

 

[James K]

There is something odd about that .32 Hand Ejector. The gun appears to be post-WWII and the serial number at that time should be much higher than four digits. Are you sure there is not a letter or letters in that serial number?

Jim

 

[Bereabuck]

The Colt is a PPS...

The serial number on the 32-20 is 4684. It's inside the yoke, right?

Oops, sorry Jim. Reread your previous message about location of serial number. So the number is on the butt in the photo above, right?

 

[Jim Watson]

The 4684 on the placard and inside the yoke of the .32 S&W Long (not .32-20, that's the Colt) is an assembly number with no significance after the gun is completed, serialized, and shipped.

The serial number for the S&W is the one on the butt, 543860.
That corresponds to early post-WW II manufacture, even as early as 1946-1947, which agrees with the physical features. Except for the improved hammer block designed during the war, it is not much different from the 3rd model as made since 1917. A nice little gun in unfortunately much worn condition. As you can see, they made a bunch of those little guns, over 800,000 from 1896-1970. Once upon a time, a .32 was considered a serious weapon, good enough for Teddy Roosevelt to arm the NYPD with. That was before antibiotics made a penetrating wound less of a death sentence.

The Colt Police Positive Special .32-20 is in better condition even though older, made in 1922.

 

[Bereabuck]

Shew, long day. Getting my brands mixed up. Guys, thanks so much for your help. It means a lot. Jim, I think I'm straightened out now. Yes, the S&W is a bit worn, but not nearly as much as the photos indicate.

Well, time to move on to the rest of the guns This is fun.

Gotta split these with two siblings... What should I keep? If you could pick seven, what would you pick?

Here are many of them:

Rifles:
High Standard Riot K120 (excellent) LOVE IT
Winchester 61 engraved (very good)
Winchester model 12, 16 ga., nickel steel (very good) LOVE IT
Remington 550-1 (excellent)
Savage 775-a 12 ga (excellent) LOVE IT
Inland/GM carbine .30, May 1943. (Perfect!) LOVE IT
Winchester 88 .308 (very good) LOVE IT
Norinco SKS (excellent) LOVE IT
Norinco MAK 90 Sporter (excellent) LOVE IT
Marlin 60 older model (very good)
Stevens 94-h (excellent)
T. Barker double barrel Belgium Royal Damascus (very good)
Winchester Western Cooey 840 (excellent) LOVE IT

Handguns:
Beretta 950-bs .25 (excellent)
Colt PPS 32-20 WCF (good)
Browning .380 Standard (excellent) LOVE IT
Walther p38 ac43 9mm (good)
Charter Arms undercover .38 special "light model" (very good)
S&W .32 long CTG (fair)
Colt Woodsman .22 LR (excellent) LOVE IT
Glock 27 .40 (excellent)
Glock 30 .45 (excellent)
CDM .22 long Deringer (fair)
Browning 9mm Luger (excellent) LOVE IT
S&W .38 special model 36 (excellent)
Miroku .45 (very good)
S&W .38 special, model 49 (excellent) LOVE IT

 

[JimmyR]

Rifles:
High Standard Riot K120 (excellent) LOVE IT
Winchester 61 engraved (very good)
Winchester model 12, 16 ga., nickel steel (very good) LOVE IT
Remington 550-1 (excellent)
Savage 775-a 12 ga (excellent) LOVE IT
Inland/GM carbine .30, May 1943. (Perfect!) LOVE IT
Winchester 88 .308 (very good) LOVE IT
Norinco SKS (excellent) LOVE IT
Norinco MAK 90 Sporter (excellent) LOVE IT
Marlin 60 older model (very good)
Stevens 94-h (excellent)
T. Barker double barrel Belgium Royal Damascus (very good)
Winchester Western Cooey 840 (excellent) LOVE IT

Handguns:
Beretta 950-bs .25 (excellent)
Colt PPS 32-20 WCF (good)
Browning .380 Standard (excellent) LOVE IT
Walther p38 ac43 9mm (good)
Charter Arms undercover .38 special "light model" (very good)
S&W .32 long CTG (fair)
Colt Woodsman .22 LR (excellent) LOVE IT
Glock 27 .40 (excellent)
Glock 30 .45 (excellent)
CDM .22 long Deringer (fair)
Browning 9mm Luger (excellent) LOVE IT
S&W .38 special model 36 (excellent)
Miroku .45 (very good)
S&W .38 special, model 49 (excellent) LOVE IT

If it were me, and I was picking 7 of the guns you listed, my list would look something like this:

1) Beretta 950BS (The Jetfire, mostly because it would fit nicely with my 2 .22 short 950's)
2) Browning 9mm (Do I need a reason? )
3) S&W Model 49 (I love a good S&W Revolver, and J frames really tickle my fancy).
4) S&W Model 36 (Chief Special; another classic wheelgun)
5) Marlin Model 60 (Great old .22 rifle)
6) Norinco SKS/Mak 90- Good solid semi-auto rifle that can be a great HD rifle if needed.
7) COlt PPS- great collection piece, possibly a safe queen.

My reasons are mine, and you might have the same reactions, but those are what I would go with.

 

[Jim Watson]

Well, you have 12 Love Its, from which list I would omit three shotguns and two Norincos, getting down to seven.

MY picks would be:
Browning 9mm
Browning .380
Woodsman


Winchester 61 - if the engraving were well done, no "ducks on a clothesline."
M1 Carbine
High Standard K120

That leaves one. If there is one particular gun that was Dad's favorite not already listed, get it. If already listed, or if he was not prone to favorites, either S&W.


I don't know what a Miroku .45 is. Got a picture?

 

[lcpiper]

I take it that you are acting as the executor of your Father's estate Bereabuck?

I want to apologize in advance as I don't want to sound offensive in any way but I also don't want to assume that you are familiar with some laws concerning your father's guns.

I'll simply mention in short that if any of these guns are going to be transferred to someone from another state other then your Father's last State of Residence, then you should be aware of these federal requirements.

If the guns are specifically being left to any of you by bequest, as in by a written will, then the recipient can simply come and get them as long as they keep in mind other relevant State laws. But if there isn't a will then and the guns are going across State lines, you should use an FFL at both ends of the transfer.

If the will says the guns are to be split between you all without specifying who get's which guns, perhaps the executor can draft a document that will do so and is acceptable to the fed's, I can't say for sure. You would need to look into it.

Nice guns BTW.

Ohh, but if, in the will he left them all to you, then if you are passing some on that would be a separate action and you would just use an FFL if they gotta go out of state.