My Uncle's NYC (Detective?) service revolver.

Picher said:

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He was non-uniformed officer in the NYPD system in the late 40s and 50s, retiring then passing in the early 60's, as I remember. When his wife was elderly, she passed the gun to my sister's husband and when he passed, my sister asked me to care for it (and for another revolver). This is a .38 S&W.

I recently past it, and the other revolver, (S&W stainless 60) to her younger son. Nice to keep things in the family.

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good for you!

it is nice to keep some things in the family, and i always liked the pearl grips.

I had been a LE officer in NYC, working in Queens at the time for a state agency, when we got word that an NYPD detective had been shot and killed by another officer. Det.Capers, an African American gentleman, was shot from behind while holding a suspect at gunpoint. The story was the officer who shot him saw a nickel gun, didn't think it was official, and shot without asking for identification. This was in 1972, and the incident took place very close to where I was working.

Kind of a weird story because nickeled guns were in use in the NYPD at that time. After that incident, "white" guns were banned for a while and a system of identifying call outs was instituted.

Sorry for the long story, but when I saw that old nickel police gun it made me think of that occurrence.

By the way, not all NYPD officers who worked in plain clothes were detectives.

Speedo66 said:

I had been a LE officer in NYC, working in Queens at the time for a state agency, when we got word that an NYPD detective had been shot and killed by another officer. Det.Capers, an African American gentleman, was shot from behind while holding a suspect at gunpoint. The story was the officer who shot him saw a nickel gun, didn't think it was official, and shot without asking for identification. This was in 1972, and the incident took place very close to where I was working.

Kind of a weird story because nickeled guns were in use in the NYPD at that time. After that incident, "white" guns were banned for a while and a system of identifying call outs was instituted.

Sorry for the long story, but when I saw that old nickel police gun it made me think of that occurrence.

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Thanks to your story,the expression "Police Don't Move" was taught to all LEO's in NYS.And note that if you watch ANY NYPD tv show = that sticker is on ALL lockers in the locker room.
I often went to NYC as I was born there,so the challenge term was ingrained in my head while in the city.
And I still use it and try HARD to remember to say Retired "police",instead of the old way.

scaatylobo said:

Thanks to your story,the expression "Police Don't Move" was taught to all LEO's in NYS.And note that if you watch ANY NYPD tv show = that sticker is on ALL lockers in the locker room.
I often went to NYC as I was born there,so the challenge term was ingrained in my head while in the city.
And I still use it and try HARD to remember to say Retired "police",instead of the old way.

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Same, we were taught the challenge and the reply. It was drummed into us at every requalification. We used it often when on the range, the range officer would also yell it to us from behind so we had to give the correct reply.

We were also told when the correct challenge was given from behind, followed by "drop your weapon", to drop it and not worry about nicks and scratches. lol

Very cool that the gun has remained in the family.

Do you have an intended next-caretaker?

Be sure to write its provenance down as it's getting a bit tangled and losing that thread would be a shame.

Those grips? Spectacular!

Todd.

Howdy

It took me a minute to realize what you have there. At first I thought it was a Smith and Wesson Regulation Police.

But then I finally realized you have a Colt Police Positive.

All my Police Positives are the slightly longer Police Positive Specials, with the frame and cylinder lengthened slightly for the 38 Special cartridges.

Your 'regular' Police Positive has the shorter cylinder for the 38 S&W cartridge.

I would be interested to know what cartridge is called out on the barrel.

Does it actually say 38 S&W? Colt preferred the name 38 Colt New Police.

Anyway, here are my Colt Police Positive Specials. Notice how the cylinders are longer than yours.

That is a cool heirloom.

Picher said:

Thanks for the info. I was quite young when he passed, so didn't have the maturity to discuss his service, except that he wasn't uniformed. They lived on Long Isl

I don't have much information about my uncle Ben Hallett's work for NYC. I'd love to find out what he actually did. I was just a young kid when he passed. Is there any way I could research his records?

