Colt Official Police trivia

When I was young, limber and could jump a three rail fence, I used to shoot revolvers with some Border Patrolmen. From time to time I got to shoot their "service revolver", which at the time was a special order Colt Official Police with a straight no-taper 4 inch barrel. Colt ordered 500 of these in 1954 and they are marked as in the pic below.

I really liked the way these pistols handled, balanced and shot and shooting them is probably what made a lifetime Colt fan out of me.

Much later Wilson in his book on Colts said these were built on Police Positive frames. I knew they were not and wrote him about it. I got a pretty snotty reply along the line of who was I to challenge the nation's foremost firearms expert on matters like this.

At the time, I was making frequent trips to El Paso and visited the Border Patrol museum and sure enough they had a number of these heavy barrel OPs. When they were phased out, the Patrolman to whom they were issued could buy them and some of the folks had donated them to the museum. The curator allowed me to handle them, write down their serial numbers and take a photo. Back home I contacted the INS historian and after a search, she sent me a copy of the original contract with Colt. Sure enough they were Official Police models.

I wrote Wilson again, but got no reply. About this time, he was having some serious legal issues that took him out of the expert business.

I have never seen one of these Colt Border Patrol models come up for sale, but the heavy barrel Smith and Wesson Model 10 served me just fine. I do have a friend that has a new barrel for one of these, but he isn't parting with it.

Char-Gar great info sir. It is amazing what a little research, first hand knowledge and common sense will do to bring out the "rest of the story". Wilson would have done well to acknowledge your research and correct his mistake. Great picture also...thank you...

rick

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Originally Posted by jumbeaux

Char-Gar great info sir. It is amazing what a little research, first hand knowledge and common sense will do to bring out the "rest of the story". Wilson would have done well to acknowledge your research and correct his mistake. Great picture also...thank you...

rick

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Great experts like Mr. Wilson have a very difficult time taking correction and admitting mistakes. Somewhere I read "Pride goes before a fall" and that is often the case.

None of us are so smart we know it all, nor so infallible that we don't make mistakes. Over the years I had written several firearms experts/writers pointing out mistakes they have made in print. I always got a reply, but they were all pretty snotty, save one.

In one of his early articles Jim Wilson confused two different fights between the Texas Rangers and the Comanche. He thanked me for the correction and said he had written it from memory and his memory had confused the two. He said he would never put anything in print again, without rechecking his facts and he has not. He is what we call in Texas, a stand up guy. May his tribe increase.

I have ceased to try and correct folks, I guess I have matured or else just don't give a s%^& anymore. I am not certain which it is.

Thanks for the bit of history and pic of a wonderful old service gun.

Sorry for the dupe post. SO some different eye candy of another favorite Colt

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My OP is a bit later 9306XX

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I have seen a Colt OP marked "Heavy Barrel", but never a 4 inch like the one's you picture. I really like the OP frame revolvers. Though I got into the revolver shooting game 15 years or so later than you, The Official Police still was a common sight in Detroit PD Holsters.

I find the special contract runs for Police Depts. etc. interesting. Smith & Wesson and Colt both did that and Factory letters and communication with them directly usually irons out the myths and drivle from the gunshop hangouts.

Cool thread.

Wish I still had mine. It was the first pistol I ever bought for myself, around 1967 or so. It was stolen, unfortunately, and I never replaced it.

Many yers ago I was given a pair of OP's, one each .22 and .38 in a presentation box, they are wonderful to shoot-very consistant on paper.... sure with that they had adjustable sights tho...

Ooh, Colt porn! Me like!

I've got an Official Police in .22 LR that I really enjoy shooting. Well, I did enjoy it, back when one could actually buy .22 LR ammo...

Outpost..If that Colt auto a 32 or 380, I have had both, but have neither now? I will see your pocket auto and raise you another old Colt. This time it is a post war Officers Model (target 38), I also have one in 22 LR. I will throw in a good 1917 to keep the balance, harmony and good Colt karma flowing. The children that read this thread need to be introduced to old Colt goodness.

The Colt 1903 is a .32 made in 1914, which belonged to an old lawman. It has numerous dings from being jostled against the handcuffs he tucked with it behind his trouser belt, under his wool tunic and Sam Browne belt.

How about a dehorned DS with Aircrewman grips?

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I love this type thread...only Colt DA I ever owned was a pristine Colt Police Positive Special...it was a second or third year of manufacture. Just out of the Navy and a newly wed I worked OT to buy it...first home purchase stretched funds to the breaking point so it went away...have never seen another as clean that I could afford...thank you men for the pics...

rick

Ok...I am not familiar with Aircrewman grips...how about a peek. Here is my DS, a 3 incher. For balance and harmony, here is my Colt Army Special (1922 vintage) in 32-20 WCF. Another good shooter and pure pisen on jack rabbits.

I walked into a pawn shop in Odessa Texas in 1993 and there sat the Army Special with some rust attatched. It had a low price of $150.00 on it and I asked the clerk why so low and he said nobody wanted to buy a "32". I hauled out two $50.00 bills and offered them to him for the pistol out the door. He almost ripped the money out of my hand, he was so glad to make the sale. I had good Colt karma that day.

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Originally Posted by Char-Gar

Ok...I am not familiar with Aircrewman grips...how about a peek.....

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Picture was posted. Not sure why you are not seeing it.

Here is another look, from a different angle.

Basic field load is packed in a Skoal Can Keeper.

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OK..now I see it, thanks. That is a nice sixgun.

As long as I am in a 32 mood and the light on the porch is good for taking pictures. Here is another 32-20, this time a Smith and Wesson M&P. It has factory nickel and was made in the 30's after Smith started heat treating the cylinders. It shoots well, but those shiny sights play hob with getting a good sight picture.

I was surprised to find out that Colt made the Police Positive Special until 1993 or so. Without the DA Colt revolvers there is a huge void in wheelguns.

Chargar, that S&W 32-20 is neat! I have a ratty looking, but sweet shooting, M&P myself, though mine is blue--what there is of it. Mine is one of the first heat-treated ones dating to roughly 1920. I do have a colt police positive that is much nicer, though.
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