Revolver

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kantuckyII
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Revolver

Post by kantuckyII »

I just was passed down a revolver that belonged to my grandfather. It is a Colt Police 38 Special. I looked it up on line and it was made in 1927 according to the serial numbers. 1927 was the first year they started making this gun but actually, it was called the Army Special the year before but from what I've read, Colt realized that the military would never buy a 38 so they quit making the Army Special and started making the Police Special in 1927, which, is the year this one was made. Anywho...I can't believe HOW bad that gun feels in my hand. It's super heavy, unbalanced etc etc. The gun is unreal condition though. You can tell it's never been carried or put in a holster, the finish is fantastic. Inside the barrel looks like a new gun. Considering it is almost 85 years old now, that's something to say.

The more I think about this gun, the more I seem to remember my grandfather showing me this when I was a boy but..that's been a long time ago, hard to say


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Boonedawg
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Re: Revolver

Post by Boonedawg »

the military used a butt-ton of .38's in WWII. You'll have to let me fondle her in a couple weeks. :122249


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kantuckyII
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Re: Revolver

Post by kantuckyII »

Someone must have put after market poly grips on it...lol. I guess their plastic and it looks like someone tried to carve it. I honestly don't believe it's been redone but it's in such pretty condition, I can't hardly believe it's that old. Grandpa has been dead for 32 years though and I'm sure it's not seen the light of day for many years. I think he just used to keep it loaded in his bedroom as they lived in the country.


KVDW
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Re: Revolver

Post by KVDW »

LOL... true story:

long story short.

just after the war there were large piles of those .38s down at the New Boston steel mill to be melted down and the steel re-used.
my uncle brought a couple of them home to my brother and me.
we were out in the front yard one day playing cops and robbers and the mailman came along and my brother stuck the gun in the mailmans face and he took off like a shot.
two hours later the FBI showed up at our front door. :mrgreen:


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kantuckyII
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Re: Revolver

Post by kantuckyII »

Really? what war?

lol, that's a FUNNY Story! LOVED IT! yep, there were around 3/4 of a million of them made so they're certainly not scarce..however, it was made in 1927, the first year they were marketed as a police special. You know, the reason they done that was because they knew the military wasn't interested in purchasing 38's (but they did)

Kudos on bringing the kids home a couple of real pistols to play with :122246 :lol: I read the other day where two boys were suspended from school because they were playing army by using their fingers like guns. The school said they had a strict policy they had to follow. Times sure have changed, huh? That would have hit the national news in a heart beat today. You'd probably both been in foster care for a few days and your uncle would have gone to jail as well :122246


Dug this up on the Police Special:
When the U.S. became involved in World War II , the U.S. government requested contracts to supply .38 revolvers required for arming security personnel charged with the security of government buildings, shipyards, and defense plant installations against sabotage or theft. Commencing in 1941, small quantities of the .38 Colt Official Police were procured directly from the Defense Supplies Corporation (DSC). When government purchasing officials objected to production delays of the OP, as well as the unit cost, Colt responded by simplifying the gun. Savings were achieved by eliminating all unnecessary exterior polishing operations, substituting a smooth-face trigger and hammer, and fitting the gun with simplified checkered wood grips with the Colt medallion; the latter was soon replaced by 'Coltwood' molded plastic grips. Instead of the normal bluing, the revolver was given a dull parkerized finish. Dubbed the Colt Commando, the weapon was primarily used to arm units of Military police, security guards at U.S. defense plant installations and shipyards, as well as limited clandestine issue to agencies involved in overseas espionage and military intelligence.[1][2][5]

In mid-1942 the Springfield Ordnance District (SOD) was given control over procurement and distribution of the Commando, which transferred the revolvers to the end user. A few Commandos were shipped to the U.S. Maritime Commission and used as small arms equipment on U.S. merchant ships and ships provided to the Allies under Lend-Lease.[6] Most Commando wartime production went to the Defense Supplies Corporation (DSC).[7] for use by security and police forces, while approximately 1,800 Commandos were used by the U.S. Navy, with another 12,800 revolvers distributed to various military intelligence agencies. Some Commando revolvers were also shipped to the U.S. Maritime Commission and used as small arms equipment on U.S. merchant ships and ships provided to the Allies under Lend-Lease.[8] Control over procurement changed in 1944, after the DSC formally objected to being charged additional handling fees by the armed forces, and was then authorized to procure the Commando directly from Colt.[9]


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Re: Revolver

Post by KVDW »

kantuckyII wrote:
Kudos on bringing the kids home a couple of real pistols to play with :122246 :lol:
they had all been rendered inoperable before they were brought to the steel mill but i guess the mailman wasn't going to stick around to find out. :)

we did have real guns of our own anyway. i started squirrel and rabbit hunting when i was 6 years old.....there weren't any deer or turkeys around here then... and i have every one of my hunting licenses dating back to 1949. i don't think they were required of anyone younger than 16 before then.


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kantuckyII
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Re: Revolver

Post by kantuckyII »

I know! you know, I honestly thought wild turkeys were extinct when I was young and deer? remember how much of a marvel it was to see one years ago? I remember guys would shoot one, then tie it to the hood of their car and drive all over town with it. Most must have rotted before they had it butchered


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Space Cowboy
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Re: Revolver

Post by Space Cowboy »

.38 Colts and S&W with 4in. barrels were issued to pilots and aircrew personnel by the Army while I was in.


reliob
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Re: Revolver

Post by reliob »

Where can you find information on guns, years of manufacture and such? I have a S&W model 10 that i bought new in 1982 in nickel. some guys i work with told me it was worth millions because they didnt come in nickel only stainless. Now i know the gun is not worth millions, but it is finished in nickel. Any info would be helpful. Oh and by the way the gun is not for sale, i would just like some info on it.


reliob
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Re: Revolver

Post by reliob »

The M&P/Model 10 has been available in both blued steel finish and nickel finish for most of its production run. I found this on wikipedia [sp] Just like always the so called experts dont know jack.


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kantuckyII
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Re: Revolver

Post by kantuckyII »

Here's the address for Colt's where I found that the one I have was manufactured in 1927 by the serial number which was the first year Colt made that model. It also has Browning, Winchester etc etc


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