Colt Police Positive .32 CTG

[Jack B.]

Can anyone give me any info on this pistol. I inherited it recently. It was My Grandfathers. At times he was a State Trooper and local city policeman in the North East. From the serial number I believe it was manufactured in 1924. It has a 2 and half inch barrel and on the barrel on the left side is printed POLICE POSITIVE POLICE 32 CTG. On the top of the barrel is printed
COLTS PT F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD. CT.USA
PAT'D AUG. 5. 1884 JUNE. 5. 1900 JULY 4. 1905
The writing on the top is very small and the writing on the left side is a little larger and easier to read. My main question is what 32 caliber cartridge was this pistol designed to fire.

 

[Slamfire]

It will fire the 32 S&W Long cartridge. Corporations are so self centered and grandiose that they won't promote anther's brand name. So Colt, comes up with Colt branded cartridges, the 32 Colt and the 38 Colt Special, with infinitely tiny differences between the 32 S&W Long cartridge and the 38 S&W special.

That is an early pistol, by the shape of the front sight I would say it is pre WW2. It has characteristics of the late 1920's DS's, square butt, round front sight. I don't remember the DS being made before 1928, but I could be wrong on this.

 

[Jack B.]

It will fire the 32 S&W Long cartridge. Corporations are so self centered and grandiose that they won't promote anther's brand name. So Colt, comes up with Colt branded cartridges, the 32 Colt and the 38 Colt Special, with infinitely tiny differences between the 32 S&W Long cartridge and the 38 S&W special.

That is an early pistol, by the shape of the front sight I would say it is pre WW2. It has characteristics of the late 1920's DS's, square butt, round front sight. I don't remember the DS being made before 1928, but I could be wrong on this.

Thanks for your info. As you can probable guess I don't know anything about the 32 caliber cartridge.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Very nice...

 

[GBExpat]

Thanks for the pic ... she's a real beaut!

 

[Jim Watson]

Serial number lookup at
https://colt.com/serial-lookup
If it does not come up, phone 800-962-COLT (2658) and they will look in records not yet on www.
Year made is all you get for free, you can pay for an archive letter to tell original configuration and when and where shipped.

 

[bannockburn]

Jack B.

Your Colt Police Positive looks to be in very nice condition.The 2 1/2" barrel was the shortest barrel that Colt offered on the Police Positive at the time. If your gun has a serial number between 115,000 and 116,000 then it was made sometime in 1924.

 

[fpgt72]

Serial number lookup at
https://colt.com/serial-lookup
If it does not come up, phone 800-962-COLT (2658) and they will look in records not yet on www.
Year made is all you get for free, you can pay for an archive letter to tell original configuration and when and where shipped.

It is not too expensive last time I checked....been thinking of doing it to mine I got at auction....mine is not quite as pretty, but it is a hoot to shoot.

Next game I play I am going to run this and my marlin lever in 357, it feeds 38's real well...I think it will be a bucket of fun.

Oh....and it is a gate loader

 

[Jack B.]

fpgt72 that's not a gate loader. That's a swing out cylinder.

 

[mpd61]

Nice!
That beauty will fire .32 S&W Long, .32 S&W,
.32 Colt Police, and even .32 acp in a pinch.

 

[Jack B.]

Thanks for the advice and kind words everyone.

 

[fpgt72]

fpgt72 that's not a gate loader. That's a swing out cylinder.

Gate loading hand guns suck

 

[Jack B.]

Gate loading hand guns suck

I was just fooling with you. I know you meant your Marlin.

 

[fpgt72]

I was just fooling with you. I know you meant your Marlin.

I know....we have to have a little fun ya know.

 

[jar]

I have a 1923 PP in 38S&W.

Below a S&W DA fourth model also in 38S&W:
​

 

[shootist2121]

Folks if it says 32 Colt, the 32 S&W will not chamber!.. The Colt rounds diameter is smaller than the S&W round.. Been there.Done that.

Be Safe

 

[rodinal220]

Look at the chambers in the cylinder. If they are bored straight through, it is a .32 Colt Long/short. If it looks like it has a "step" in it, then its .32 S&W long. The .32 Colt New Police was Colts way of putting the .32 S&W long in their gun without using their competitors name. .32 S&W Long will not chamber in a .32 Colt Long, the case diameter is too big.

If your gun is a .32 Colt Long, it is a lot harder to load or get ammo for it. I do not know of anyone making .32 Colt Long brass currently. Winchester stopped making .32 Colt short brass a while ago. .32 Colt Long/Short used a "heeled" bullet. Flipping a round nose .32 lead bullet around makes dandy "heeled" full wad cutter .