Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Official Police

Colt Official Police, that is.

Yes, I finally own a Colt revolver in a "normal" caliber, an Official Police .38 Special from 1950. It showed up at the most recent Indy 1500, purchased for cash Sunday afternoon at a remarkable price -- thanks to the cash discount, the smile-at-the-nice-man discount* and (mostly) the "don't want to have to pack it up and take it back to my shop" discount.I'll try to get a better photograph after sunup, but if it looks like a felt-tip cold reblueing job on the cylinder, alas, it is. Should polish right off with a mild cleaner.

Appears to be in good mechanical shape otherwise and makes my 1921 Police Positive, chambered in .38 Colt New Police (better-known, these days, as .38 S&W), look positively gracile. --The contrast also makes clear why the .38 Special was (once) considered more than adequate for police work; although similar in nearly every detail, the later gun is about half again as large, beefier in every component.

This brings the Colt Count to three. (My .32-20 is in the shop for ratchet work.) I have got to get to the range -- either early in the morning this week, or on my next day off, eight days away.
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* These days, I dunno if it's the "pretty girl" discount or the "you remind me of my Mom" discount and I'm afraid to ask. ;)

28 comments:

Keads said...

Nice revolver!

Bob said...

Dare we call it the "Milf discount," Bobbie? ;-)

Anonymous said...

Nice gun.

As a technology expert, I would like to have your opinion on the Adui commercial featuring the Audi Vampire disintegrating headlamps.

Do you think they would be effective on Zombies?

Tam said...

Only 62 years old? Why, that's barely broken in!

Jay G said...

Very nice! If it's anything like the Official Police I inherited from Grandpa G., it'll have one of the best double action triggers out there.

Then again, that could also be because Grandpa G. shot about a bazillion rounds through it, too. Funny, that - he knew his life may depend on those six rounds, so he practiced with all of 'em...

Excellent pickup! I have, at current count, four Colt Official Police revolvers. Two 4" .38 Special, one 4" .38 S&W, and one 6" .22LR trainer.

And OldNFO thinks I only like S&W revolvers!

Roberta X said...

See, Bob, that's why I was afraid o ask....

TSG: Nope. Gotta be a chemical-pumped laser, just like the U. S. Air Force uses. C'mon, why else would they even bother with them?

Guffaw in AZ said...

Oh, it's the Pretty Girl discount!
And, now, you have an OPIE!

Lewis said...

I've got a couple-three OPs that are just a smidge younger than yours. Early 60s production. Tam may sneer---and she does, and she does---but I really like the OP. Colt got 'em right.

Tango Juliet said...

Nice Colt Bobbi!

I vote for the "smile-at-the-nice-man" discount.

If you've got it, flaunt it!

Kristophr said...

A very long soak in Break-Free will take that cold blue crap off without damaging the real remaining finish.

Cincinnatus said...

You still count for the pretty girl discount in my book, and probably will till I croak off. Time and lecherous old men being what they are.

BobG said...

I think it was the pretty girl discount, and the fact that she also knows guns. How could anyone resist that combination?

NotClauswitz said...

Nothing wrong with a .38 Special and it'll run like a clock that never needs winding.

Dave H said...

The problem with laser weapons on an Audi is the Airstream trailer you have to pull behind it to house the power supply.

Nice pistol. I love old technology, a purely mechanical solution to a problem. (I've seen behind the curtain of computers. Not impresssed.)

Are those wood grips? In this light they look like they could be Bakelite.

Sport Pilot said...

Very nice gat Rx, I'd love to find one that nice for my small Colt collection. The 38 S&W is easy to reload for, a basic single stage press set up will serve you well.

Firehand said...

I once spotted some M1 Carbine strippers in a box of other stuff and asked how much; they guy looked at it and said $5 for the box. Guy at the next table said something amazed, and the guy said "I don't want to have to take it home."

As I recall it wound up with a dozen for the Carbine, a stack for 1903 Springfield, some for Swede Mauser and a few other odd ones. I love that kind of deal

Joseph said...

It is, of course, the pretty girl discount...and the nice smile discount!

Don said...

Since I saw you that afternoon, I'll definitely say it was the pretty girl smile.

Old NFO said...

Yea! Another Colt goes to an owner who can appreciate one! :-)

Sigman said...

We're tied. 4" nickel Python, 2" gen 2 Colt Detective .38 (1968 Serial #), 1911 .45 (1943 SN Marked U S Property).

CMac said...

DaveH Those are known as "Coltwood" and were the standard for OP revolvers during the 50's. Made from a plastic that over the years usually has shrunk just enough to make it obvious that they no longer fit the gun.

Roberta X said...

Sigman: yours sound nicer, but if we're counting semi-autos, my .38SA 1911 and the two little .380s (Pocketlite Pony and Mustang) up my score on the basis of quantity.

I don't want to say the .380s are picky, but despite using what appears to be the same magazine -- they won't.

The .38 Special does indeed appear to have "Coltwood" grips, marbled dark thermoplastic. But they haven't shrunk enough to notice. Past that, I cannot say: So far, I have followed the Revolver Maintenance Rule, "If it is working, don't open it up!"

Sigman said...

Amen to the revolver maintainence rule. I once got the bright idea to detail clean my Python. I took the side plate off and the little spring that avtuates the cylinder release went flying. Took me nearly an hour to find it. God as my witness, I'll never make that mistake again.

Larry said...

Got to get to the range...yep. I should get there more myself.
Congrats on the new acquisition!

MJM said...

Nice, Roberta. Got one of those, myself.

Roberta X said...

:) This buyin' and shootin' Colt revolvers, it does put one in amongst some purty kewl company!

--I just hope I still remember how. My ex had a nice .22 (Diamondback?) that was a lot of fun but it has been a long, long time.

Firehand said...

I know people who only detail-strip a pistol inside a box; so if something coiled makes an escape attempt, they have a better chance of finding it.

John B said...

From me...
You'd get the Pretty Girl Discount. Not the Baby Girl Discount.
Count yourself lucky!
Tam would get a Family Discount.
The one I give to my sarcastic youngest Aunt.
Depending on how she's treated me in the last 6 months, might be half...
...Might be double!
I'm joking, I'd never do that. Tam and my sweet Aunty would join forces, and give me pluperfect h-e-double tooth picks!