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#326 ·
Hello. New to the forum, new to colt revolvers, and with a new to me Official Police...

At 61 I've been into firearms all my life, have changed my tastes and focus of interests quite a few times over the years, and for quite a number of those years have developed an affinity for revolvers in particular. I occasionally browse the revolver section of a local gun buy/sell/trade website. Usually I have something in particular I'm sort of looking for, but in browsing, sometimes I see something interesting that I wasn't really in the market for, or even really ever considered. One of those times was recently when I ran across an ad listing for a pretty nice looking Official Police. I briefly considered it which made me realize that I had never even owned a real Colt revolver. And that made me start looing more into the early 20th century Colt revolvers a bit. I have a few SA replicas by Uberti and Pietta, but nothing actually manufactured by Colt. But, I still passed on the gun.

Then earlier this week, another one popped up....

First, I'll say that I am not a "collector". Having never viewed guns as a commodity or an "investment", resale or "value" means nothing to me. Heck, my general rule is, "I don't sell guns", I just buy what appeals to me on some visceral level. And I don't have much interest in pristine safe queens or display pieces, but sometimes a well worn, but not neglected, older used piece that LOOKS it's age and has the patina to show for it, can grab me in a way that a brand new looking one in the original factory box with all paperwork just doesn't do.... For some reason I can't explain, this second Colt Official Police was just such a gun.... So, "value" of any gun to me is based on how much it appeals to me, and if the asking price seems fair in relation to that personal appeal. I would guess that on some of my guns, some would say I "stole" it (I know of a few where this is likely true), and on others some would say I got taken. But, I don't care. if I liked it enough to buy it, I've very seldom ever regretted it, which is likely why I have obeyed my "rule" for the most part for so many years and gun purchases.

Next, I have NEVER considered putting real or fake mother of pearl grips/stocks on ANYTHING. It's just never appealed to me in the least. Most of my revolvers wear some form of nice wood, a couple wear stag, and a few small carry guns wear some form of synthetic, but no MOP. But when I saw this one, something just felt "right" about it with these grips/stocks. So, now I own my first Colt.:)

Image



It's nothing special, and definitely looks it's age, most of the original finish has turned to white metal and "patina" but there's no serious pitting, the bore and chambers are good, and the lockup and action are good and proper. There is a stamped number 35 on the bottom of the grip frame but there's no clue of it's history. Perhaps it was a police gun at some point in its life. Or maybe a security guard, or... who knows? But, I'm sure nothing illustrious so I don't believe I'll spend the money on a letter just to learn that it was shipped on such and such date to Joe's Hardware in Dubuque. But I DO have a couple of questions that perhaps some of the knowledgeable people here can clue me in on...

1. Colt's SN database indicates it was made in 1943, but my research on this forum tells me it was likely earlier as I have seen higher SNs with earlier dates ascribed to them. Mine is 700008, if anyone knows what year that might have been manufactured in.

2. I know the grips are "fake", but they are in really good shape, and as I mentioned above, my gut says they work on this gun aesthetically. At least for me. So, was wondering if anyone recognized them and could tell me who made them, when they were available, and if they would have been period correct for the gun's manufacturing timeframe. Here's a photo that shows the medallion a bit better if that helps.

Image


Thanks for any info anyone can maybe pass along. And, as often is the case, once I develop an interest in something new... Well, I have a feeling that this little guy will end up with some family members in the house at some point... 😁
 
#328 ·
I show the following Colt OP's in that range being in the inventory of the NYPD on the date shown, when they were sold to individual officers:
(double entry was returned and re-sold)

7008413/8/1943
7008418/24/1943
70091710/10/1943
7009178/10/1945
70093510/10/1943

Can you post an image of the number on the butt?

Best,
RM Vivas
 
#329 · (Edited)
rm vivas said:
I show the following Colt OP's in that range being in the inventory of the NYPD on the date shown, when they were sold to individual officers:
(double entry was returned and re-sold)

7008413/8/1943
7008418/24/1943
70091710/10/1943
7009178/10/1945
70093510/10/1943

Can you post an image of the number on the butt?

Best,
RM Vivas
Click to expand...
That's pretty close in the range of my SN although if I'm reading your post correctly, those were inventoried with NYPD and don't actually correspond to production or assembly dates. But, it's definitely something. The number on the butt is 35, stamped with a stencil punch, but with the numbers misaligned, which led me to believe it wasn't applied by Smith, but at some point afterwards. The number also appear to have been filled with something that looks like gold paint at some point, but is largely gone now. See below for photos of the right side of the gun and the number stamped into the butt.

