"Cal 22" WHAT?

[Jim Watson]

I went to a local store to look at a batch of older guns they had advertised on Facebook.
It turned out they were from the estate of a gunzine writer who had lived his last several years in the area.

The main item of interest to me was a Colt Police Positive Target "Cal 22".
That's all. It was not marked .22 LR or S,L,LR as I would expect but it wasn't marked .22 WRF, either. I know they made both, my early career boss had a WRF version but I don't recall the markings.

I don't have a .22 WRF to attempt to chamber. Is there any other distinguishing characteristic? Should I forget about such a delicate thing as a V spring Colt? It is intriguing, small and light, but not as dinky as a S&W .22-32.

It is an old one, hard rubber grips and chamber rims not recessed.
Finish very worn but tight like a Colt is supposed to be.

 

[rcmodel]

According to my 1931 Colt catalog.

A Police Positive Target in .22 WRF would be so stamped .22 W.R.F on the barrel.

If it says .22, it's a .22.



Buy it if it isn't out of reason.

rc

 

[CraigC]

I was looking at these on Gunbroker just yesterday. Really neat little sixguns that the Colt frenzy apparently hasn't caught up with yet. Of course, nice ones aren't cheap but not insane like Pythons either. Agreed, it should be marked .22WRF. If a .22Mag enters the chamber but stops short, it's a WRF. If the chambers are bored straight through, it's a .22LR (or Short, or Long, or Auto).

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I missed grabbing one of these last year. If I see another one I won't miss out on it again.

 

[Jim K]

If the gun was made after 1935, it is .22 LR; Colt discontinued the .22 WRF that year.

"or Auto"

AFAIK, Colt never chambered any revolvers for either the .22 Winchester Automatic or the Remington Automatic, though the latter will fire in a .22 WRF chamber.

FWIW, revolver makers were hesitant at first to chamber for .22 LR. The early cartridges, made for single shot rifles, were not crimped and in light guns bullets tended to jump forward on recoil and jam the gun, the reason the S&W Ladysmith was marketed for .22 Long, not .22 LR. The .22 Short and .22 Long were crimped and worked OK in revolvers.

Jim

 

[CraigC]

Colt never chambered any revolvers for either the .22 Winchester Automatic or the Remington Automatic, though the latter will fire in a .22 WRF chamber.

I know that. The point being that if it uses a heeled bullet, as opposed to the jacketed bullets seated into the case (.22WRF and WMR) the chambers are bored straight.