DOB for Colt revolvers?

[zxcvbob]

The UPS guy just showed up with my first Colt revolver: a 5" Police Positive with the short cylinder (.38 Colt N.P. a.k.a .38S&W) and original checkered wood grips. It has a nice black finish with just minor scratch and scuff marks but looks unfired. Serial number is 1101xx. I'm guessing it was made in the 1920's. Am I close?

 

[keyboard commando]

1923

 

[Magoo]

I found 1919, maybe I missed a detail?

http://proofhouse.com/colt/index.html

 

[MMCSRET]

I also see 1919. Listed as Police Positive .38, separate from the original small frame Police Positives in 32. In 1930 they were all on the 38 frame and listed together. At least, thats the way my book breaks it down, I do own an anomaly to that; I have a 32 Police on the 38 frame that dates to 1928. Sometimes it gets confusing!!!, but they are still wonderful guns.

 

[dfariswheel]

The Police Positive had separate serial number ranges for the .32 and .38 versions.

Police Positive .38 1101xx was made in 1919.
The numbers that year started at 100000. 1920 started at 115000.

A Police Positive .32 1101xx would have been made in 1913. The .32 numbers that year started at 108000. 1915 started at 112000

 

[zxcvbob]

Thanks! (I hope I'm this well preserved when I'm >90 y.o.) I thought the wood grips would place it later in the 20's.

It should be OK with smokeless powder if I go easy on it, right?

 

[keyboard commando]

oops,sorry...I goofed that one.

 

[dfariswheel]

A 1919 PP would have black hard rubber "Gutta Percha" grips with molded in checkering and Colt logos.

You can buy plastic replicas from these sources. I suspect you'll need the early "narrow grip frame" type grips to fit the early Colt's with the narrow gap between the front of the grip frame and the rear of the trigger guard:

http://www.vintagegungrips.net/

http://www.gungrip.com/index.php

As long as you shoot standard loads AND the gun is in good condition and proper timing, you can shoot it.

 

[zxcvbob]

OK, this has original Colt grips from a later year put on. Dark checkered walnut with the Colt medallions. They fit perfectly and were kind of hard to take off. They have a number written on the inside, looks like in India ink, and it's hard to read but doesn't match the number on the frame.

 

[Magoo]

Uh oh....

You've definitely got an imposter on your hands. It's probably dangerous and most likely illegal. Contact me and I can properly dispose of it for you .

Enjoy your fine pistol. I'm sure we'd all love to see a picture or three...

 

[zxcvbob]

Thanks. Here's the auction link. It still has pics:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=181092535

 

[dfariswheel]

Colt started using checkered walnut grips with silver medallions in 1923.

Back in those days they did the final frame polishing with the grips on the frame to insure a perfect fit. They hand wrote an assembly number inside the grips to insure the same grips were installed on the finished gun.