Colt Police Positive 38 Revolver

SCPO RICE

I just bought a Colt Police Positive 38 cal revolver, When I got it home I realized it had a 2 inch barrell, after doing some research I realized these guns were not made in a 2 inch version. The barrel seemed to have been cut off to two inches between the O anf the L in the word COLT. The serial number is 153xxx. The year of manufacture is 1924. The front sight is on the barrell as if this was the way it was made. Could this be a J.H. Fitzgerald Special. I have read that around that time frame he worked for COLT and changed the design of these revolvers to make them more carry friendly for police and concealed carry. Hopefully someone can tell me the value and more information about this nice looking revolver.

Hawk Carse

A Fitz Special is known by having the front of the trigger guard cut away. the hammer spur bobbed, and the top of the hammer checkered so you could still cock it. I guess he might have simply sawn one off but there were a lot of places doing that before the Detective Special came out. My Dad carried a Police Positive Special .32-20 with the barrel cut off, crowned, and the front sight neatly reset by a local outfit. Back when you took your gun to the "gun and key shop".

In the absence of paperwork, it is just another chopped up gun of low resale value.

Shortening the barrel has no effect on safety. If the gun is in good mechanical condition, it will be safe to fire with standard ammunition. I would not load it with +P ammunition.
As Rufe says, if it is a Police Positive Special, it will probably take .38 Specials. If it is a Police Positive, it was meant for the .38 Police Positive and New Police, which were just Colt's names for the .38 Smith and Wesson; they just didn't want to put the competitor's name on their guns.
What does it say on the gun itself?

SCPO RICE

Due to its age what type of 38 rounds are fired from this Gun. will it be safe due to the shortening of the barrel? Thanks for the answer.

rufe-snow

quote:Originally posted by SCPO RICE
Due to its age what type of 38 rounds are fired from this Gun. will it be safe due to the shortening of the barrel? Thanks for the answer.


The Police Positives made during the 20's came in two flavors. It will be chambered for either the Colt .38 New Police cartridge, AKA .38 Smith & Wesson, or the .38 Special cartridge. You can tell by the specific markings on the revolver. The one chambered for the .38 Special was known as the Police Positive Special Model and had a somewhat longer cylinder then the plain vanilla Police Positive.

SCPO RICE

The gun just says Police Positive .38, this I assume is not the 38 Special, but the ONE OF THE OTHER TWO. quote:Originally posted by rufe-snow
quote:Originally posted by SCPO RICE
Due to its age what type of 38 rounds are fired from this Gun. will it be safe due to the shortening of the barrel? Thanks for the answer.


The Police Positives made during the 20's came in two flavors. It will be chambered for either the Colt .38 New Police cartridge, AKA .38 Smith & Wesson, or the .38 Special cartridge. You can tell by the specific markings on the revolver. The one chambered for the .38 Special was known as the Police Positive Special Model and had a somewhat longer cylinder then the plain vanilla Police Positive.

gesshots

My father - a NJ State Police Detective carried a 2" Police Positive Special made in 1933 for 23+ years. The 1st generation Detective Special is based on this revolver with a rounded grip frame the only difference. According to Colt all pre and post war .38 special D - frame revolvers are safe with +p ammo. My dad's revolver shot many rounds of +P ammo with no problems - still as tight and accurate as the day it left Hartford 77 years ago.