Colt Police Positive First Issue .38 S&W  Colt 4” Double Action SA/DA Revolver, 1916 C&R

Make: Colt

Model: Police Positive

Serial Number: 84525

Year of Manufacture: 1916 (Colt Serial Lookup)

Caliber: .38 S&W

Action Type: Double Action SA/DA Revolver with Swing Out Cylinder

Barrel Length: 4”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade with rectangular base fixed to the barrel above the muzzle. The rear sight is U-notch grooved into the top strap.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered black hard rubber featuring stylized “C”s at the escutcheons and “COLT” in ovals.  There are scratches and some minor handling and storage marks. The checkering Is strong.  The grips are in Fine Plus overall condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is bright, the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion and for the age, this bore rates a 9  out of 10.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 85% of its metal finish. The balance of the finish shows a turn line on the cylinder. There are scattered  scratches and patches of mottled surface oxidation throughout. There is some corrosion on the lift frame. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear to faint. Overall, this pistol is in Fine condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The cylinder locks in each position with no play when the trigger is pressed. The cylinder locks up tighly and needs a firm pus to open & close.  It may need adjusting We did not fire this firearm. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None. 

Our Assessment: The Police Positive was introduced in 1907 to fill a demand from the law enforcement market for a compact revolver. Chambered for both .32 and .38 calibers, 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 1916 and is chambered for ".32 Smith & Wesson", which is NOT the same as .32 S&W  or .32 Colt New Police; since Colt was loath to place their competitor's name on their own products the barrel just reads "38".  Colt lost this battle and eventuly had to add the S&W to their later guns.  This revolver shows signs of use over the last century, but still retains strong mechanics and some original finish. It will make a nice addition to an early swing-out revolver collection.

Please note: this firearm is also listed for sale on other platforms.