Colt Police Positive versas Police Positive Special

[mcg6637]

Ok, the more I study the less I know.  I've been in the market for a Colt DA revolver in .38 Spl. and I've decided on a Police Positive.  However, I'm seeing references to the PP 1st and 2nd issues in .38 Spl but my info tells me they were only made in .38 New Police or .38 S&W not .38 Spl.  Then I see the Police Positive Special 1st issue manf. during the same years.  Am I correct in assuming that this is just another version of the PP with a longer cylinder chambered for the larger .38 Spl.  If so, then if somebody is referring to the Police Positive in .38 Spl, they're probably using the wrong nomenclature?  Educate me, por favor. (down here on the border we use a lot of illegal alien speak!)

[St. George]

The Police Positive was Colt's successor to the New Police and was first announced in 1907 - chambered for lesser-powered cartridges such as .38 long and short Colt, .32 Colt New Police, 32 Colt Police Positive, .32 S&W long and short and .32 smoothbore.

The Police Positive Special was advertised as being built for the more powerful .38 Special in the same year, with production beginning in 1908.
It was chambered in .32-20, .32 New Police, 38 long and short Colt, .38 Special, .38 New Police, .38 S&W Special, as well as rare versions od .38-44 S&W Special and .38 smoothbore.

Barrel lengths vary in  range from  2", 2 1/2", 4", 4 1/2", 5" and 6" , with special order lengths of 1 1/4", 2 1/2" and 3".

There are a 'lot' of Colt Police Positives out there - meaning that there are a correspondingly large number of spare parts and grips - both the early square butt and later rounded ones - and also meaning that there are some very interesting variants.

Scouts Out!

[Danny Bear Claw]

Good info St. George.  Thanks for posting it.
My Colt PP is cal. 38 spl.  with a 5 inch barrel.  Made in 1928.  Shoots pretty good.  It's got the long cylinder in it but has one of the smallest, lightest frames of any 38 I've ever seen.   

[St. George]

That's why they were as popular as they were, too - cops and businessmen liked them as carry pieces.

They're tough little guns - and accurate, as well - and that frame size eventually led to the much later Diamondback, but before it did that - it became the Detective Special.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!