Yes, there are well-known "Pre-Detective Special" 2-inch revolvers based on the Police Positive Special (but NOT so marked), and several forum members have examples. The revolvers were introduced in 1926 with the early-style small butt frame, but have 1928 range serial numbers. They generally letter as being shipped in 1926. There are several threads that address the revolvers in detail. It is interesting to note that the guns have wood stocks, when hard rubber was the standard stock material on the Police Positive Special when the guns were made.
Mine letters as a Police Positive Special, even though it is not so marked, and many of the later letters on these guns are headed "Detective Special," which is totally incorrect because the Detective Special name did not exist until 1928. I speculate that people request a letter for what they identify as a "Detective Special," thinking that must be what it is because it looks like one. The historian then issues a letter for a "Detective Special" shipped in 1926 when the name did not exist until 1928. Unfortunately, such errors are too common with letters.
A forum member has a boxed example and the box end label identifies the box contents as a "2-inch Police Positive Special." Other than not being stamped as such on the barrel, that is what the guns are. The ONLY marking on the guns is "38 SPECIAL" stamped on the barrels, and the stampings generally look hand-stamped since they are often just a little too crude to be a roll stamp.
Mine letters as a Police Positive Special, even though it is not so marked, and many of the later letters on these guns are headed "Detective Special," which is totally incorrect because the Detective Special name did not exist until 1928. I speculate that people request a letter for what they identify as a "Detective Special," thinking that must be what it is because it looks like one. The historian then issues a letter for a "Detective Special" shipped in 1926 when the name did not exist until 1928. Unfortunately, such errors are too common with letters.
A forum member has a boxed example and the box end label identifies the box contents as a "2-inch Police Positive Special." Other than not being stamped as such on the barrel, that is what the guns are. The ONLY marking on the guns is "38 SPECIAL" stamped on the barrels, and the stampings generally look hand-stamped since they are often just a little too crude to be a roll stamp.
