police marked guns

Some are more collectible, depending on make, model, condition, and the agency they belonged to.

Ideally, the marking should be precise enough to identify the agency/department and it is even better to have a sales slip or auction record showing when the sale was made. Just letters like XPD won't help the value, but a gun marked, say, "Texas Rangers" (I don't know if they actually marked any that way) would be quite valuable.

On the buying end, beware of fake markings. It is easy to put on markings but hard to duplicate a factory marking. (On large contracts, the factory will put on the property marking, using a roll stamp.)

Jim

This is the dept identifier on my used police trade in S&W M67. Have no idea what department carried this weapon. The "B" at the end even looks like it may be over stamped.

Never though that it would add any value to it but its been a great pistol.

Maybe a cop shop, maybe not. Oklahoma Highway Bureau or Otis Harvey Blinkenboomer? Who knows?

Jim

on the O.H.B. , my guess is Ohio Highway Patrol over stamped, WHY?

on the O.H.B. , my guess is Ohio Highway Patrol over stamped, WHY?

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Maybe Otis Harvey Blinkenboomer bought this from the Ohio Highway Patrol...

How about RHKP and their serial number on a S&W mod 10...??

Royal Hong Kong Police

Most Texas Rangers carry their own sidearms and standard issue is the same SIG P226 issued to regular troopers, so there's no such thing as a "Texas Ranger" stamp.

The Austin Police used to have "Austin Police Dept." stamped on the back of the grip frame. They had the S&W N-frame .38 Specials in nickel finish with the 4-screw sideplate. Unfortunately, APD didn't dispose of retired firearms, they destroyed them. They also had Winchester Model 12 shotguns and 1928 Thompsons. Collectors offered to replace all the department's firearms with any new ones the department wanted or give them department a truckload of cash, but the department refused and all the guns were crushed and melted. They wouldn't even let officers purchase their old sidearms. Sad.

And, no, the police chief was not a liberal, by any stretch of the imagination.

I have an old Colt Cobra that once belonged to the Maryland State Police. You can just barely make out the inscription on the backstrap, even though they were thoughtful enough to deface the marking with what appears to have been a die grinder.

I'm very surprised that the gun wasn't destroyed - the Baltimore PD normally sends their old guns to U.S. Steel for destruction (read: melting down), so they can 'keep them off the street.'

S&W model 10-7

Yup...You are correct Hiram2005...A 10-7 and a 10-9 in 4" dress...

I like seeing the old detroit police revolvers.

It's been a few years since I have post on THR, hope I do it correctly.
I just took delivery of one of the 'Detroit Police' revolvers in the way of a nickle plated model 10-5 in .38 Special. Just like the one 'whitecoyote' posted pics of above except mine has a 5 inch pencil barrel and mine came with nice Hogue finger grips.
Just like whitecoyote's mine has 'Detroit Police' and a 5 digit number.
Does anyone know what that number on the back strap is?

Hey whitecoyote, I would trade you my nice Hogue grips for your old wood grips!

Thanks anyway.

I would pay less for one than a commercial example, but I like them.

I have been looking for this one. Teddy Roosevelt ordered 2000 of them, since then service revolvers have not been marked in NYPD. They have been purchased by the individual. I missed out on one recently. If anyone sees one please keep me in mind.

Colt 1908 Pocket Hammerless, .380acp, Mfg. 1914.
New York Police Dept. Approximately 800 were made for the N.Y.P.D.
Issued to Detectives.

And, no, the police chief was not a liberal, by any stretch of the imagination.

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How long ago did was this? In the last twenty years Austin has only had liberal, anti gun police chiefs of limited intelligence and totally void of character.

And to the original query, I always look for police marked guns. The markings do not have any value to me but many policemen do not shoot very much. Their duty guns are often carried a lot but shot a little.

Here's the one I have.

1965 Colt Police Positive Special Royal Hong Kong Police .38 S&W

Steve C- I would bet a nickel that your M67 was an issue revolver for the California Highway Patrol. They stamped the guns CHP and then when they sold them as surplus they over-stamped OHB.

Collectors of police guns seek stamped examples. Most shooters aren't greatly moved one way or the other. I have a number of department marked guns. Here are a couple.

A 1938 357 Magnum factory inscribed for the UHP.





A 1975 Model 27-2 sent to the FHP and so stamped.





This Model 64 is stamped CCPD for the Corpus Christi Police Department.

I have the Detroit Police nickel 10-5 with the thin 5" barrel in 38 Special with rubber grips. The number on the backstrap is also 5 digit like Whitecoyote and Charliemopic.

More than likely, that gun was carried by the California Highway Patrol (C.H.P.). They were originally marked C.H.P. but got over stamped to O.H.P. when they were suplused out to hide the fact that were issued CHP guns. I have a model 68 that is chambered in .38 spl that was CHP issue; I can see on the O and the B where where the C and the P originally were and over stamped.

Look carefully at the "B" in the picture above. You can see the bottom loop is smaller than the top loop; like it was added after. If the letter was stamped from a "B" die, the loops would be the same.

I sent off a request to Smith & Wesson for my model 68 and got back a two page report with all the over stamping information along with some other great info.

I also have a Detriot Police marked S&W 10-5, 4 inch barrel, nickel finish with the box and all the papers.