I thought the improper labeling of these 2-inch Police Positive Specials had been corrected years ago. I am surprised to see a September 2016 letter making that old mistake. Send the letter back to have it reissued for what the revolver is - a 2-inch Police Positive Special, NOT a Detective Special.
I have yet to see a letter on one of these guns that did not reference a special order number. I also cannot recall a special order number not followed by "/100." I have always believed that number referred to the number of guns in that special order. I theorize that these guns were built in batches of 100 (except for perhaps Malysh's gun, which apparently is one of a large military order). The fact that there may have been 100 guns in a particular order number does not mean that all 100 guns were shipped to the same destination at the same time. (Mine was a single gun shipment five months after the gun was made.)
Another interesting observation is that the serial number range of many of these guns (mine included) appears to be in the 1928 time frame according to the serial number charts, but the guns shipped in the 1926 time frame. A knowledgeable old Colt collector told me that, when Colt was going to make a run of non-standard guns, often a serial number range not yet reached would be selected. Whether that is true or not, that theory explains the 1928 range serial numbers for the 1926 guns.
Another interesting observation on these guns is that the name "Colt" does not appear on the gun anywhere, except on the wood stock medallions.
Nice gun! You are lucky to have found such a nice one.
I have yet to see a letter on one of these guns that did not reference a special order number. I also cannot recall a special order number not followed by "/100." I have always believed that number referred to the number of guns in that special order. I theorize that these guns were built in batches of 100 (except for perhaps Malysh's gun, which apparently is one of a large military order). The fact that there may have been 100 guns in a particular order number does not mean that all 100 guns were shipped to the same destination at the same time. (Mine was a single gun shipment five months after the gun was made.)
Another interesting observation is that the serial number range of many of these guns (mine included) appears to be in the 1928 time frame according to the serial number charts, but the guns shipped in the 1926 time frame. A knowledgeable old Colt collector told me that, when Colt was going to make a run of non-standard guns, often a serial number range not yet reached would be selected. Whether that is true or not, that theory explains the 1928 range serial numbers for the 1926 guns.
Another interesting observation on these guns is that the name "Colt" does not appear on the gun anywhere, except on the wood stock medallions.
Nice gun! You are lucky to have found such a nice one.
