Interesting WW2 Colt Official Police (w/ Pics)...

[.455_Hunter]

Greetings,

I picked-up this Colt OP in September of 2006. The saga of the purchase can be found here:

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=217713

The Colt has the 6" "Heavy Barrel" and walnut grips. The gun is fitted with a lanyard ring and is marked on the bottom of the grip "I.O.P. #225". The condition is good with excellent mechanics (as expected for carried a lot and shot little police beat gun). The serial number of 681XXX places it in 1942 or so.

I chronographed some different loads for it here:

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=253639

Winchester Super-X (+P) 158 gr LSWC-HP 886 fps 275 fpe

Winchester WB (+P) 125 gr JHP 1010 fps 283 fpe

Winchester Subsonic (+P) 147 gr JHP 999 fps 326 fpe

Winchester WB 150 gr LRN 827 fps 228 fpe

Winchester WB 130 gr FMJ-FN 796 fps 183 fpe

Winchester Cowboy 158 gr LFN 790 fps 219 fpe

Remington Express (+P) 158 gr LSWC-HP 978 fps 336 fpe

Remington UMC 158 gr LRN 837 fps 246 fpe

Speer Lawman (+P) 158 gr FMJ 853 fps 255 fpe

Sellier & Bellot 158 gr FMJ-FN 787 fps 218 fpe

Speer Gold Dot (+P) 125 gr JHP 1010 fps 283 fpe

Fiocchi 148 gr JHP 982 fps 317 fpe


I finally got off my rear a took a few basic pictures to work on my technique. I know my backdrop cloth is wrinkled, but these are my first gun pics I have ever taken, so bear with me.

What do you folks think about the gun? Any ideas about its history? IOP?

Old Fuff- I know you were curious about it before.

Its a sweet shooter, and I would appreciate comments.

Thanks,

Hunter

 

[Old Fuff]

For us, World War Two started about 3 weeks before the start of a new year (January, 1942). Before the war started Colt's had been assigned the task of producing (in order of importance):

Belt fed machine guns - .30 and .50 caliber.
Browning Automatic Rifles (BAR's)
1911A1 .45 pistols
Official Police .38 revolvers with 4" barrels (for police & defense plant issue).

Regardless, because of slow sales during the Great Depression,Colt, as well as Smith & Wesson both had a tremendous supply of parts in inventory for various models, and they started to assemble many of these into completed guns as quickly as they could to meet massive shortages and desperate needs.

This revolver is one of them. The 6" heavy barrel was intended to be used on an Officers Model Target or Shooting Master/New Service revolver, and notice it has a commercial blue finish that was no longer available by 1942. Either the gun was already completed but not shipped, or made from previously finished parts.

The Old Fuff will say that they were unusually accurate - on one occasion he kicked around a sub-compact car muffler at a measured 100 yards using weak, wimpy 148 grain mid-range wadcutters...

By January 1942 the distribution of all available handguns was under government control. This revolver either went to a defense plant to arm security guards, or to a police department. I suspect the latter because the letter "P" is the last one in "IOP." Colt's records might or might not show who got it, but it would cost $100.00 or so to find out.

Colt occasionally made, but never cataloged this Official Police variant. It is to say the least a prize - with a lot of history behind it.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Old Fuff,

Thanks for taking a look!

Hunter