"virgin" early 50's O.Police,in a ratty package.

Re: \"virgin\" early 50\'s O.Police,in a ratty package.

I'm with you. A pistol w/o it's "#s matching" grips and box doesn't qualify as a safe queen anyway. Plus, they weren't made to lay in a box. They look much better to me on the bench at the range next to a full box of ammo. I don't buy "virgin" pistols b/c I can't resist shooting them. It would be a losing proposition to pay NIB price (Maybe I'm just jealous b/c I can't afford a NIB Python from '60???...I'd like to try it).

Re: \"virgin\" early 50\'s O.Police,in a ratty package.

Dealer called me,and seller had brought in the correct box for the 5" O.Police,so its probably gonna loose its virginity Sunday. 1952 gun,and the box is the correct one,and in "good" shape,# to gun,with the small "Shooting Suggestions" booklet,printed 11/51. That duo tone blue really stands out,and the correct Coltwood stocks(that I had) don't look too bad,but I'd prefer the earlier/later wood. I guess the "collector" in me came out.vs. the shooter. I did not have a 5' O.P.,so needed it to complete the collection of 2",4" 6", 6" Heavy Barrel, 4" .22,6" .22, a 32/20 O.P. 6",plus a 4" Marshall. About 20 years ago, I had a chance to buy a matched set of 6" O.P.s, a .22 and the very rare .41 Colt(this chambering was discontinued in 1930,and a few O.Ps were sold from 1926-30). Nice stags,and in great shape. Shoulda "sold" something,but I passed, saying that I already had a .41 Army Special.

Probably as much as a gun showing "honest wear",I'd love to know where this O.P. "hibernated" for the last half century!

BTW,dealer gave me $255 trade in on a 95% 32/20 Army Special,as he has a newbie collector wanting the older Colts,so CD was $75. Bud

Re: \"virgin\" early 50\'s O.Police,in a ratty package.

Once again you came out smelling like a rose, Bud! (Yes pun intended. Sorry!) So in a sense you used the box as a tiebreaker to swing the deal. It sure did help that he took your Army Special in on trade too.

When I bought my 5" OP it had been sitting on consignment in a small gun shop for just short of a year. It was actually pretty good shape but not nearly as nice as what you just scored.

We figured it wasn't selling because of the gawd awful fake white girly pearly grips. So I presented an offer. The gun shop owner said she wasn't sure if the owner (an old gal) would accept the offer as the gun had been in the family a long time. I offered her $100 less than the asking price, since I would have to spend money on the correct wooden stocks. I told the shop owner to tell her she could keep the pearly whites if that made the offer more palatable.

As it turns out, she accepted my offer and let me keep the pimp like whites. Come to find out later that they were actually real Mother Of Pearl and the gun came from the factory with them. Mine turned out to be a basic night stand gun that she had for eons. Her husband had purchased it for her long before the war.

So much for my story. You did real well and I'm happy for you. But I'd be hard pressed not to believe that the box helped swing the deal.

Re: \"virgin\" early 50\'s O.Police,in a ratty package.

Lonewolf: you've got a helluva O.P. collection! It makes me realize I've got a long way to go.

Here is probably my nicest, it came from a mine in Michigan where it laid in the safe for years.

BTW, have you ever seen a post-war .32 PPS? It's cataloged, but I don't remember ever seeing one...

Re: \"virgin\" early 50\'s O.Police,in a ratty package.

Lovely,Bushwaker. You know,those "Coltwood" stocks kinda grow on you. Still haven't shot the 5" I got on Saturday. Neighbor passed away.and wouldn't be too respectful to have used my outback range yesterday,work today,just got home,and will probably have tomorrow off from teaching due to a foot of snow. Oh well,I got 2 weeks Spring Break starting Saturday-yeah Spring in Maine!!!

I have seen a postwar .32 PPS,and they also made the .38 Colt New Police(.38 S&W-not special). These were available on the Cobra and Detective Special also. Big difference is that where as the prewar Police Positives used a shorter frame and shorter cylinder,for the .32 N.P and .38 N.P.,the postwars all used the longer frame and cylinder of the Police Positive Special, The .32 N.P. seems relatively "common" in the Cobra and Detective Special,the Police Positive Specials in these 2 chamberings are rarer. I had a 4" .32 New Police Cobra,but the previous owner had stored it wet,and the barrel got pitted on the outside. Thought about getting a new barrel from Gun Parts,in 3" for my wife as a carry gun,BUT,I bought a .32 Courier;NOT a mint piece,and she carried that(with a steel .32PPs postwar cylinder,with hot handloads;the Courier originally had an aluminum cylinder. Both Courier and its two cylinders are in the safe,as my wife,"appropriated" the 2" O.P. that took me years to find! Carries it in her "fanny pack",and I told her if her fanny gets any wider,she can easily carry another type of Colt; an M-16!

Massad Ayoob wrote a great article in the 1990 American Handgunner Annual,as to what a "sleeper" for collectors/shooters the Official Police is! More and more people are "discovering them",both as shooters(they are a helluva lot stronger than pre Model 10 S&W M&Ps,and even the 1930s eras' can handle factory +Ps) and collectors! Bud

Re: \"virgin\" early 50\'s O.Police,in a ratty package.

You're right, they are sleepers. My 6" .22 will shoot rings around some of the newer stuff. No issues with using .22 magnum in the same barrel I have a piece of steel about 24"X24" hanging in a tree 100 yards from my back step; and can usually hear 4 out of 6 rounds "fwop" offhand if I do my part.

Your wife's fanny pack made off with a good one, I'm still on the hunt for a 2" O.P. and Commando. I do have a snubbie Marshal, though (was too dumb to know what I had at the time; until I broke down and took some money from the gun kitty and put it into some reference books). Enjoy deflowering the 5".