Colt Police Positive 38 Special Serial Numbers !!top!!

Before buying or selling a Police Positive .38 Special, always:

Disclaimer: Serial number data is compiled from the "Colt Serial Numbers and Dates" by R.L. Wilson, the Colt Archive Services, and decades of collector observation. Production numbers can vary slightly due to factory irregularity. Always consult a professional gunsmith before firing any antique or vintage firearm.

By the late 1960s, Colt began using alpha-numeric serial numbers (e.g., 1000PP). For a Police Positive .38 Special made after 1969, you may see serial numbers with the prefix “PP” (e.g., PP1001). These are legitimate but less common. colt police positive 38 special serial numbers

If your revolver is chambered in .38 Special and has a barrel length of 4 inches or 6 inches (common for police service), it is almost certainly a Police Positive Special . If you try to date it using a serial number chart for the standard "Police Positive," your date results will be incorrect by decades.

Colt did not use a strict "Year of Manufacture" stamp on the gun until much later in the 20th century. Instead, they used sequential serial number ranges. By cross-referencing the serial number with factory ledgers, we can determine the year of shipment (which is generally accepted as the year of manufacture). Before buying or selling a Police Positive

Before diving into the specific numbers, it is vital to understand the context of the model. Colt introduced the Police Positive revolver in 1907. It was designed as an improvement over the earlier "New Police" model, featuring an internal hammer block safety mechanism—what Colt called the "Positive Lock." This safety feature prevented the hammer from striking the primer unless the trigger was deliberately pulled, a crucial innovation for a firearm carried in a holster or pocket.

If the number on the butt differs from the cylinder and barrel, the revolver has had parts swapped. This significantly reduces collector value. Always consult a professional gunsmith before firing any

Here is why this matters:

chambered in .38 Special requires a clear understanding of the model's lineage. While often confused, the standard "Police Positive" was primarily built for the .38 S&W (Colt New Police) cartridge, while the Police Positive Special