1922 Detroit Police Colt Police Positive .38 S&W 4" Nickel RevolverOur Assessment: The Police Positive was introduced in 1907 to fill a demand from the law enforcement market for a compact revolver. Chambered for either the .32 or .38 caliber, the revolvers were fairly small, especially for a 6-round cylinder, and they saw great success in both the police and commercial markets. This example was made in 1922 and is chambered for ".38 Police", which is the same as .38 S&W but Colt was loath to place their competitor's name on their own products. It was issued to the Detroit Police, who apparently had a penchant for nickel-plated revolvers. even into the 1960s, one can find Detroit Police Positive revolvers. This revolver shows signs of use over the last century, but still retains strong mechanics, a good bore and original finish. It will make a nice addition to a revolver or police sidearm collection.
Make: Colt
Model: Police Positive, Detroit Police
Serial Number: 140452
Year of Manufacture: 1922
Caliber: .38 S&W
Action Type: Single/Double Action Revolver with Swing-Out Cylinder
Barrel Length: 4"
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a "U"-notch integral to the topstrap.
Grip Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered black hard rubber with "COLT" in oval at the tops, stylized "C" around the screw escutcheons and fleur-de-lis accents. The grips have some scattered nicks, scratches and scuffs. each panel has a loss on the bottom at the indexing-pin. The checkering is generally well defined. The grips rate in about Good-plus overall condition.
Type of Finish: Nickel
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly and the rifling is sharp. There is some scattered light erosion and infrequent minor pitting in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 7 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 70% of its metal finish. There are scattered areas of finish loss, mostly at edges. There is some discoloration in the worn areas. There are some scattered swirl marks, nicks, dings, and scratches. There is some bubbling in the finish and most of the finish has a slightly cloudy appearance. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this handgun rates in about Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a more thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
CA LEGALITY: C&R: YES, CA PPT: NO.
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