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Colt Police Positve

blacksmithblacksmith Member Posts: 51 ✭✭
edited June 2014 in Ask the Experts
I know the colt police positive special was made for the 38 special cartridge but could a colt police positive be made for a 38 special? I have seen a barrel marked "Police Positive- 38 Special"
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Comments

  • navc130navc130 Member Posts: 1,257 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    According to the Blue Book - no. But, who knows what the factory did??
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  • Hawk CarseHawk Carse Member Posts: 4,381 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The "plain" Police Positive cylinder is too short for .38 Special.

    A barrel marked Police Positive .38 Special is undoubtedly for a Police Positive Special.
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  • 5mmgunguy5mmgunguy Member Posts: 3,092 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The 38 S&W cartridge is shorter and also bigger in diameter than the 38 Special cartridge. They are not interchangeable.
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  • 101AIRBORNE101AIRBORNE Member Posts: 1,252 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The Colt Police Positive was definitely manufactured
    in .38 special. I have one from 1922 and it is as ANIB
    condition. Out of interest, I just loaded the cylinder with
    .38 special cartridges. The pistol is also factory lettered.
    It is a Police Positive-not Police Positive Special.
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  • erikpolcrackerikpolcrack Member Posts: 28 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The cylinder is not only different in the two versions, there is also a considerable difference in the size of the opening in the frame front-to-back.
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  • mrs102mrs102 Member Posts: 1,170 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The Colt Police Positive was definitely manufactured
    in .38 special. I have one from 1922 and it is as ANIB
    condition. Out of interest, I just loaded the cylinder with
    .38 special cartridges. The pistol is also factory lettered.
    It is a Police Positive-not Police Positive Special.
    @ Airborne.....The barrel marking for these was Police Positive .38 Special. It is a Police Positive Special. (According to James Serven's book on Colt Firearms from 1836). The cylinder has to be a 1/4" longer for 38 Special compared to the 38 Colt/S&W so therefore the frame is accordingly longer and can't be the same model as the Police Positive.
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  • Hawk CarseHawk Carse Member Posts: 4,381 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The roll mark on 101Airborne's revolver is most likely

    Police
    ........ .38 Special
    Positive

    At one time the layout used a single tall "P" as the start of both Police and Positive, but I could not figure out how to post that.

    Any road, the "Special" has to be taken as both the cartridge designation and the model identification. Old catalog cuts as shown in Post #12 at http://www.defensivecarry.com/forum/defensive-carry-guns/102031-p-ammo-my-colt-cobra.html
    Show such markings.
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  • KAMsalesKAMsales Member Posts: 1,672 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yup, the rollmark on the barrel of the .38 Special models will usually just say "Police Positive" and ".38 Special". The frames and cylinders are different than the earlier PP's though. Did a restoration on one that was horribly damaged awhile back, here's the pics

    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.276902409017770.61341.107371989304147&type=3
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  • navc130navc130 Member Posts: 1,257 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    KingA, I am curious if you had to add metal to the deep pitting or if you just polished them out.
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  • KAMsalesKAMsales Member Posts: 1,672 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    A little of both. The gun was horribly water damaged and really should have been scrapped. The gun was so corroded that we had to break the cylinder latch to open it :(
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