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You could try shooting a letter to the NYPD Personnel Division, 1 Police Plaza, NY NY 10038, and asking for any public info they had on him, explaining your relationship.

Picher said:

View attachment 908697

He was non-uniformed officer in the NYPD system in the late 40s and 50s, retiring then passing in the early 60's, as I remember. When his wife was elderly, she passed the gun to my sister's husband and when he passed, my sister asked me to care for it (and for another revolver). This is a .38 S&W.

I recently passed it, and the other revolver, (S&W stainless 60) to her younger son. Nice to keep things in the family.

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That is so cool!
Nice looking old Colt. Isn't it amazing how family history can make a pretty gun absolutely beautiful!

Nope, can't make it out.

Whatever you say it is, I'll believe you.

It reads Colt Police Positive .38. It was chambered for the .38 Colt New Police which was identical to the .38 S&W except the Colt round was loaded with a flat point round nose bullet.

Picher said:

When I took the pictures, I didn't do it with the thought of posting on a website, but to document receipt of the gun, should it have been stolen at some point.

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You'll want to take pictures of the serial number, too. Don't ask.

Picher said:

The revolver is no longer in my possession, but owned by my nephew, whose father (my B.I.L.) received it from the widow of our uncle Ben, the officer. I was just a caretaker, after his dad passed and I thought it would be best passed to him. I never fired (or dry-fired) it, but was content to have it in my possession and be able to fondle Uncle Ben's service handgun for a few years.

It's hard to imagine Uncle Ben as a tough cop. He was such a gentle man. I think of him and his wife, (my favorite aunt) often and tend their final resting place in Waterville, ME, just a few miles away.

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You got Class Picher , even your guns got class , this is a really nice family treasure and story as well , thanks for sharing .....take care buddy....

My uncle came on the job in 1971. He did 35 years on the NYPD, most of it in patrol in uniform. Retired a sergeant. His son, my cousin, had drug problems as a teen into his mid 20’s. When my uncle retired, he didn’t want a gun in the house with his son so he gave me his Model 10-6. I shot it a few times and cleaned it, then into the safe it went.

Like 5 years go by, and I see my uncle at a family event. He asks me if I still have the gun. I say yeah, it’s sitting in the safe. He says “yeah. That was a good gun”. Then he dropped it.

My cousin had cleaned up his act and moved out. I knew my uncle wanted his gun back. Just didn’t want to ask. That gun banged in and out of patrol cars for 3 and a half decades. He fired it twice on duty that I know of, killing a guy in the mid 70’s. Next day, I looked up an FFL in Staten Island where he lives and shipped the gun. Called my uncle and told him to go get his gun. He was very excited, but tried to refuse it. I told him I was only holding onto it and the gun is his and should stay with him. He didn’t argue it any further.

A run of the mill gun not worth much to some is priceless to others.

My brother-in-law and sister were having some financial "issues" a few years back, and I gave him $300.00 for his S&W Model 10-5. Recently, he mentioned that he would like to buy it back. I sold it back to him for $300.00, gave him the Tyler T-Grip that I'd put on it and a Bucheimer Semi-Shoulder holster in black basketweave that I'd picked up at a gun show for it. I threw in a couple of HKS 10 speedloaders, and he was happy as a clam. The Model 10-5 was the first firearm of any type he had ever purchased.

I love K-Frames, but I love my family more.

There’s a member named RM Rivas (or something like that) maybe in this forum but definitely in the Smith and Wesson forum. He is the expert on NYPD guns. If he’s on this forum shoot him a PM. Or check him out on the smith and Wesson forum. Guy has forgotten more about NYPD guns then I will ever know.

Speedo66 said:

You could try shooting a letter to the NYPD Personnel Division, 1 Police Plaza, NY NY 10038, and asking for any public info they had on him, explaining your relationship.

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Errr NYPD just may want their gun back.
Afterall can't have guns in the hands of civilians.

AFS