Image


Image


Thanks for the help! That's the great thing about forums like this.... There's always the experts that have knowledge of specific aspects of things like this. (y)




.
 
#330 ·
Imaposer said:
That's pretty close in the range of my SN although if I'm reading your post correctly, those were inventoried with NYPD and don't actually correspond to production or assembly dates. But, it's definitely something. The number on the butt is 35, stamped with a stencil punch, but with the numbers misaligned, which let me to believe it wasn't applied by Smith, but at some point afterwards. The number also appear to have been filled with something that looks like gold paint at some point, but is largely gone now. See below for photos of the right side of the gun and the number stamped into the butt.

View attachment 971807

View attachment 971808

Thanks for the help! That's the great thing about forums like this.... There's always the experts that have knowledge of specific aspects of things like this. (y)



As a general rule of thumb, whenever someone mentions handstamped numbers on the butt or backstrap of a revolver, my thoughts go to the NYPD guns. The Department mandated that your shield number had to appear on all your gear.

The numbers were applied OUTSIDE the factory, usually by the staff at the Firearms School/Section. They were hand stamped with individual punches and are for that reason usually uneven and not particularly well aligned.

Undoubtedly other agencies had a similar practice, but given the sheer volume of NYPD guns, thats where my mind first goes. I'll then look at the Departments gun records and run the serial number through there and see if there is a surviving record for it.

In this instance the 35 on your gun uses a size and style that is not immediately familiar to me. I'm actually in the planning stages of an article on shield stampings on revolvers that may help shed some light on this practice.

Best,
RM Vivas
.
Click to expand...
 
#331 ·
I think it is a police gun for a different agency. I would letter it anyway. Reason being is this - although my 1941 official Police was stamped BPD and then a rack number professionally by Colt so we knew what it was, it had the same sort of perlite grips though without that weird medallion. It's my understanding that quite a few of those guns are retirement gifts for a police officer leaving the force. I have seen many of them with perlite grips like that, from widely varying agencies.

And it also been reblued, and the grips were cracked so I got a pair of near mint original ones from 73 shovel.
 
#332 ·
NotSoPolicePositive said:
I think it is a police gun for a different agency. I would letter it anyway. Reason being is this - although my 1941 official Police was stamped BPD and then a rack number professionally by Colt so we knew what it was, it had the same sort of perlite grips though without that weird medallion. It's my understanding that quite a few of those guns are retirement gifts for a police officer leaving the force. I have seen many of them with perlite grips like that, from widely varying agencies.

And it also been reblued, and the grips were cracked so I got a pair of near mint original ones from 73 shovel.
Click to expand...
Yeah, with the stamped number I assumed it was maybe a police agency gun. Then again, guns of this sort were also used by all sorts of other things as well, from prison guards, to bank guards, private security firms, etc. I'd of course enjoy learning it's history, but as I doubt it's anything "special" I'm not sure it's worth paying for a letter, or that even with a letter, I'd know that much more other than when it was initially shipped, and to where. Since it was made in the early forties, it's likely had multiple owners and "lives" over the years and before it came into my possession last week. If anyone has any clues I'd love to hear them!

On the grips, I was hoping someone here might recognize them, as well as their medallion, as other than the serial number and the butt stamp, that's the most distinguishing characteristic about the gun. Mainly just trying to figure out their origin and timeframe of production... For example, were these available back in the 40's/50's, or did uncle Jim buy them at his local Otasco and install them in 1978 when the original stocks cracked from rattling around in the glovebox of his truck for 19 years? Being new to Colts, and firearms of this period in general, I'm just trying to learn a bit on subjects of this sort. I know that's easier with factory parts than aftermarket, but just hoping some of the experts here might have ran across these grip panels at some point in the past and could shed some light on them.

Thanks to everyone for looking at the photos and reading/responding to my posts.

:)
 
#336 ·
A round butt Official Police is quite uncommon. It may have been from a law enforcement contract…or an overrun from such a contract.
 
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#338 ·
It’s also possible Colt discovered a number of round butt E-frames stashed away and used them up in regular production. Such things were not unknown with Colt…doing a cleanup run to use up surplus parts.
 
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#340 ·
SnidelyWhiplash said:
It’s also possible Colt discovered a number of round butt E-frames stashed away and used them up in regular production. Such things were not unknown with Colt…doing a cleanup run to use up surplus parts.
Click to expand...
Snidely, As stated above, I submitted a letter request for this revolver. Does it really take up to 4 months to receive a response?
 
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