info on colt police positive special

[ssteven1]

I just put a police positive special on layaway at the local gun store. The serial number is 3353xx. When was this revolver made? Also I'm used to smiths and I am not sure how the colt should "feel". The cylinder seems to have a lot of play when at rest, is this normal. When cocked with hammer down the cylinder has that welded to the frame feel. I shined a light down the bore and it appears to have good cylinder alignment. Also it has approx 70% blue left but have alot of surface rust on it. What is the best way to get rid of the rust. It feel real small and light compared to my M&P. I finally got my self a colt. It cost 149$

 

[Dr.Rob]

1929 according to R.L. Wilson's little blue book.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Oh read up on the "revolver checkout" thread floating at the top of this forum.

A LOT of surface rust can be cleaned off with Flitz polishing wool, any extensive refinishing ought to see a 'smith.

 

[Standing Wolf]

The cylinder seems to have a lot of play when at rest, is this normal.

It's not the norm, but not unheard of. If it locks up tight, it's most probably safe to shoot, assuming everything else is in good working order. I believe the good folks at http://www.cylinder-slide.com can work on it for you if needed.

 

[Old Fuff]

Given the age and condition of your Police Positive Special the crane may be slightly sprung. If so, this would contribute toward the cylinder's play.

Carefully inspect the cylinder to be SURE it's unloaded. The close and latch it. Hold the gun so that you can view it from the front. Push on the cylinder from the left and see if the crane wiggles away from the frame. Repairing it is not difficult, but it requires someone who knows what they are doing.

 

[chaim]

While I can't give much in the way of answers to your questions, I am a fellow PPS owner. Decent gun.

It is light compared to a K-frame. It is actually the same frame size as the Colt snubs (D-frame is the designation for the Colt small frames). It is something like 24 oz. Essentially you have a small frame revolver with 6 shots and a 4" barrel. It could be almost the perfect carry revolver.

What I like about mine:
-see above paragraph
-reasonably accurate
-reliable
-great SA trigger

What I don't like:
-the Colt cylinder release (being a S&W and Taurus fan it just seems weird to pull instead of push)
-long ago discontinued so not always easy to get parts if needed or find a smith who specializes in them
-terrible DA trigger (when I bought this gun I shot my revolvers primarily in SA so it didn't bother me, now I shoot my DA revolvers almost exclusively in DA so now it is a problem)
-doesn't seem to be very robust so I doubt if +Ps are a good idea
-hard to find replacement grips (and mine has Pachmeyer Presentation Grips which I hate)

Mine is in great mechanical condition with a fair amount of wear to the finish. If you don't mind the negatives as I see them I think you'll like it. I've played with selling mine (actually putting it on the board) but I probably should and will keep it. As much as I don't like some things about it, it does have its positives as well and it is nice having something a little different from the M10s that everyone and their mothers have.

 

[Majic]

A few replies to some negatives:

-the Colt cylinder release (being a S&W and Taurus fan it just seems weird to pull instead of push)

The latch never grated the thumb and needed redesigning.

-long ago discontinued so not always easy to get parts if needed or find a smith who specializes in them

There aren't many truly qualified Colt smith's, but they do exist. Also there was a second run of the PPS made in the 90's.

-terrible DA trigger (when I bought this gun I shot my revolvers primarily in SA so it didn't bother me, now I shoot my DA revolvers almost exclusively in DA so now it is a problem)

Colt triggers stack, but are in no way terrible. In fact they lend themselves to target shooting in DA quite well if you learn to use it. Just a different design over a Smith.

-doesn't seem to be very robust so I doubt if +Ps are a good idea

They were designed before the advent of a +P load and not recommended for it just as all the other small framed .38sp built in that time frame.

-hard to find replacement grips (and mine has Pachmeyer Presentation Grips which I hate)

Unless you have one of the very early models with the long grip frame, any D-frame stock will fit it.

 

[Parker Dean]

Unless you have one of the very early models with the long grip frame, any D-frame stock will fit it.

To amplify on this just a bit, while I have not yet heard of the exact year the grip frame was changed to the shorter "Agent" style, my understanding is that it occurred sometime in the late Fifties. So the 1929 version that the originator of the thread has will not be able to use the common later model stocks.

 

[Jim March]

If the cylinder "feels welded to the frame" while at full lockup, that's a good sign.

The next step is to make sure cylinder/barrel alignment is good - while in full lockup (holding the trigger back on an -=EMPTY!!!=- gun) shine a very bright light at the firing pin to the rear of the cylinder. That should give you enough llight to look down the bore and see the "circle within circle" alignment of barrel and cylinder bore. Do this with all six bores.

If you can't get enough light in there, then it's range rod time for the same test. No biggie. I consider the visual inspection more accurate though.

Then check your barrel/cylinder gap. It's safe to shoot at .009", although that's pretty sloppy. .002" to .003 is optimum, .004" to .005" is decent, esp. in a 4" gun.

Then look EVERYWHERE for cracks.

If all that passes, the gun is safe to shoot.

 

[James Bondrock]

To amplify on this just a bit, while I have not yet heard of the exact year the grip frame was changed to the shorter "Agent" style, my understanding is that it occurred sometime in the late Fifties. So the 1929 version that the originator of the thread has will not be able to use the common later model stocks.

The Agent and its shortened grip frame was introduced in 1966.

 

[Parker Dean]

The Agent and its shortened grip frame was introduced in 1966.

Well, that's more info but still doesn't lock down the year that the remaining D frame models were shortened to match the Agent.

I'm sure I could find the exact year if I looked enough but it isn't all THAT important for me.

And BTW, I meant to mention that Colt owners might want to start checking out the Colt Forum. More people and info showing up all the time.

 

[chaim]

I have the older style grip frame and I've found that harder to get grips for. The Detective Special and other D frames were made for quite a few years after the PPS so there are still grips and parts for the newer guns. Most of the new manufacture grips I've seen are for the new shorter frame (I bought some I was assured would work and they wouldn't fit- the grip frame was too big and I had to take off wood from the grip to try to make it work).


I left out one important part of my post. Most people have their favorites. It seems most shooters are either Colt or S&W people. Few people seem to like both revolvers equally.

Anyway, I do think that Colt made some good revolvers, but I am clearly in the S&W camp and Majic seems to be a Colt guy. Majic, I didn't mean any offense. I know many of the negatives (as I see them) can be seen as plusses by others and other of the negatives are very subjective. To a Colt guy I'm sure they can come up with as long a list for S&W wheelguns (i.e. heavy, different cylinder latch, sometimes heavier SA pull, etc.). I recognize that Colts are good. I'm just much more of a S&W guy.

 

[James Bondrock]

Well, that's more info but still doesn't lock down the year that the remaining D frame models were shortened to match the Agent.

They all were, AFAIK.

 

[Parker Dean]

They all were, AFAIK.

See, that's just what I mean. Some state that all were changed at the time the Agent was introduced, while others say the remaining line-up of D frames was changed up to two years later. Of course I've also seen references to the change occurring in the Fifties too...

 

[Bart Noir]

Grips for old, long frame....

I recently saw grips on the CDNN website (CDNN.com is down for repairs, don't know if there is another site) that fit the old Dick Special, Police Positive Special, Corba frame. I know because I bought some last year. It is a fingergroove stock, with wood that covers the metal in back. Thus the reach to the trigger is longer and the overall grip is more of a hand-filler. As in "Fill your hand, pilgrim" or whatever John Wayne said. Sorry I can't give you the product number, did I mention the website is down?

Bart Noir.