Purchase a Police Positive Special?

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Purchasing Advice: PPS

A local shop has a 1958 Police Positive Special on consignment. It has a 4"bbl and about 60% of its original bluing. Grips are somewhat worn. Sorry, no pictures available. The barrel crown has a nice ding with some metal peeled back. I will go back with a magnfier and soft lead bullet to see if it affects the exit of the projectile. When the revolver is in lock up with the trigger back and hammer down, it seems pretty solid. As I try to rotate the cylinder, the trigger wants to move a bit, but my OP and Cobra do the same. Assuming that the damage to the crown is cosmetic, is $325 plus tax a reasonable price? Thanks. I have also posted this on another forum, in my search for good advice, Thanks
 
The police positive special was a good service revolver. I assume it is in .38 Special. Other calibers were offered also, such as .32 Colt New Police (S&W Long). This one sounds rough, especially with a bad ding in the crown. The price is too much IMHO. Colt made more of these than any other model of service revolver.
 
Maybe I'd pay that much if it was in time, if it ignited primers reliably upon a test fire, and the present owner would sent it to a good smith to get it re-crowned first. There are some great Police Positive Specials out there for not much more.
 
You know, really that's probably not a way out price these days, but I say that only because I don't see much of anything for less, no matter how bad or good or who made it.

Having said that, I'd look for something nicer even if I had to pay more for it. Around here a nice one will be tagged about $375-400.00.

Of course you're in Maryland, and that might make a difference.
 
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Have to agree that price doesn't sound mind blowing to me, and I say this mostly because there are MANY of these out there, not a rare handgun. Nice ones are pretty gorgeous though.
 
Old Colts ooze panache. Price sounds about right to me. Can't comment on the ding to the muzzle without seeing it but I bet it could be stoned out or a smith could run a crowning tool over it and clean it up. Ask for $50 off the price for the repair.

I have one PPS hanging around the house and it's a later one.


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That is a very nice looking PPS, but I am looking for some panache oozing out of it in the photo and I can't see any.
 
You are right about that. Maybe it would help to underexpose a bit. You can see a bit of panache in this short cylinder precursor to the Police Positive Special. It is a Police Positive First Model, made in 1914, and was owned by A. E. Bargren, a member of the Rockford, Illinois Police Dept for 50 years, serving as Chief from 1894 to 1940.

That 46 years is thought to be the longest tenure of a police chief in America.
 
I have to agree that you won't find one for much less in any condition. If I were you, I'd want to make sure it had original grips, it was in time, and the internals (especially the bolt) were in good condition. I'd want a little more bluing left personally, but I just think the Royal Blue is gorgeous and I wouldn't buy a refinished Colt for any price. Take some pictures!
 
I know that the PP came before the PPS, as the names indicate. But that shorter frame and cylinder just don't seem right :eek:

For me, the D-Frame dimensions are defined for all eternity, by the Police Positive Special and Detective Special versions. Those are so "just right".

Saxon, I purchased two of that generation of PPS (blued ones), and they both should never have left the factory. They both would not fire a full cylinder without binding up. One was pristine in finish but shaved jackets off the bullets and jammed up so tight a soft mallet was needed. I do not own that one anymore.

The second one had the cylinder latch so loose in its track, that it would let an edge catch the cartridge rims. I fixed that with my Dremel tool! Yes, I am one of those who Dremeled on a gun. But just this once, I swear.

But now the latch allows the cylinder to turn with cartridges actually in it. I always thought that to be kind of important. :p

Bart Noir
 
The older Colts seem to be held almost as sacred objects by some folks, but Colt goofed, too. The oddest one I can recall was a PPS we got in new from Colt with NO HOLE IN THE BARREL!! Yet it had the serial numbered Colt target with six holes in the black. I wanted to buy it, but my boss insisted on sending it back. I always wondered if Colt had some guy with a hole punch turning out those targets; that target was sure not fired with that gun.

Edited for a correction: The gun was an Official Police, not a PPS.

Jim
 
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