1900 Colt New Police 32 Nickel/Ivory found in wall

[Sgt_nick_fury]

The find:

We've lived in this house for about 2 years, and I am still getting around to different parts of the house working on this and that. I was looking to insulate our hot water pipes better and was following them into the walls I realized I had to go into a closet and lift it's ceiling panel in teh basement, upon getting a light up there and looking up I saw a glimmer of metal on one of the beams. I thought for sure it was a toy gun at first, but couldn't imagine why someone would put a toy gun up there.....it looked like it had a cheap plastic handle, and silvery finish like the kids cowboy revolvers....

Upon pulling it down I saw that it was in fact real, and loaded....kinda creepy to me.....not knowing it was there.....in any case, the first tip it was older should have been when i swung the cylinder out and saw only 5 rounds and the last empty for safety, I had heard they did this with older revolvers......teh "cheap" plastic turned out to be ivory, and it was shiney cause it is nickel plated. It looked fairly new to me at first I figured it was 1960's or 50's at most......boy was I wrong.

The bullet also looked weird to me and are stamped 32 s&w long.

I went online and tried to find more info about it and have read the basic history, but what is unusual is I don't see an example anywhere of this hand gun with nickel plating and ivory handles. The ivory handles have a little bit of space at the top, so I don't think they came from the factory as they are not a "perfect fit".

The Revolver:

Here are the details until I can get pictures.

Colt New Police 32
Nickel plated, and pearl handles...I think handles were likely added.

top stamp reads :

COLT'S PAT FIRE ARMS MFG Co
HARTFORD CONN U.S.A.
PAT'D AUG 5. 1884 JUNE 5. 1900

When I open the cylinder the number i get is 29xxx on the frame and on the fold out portion for cylinder the number is the same.

the cartridges on ammo are stamped

w-w
32 S&W LONG

So what do I have? Who can tell me if this is rare or just another example of the Colt New Police 32?

 

[wcwhitey]

A picture would help a great deal. For the future leave out the last two numbers of the serial number and replace them with X's e.g. 295xx. Definitely a cool story, what is the overall condition? Bill

 

[Sgt_nick_fury]

I'm not exactly a firearms expert I only have my Sigpro and a Garand and their strictly utilitarian. So I hate to make a call on condition, The nickel is warn on the edges of cylinder though and on other surfaces you'd expect from regular use, it seems to otherwise be in good shape everything is smooth, there's a bunch of dust in the barrel and it needs cleaning. I do notice that there's a little piece of metal below the cylinder that seems to be part of the revolver process that sticks sometimes, and likely needs it's spring or mechanism checked as it causes the cylinder to get stuck sometimes when dry firing, it's apparently meant to lower as you pull the trigger.....beyond that everything seems well take care of until it was put in the ceiling/wall. Let me find my camera.

 

[bannockburn]

The serial number puts it at late 1904, as 1905 started with s.n. 31600. It appears the New Police was produced from 1896 to 1907, when it became the Police Positive. Production numbers were at 49500 when they made the change. An interesting story about the New Police from R.L. Wilson's book, Colt-An American Legend, came about as Teddy Roosevelt was police commissioner in New York city in 1896. It seems TR was greatly concerned over the poor markmanship of the police, along with their rather disparate collection of sidearms. He decided to standardize on one gun, the New Police, and on extensive firearms training. NYPD got the first 4500 guns produced, with TR getting serial number 1.
As to the pearl grips, it seems that Colt did offer them on the New Police; some with Colt medallions on them, some without.

 

[Sgt_nick_fury]

the pictures

 

[Sgt_nick_fury]

So any wagers on value?

Also can ivory shrink? could that be why it's not a perfect fit?

 

[Funderb]

Doing work on my house,
I always hoped something like this would happen.
lucky.
hahaha


I am too tired to make a guess.
I can barely type.

 

[Jim Watson]

The N.P. was available in nickel plate.

The grips sure have a lot of shrinkage to be real ivory. You could apply the hot pin test to the back of one.
http://www.asian-arts.net/oriental-treats/fake.htm

 

[cottonmouth]

.32

I was wondering where I left that darn thing!!

J.B.

 

[Sgt_nick_fury]

Jim You were correct..it's a plastic/resin....I feel like an idiot.......

okay so nickel plated but resin/plastic handle grips......

I did the needle test just because I wanted to, but as soon as I took grips off it was pretty clear this was molded.

so with all that in consideration, does this have any value?

 

[sixgunner455]

It's a Colt!! It's old!! It's not trashed out!! Of course it has some value, because even trashed out guns have some value. How much, depends on whether you want to sell it. I have no idea. I only have one Colt revolver, and considering what older Detective Specials go for these days, I made out quite well buying it at 189.00 a few years ago.

 

[elrod]

Blue Book, 28th ed. values:
New Police .32 Colt
100%- $850
98%- $750
95%- $550
90%- $375
80%- $325
70%- $275
60%- $215
50%- $185

Add 25% for nickle finish

Hope that helps, BB is usually low. Colts many times have collector value.

 

[CrawdaddyJim]

They are retailing between 350 and 450 nowadays. Gunshop would most likely give you about 275 or so.

 

[Sgt_nick_fury]

I'm still atcually surprised baout the plastic...I did not realize they had plastic back then, I thought bakelite was first plastic used on weapons, and I knew that wasn't around yet.....well another history lesson, I now have read and know about celluloid.

 

[461]

They're fun shooters, I've got a blued one from 1907. Condition is not great but it's a lot of fun to shoot a gun that was born before my Grandfather.

 

[RON in PA]

Don't be surprised at the plastic, the original grips were probably replaced many years after the gun was purchased.

You realize of course that in order to shoot that gun you will have to wear a very large broad rimmed hat.

 

[Sgt_nick_fury]

Heh not a problem for me, wide brimmed hats I got already, though ya know a good old NYPD 8 point would be fitting too.....

I really do want to thank everyone's input so far, you have all been a great help!

 

[Dr.Rob]

It's in remarkable shape... and probably not in that wall since early 1900's--have you considered it might be a crime gun?

 

[Jim K]

Grips aside (and sorry, Dr. Rob) the gun is not in very good shape. There are signs of considerable wear and there appears to be pitting on the barrel. I also see something I don't understand. The lower edge of the sideplate appears to be cracked or something. It should come straight back to the grip, not have that sort of half-moon cut in it. It looks almost like the bottom of the sideplate is broken off and the rebound lever is showing through. On the other site, and before seeing the picture, I gave an estimate of $250-300; I now think that was on the high side. If the sideplate is broken, the gun would not bring $100. (Parts are not available!)

Jim

 

[Funderb]

I think the grips aren't sized right. or shrunk. plastic does some crazy stuff.
Keep it, shoot it. Someday give it to your kid.
It's got a neat story. If someone really can't stand to not pay you well for it, then sell it.
It'll be fun.

 

[Sgt_nick_fury]

Dr. Rob: I have deffinately considered that, and am having the serial numbers run with the county, though beyond finding out if it was reported stolen or not I don't know what it will do.

Jim: I think it's in fairly good shape given it was made in 1905, but I agree it deffinately has wear the nickel has chipped and rubbed off in places on the cylinder edge. The barrel picture was shot pre-cleaning, and still had dust bunnies in the pictures but appears to be in good shape.....it definately needs some tlc.....there's no crack or chip in side that I can see though, and it should be a good shooter, I plan on doing exactly that this weekend.....Unless the county sends someone out with a pink slip after checking the numbers.... The guy at local shooting store seemed to think for utilitarian purposes it's in fine condition, but for collector purpose maybe a lil too much wear on the nickel.....it seems in good condition to me for a 100 year plus revolver.

The grips are deffinately NOT original their plastic and given the way they look I don't think they could be older then 40's or 50's at most but again I'm no expert, they do not fit as they should, so I think I may look for some "new police" original grips for it.......

As much as I got hopes up at first I think it's probably a 250 value as a shooter, and maybe up to 400 for a collector as from what I have been told the nickel is just a lot more rare then the police blued. But unless someone collects old colts I doubt I'll get that much...but if I can't it's a free fun shooter I didn't pay a cent for...and a good story. If nothing else I have had so much fun researching it and learning more about Teddy Roosevelt and the NYPD.

 

[TooTech]

I'd post your images and story over on www.coltforum.com

LOTS of expertise on these old Colts over there.

 

[Logan5]

It's almost as cool a story as the super soldier serum. Most of us screw around renovating our old houses for years and don't find anything more interesting than horseshoes, nerf darts, and dry rot. You've got a hundred and four year old revolver, for free, that you found. That's a story right there that everyone wants to be able to tell, but most of us bought the wrong house. Congratulations! Very cool.

 

[Dr.Rob]

I was saying remarkable for found in a wall.. nickle is still reflective not frosty looking. Not rusted shut, ammo not even corroded suggestst to me someone put it there more recently, and because of that I'd be a concerned I might have a crime gun. let us know how it shoots--and let's hope the local PD doesn't come looking for it.

 

[Sgt_nick_fury]

Does anyway know where I can get replacement grips for a good price? Also I am trying to figure out if the Colt Police Posative grips would fit this pistol exactly for sure........as they seem more common. I really want it to be original or copies of original grips with colt emblem in top.