Any old Colt revolver experts?

[A1Uni]

I'm a Smith guy, no Colt expertise at all...

I have an old Colt revolver on consignment that is either a Police Positive or a New Army/Navy.

It is serial number range 124275 with hard rubber grips, double notch cylinder with short flutes and rotates counter clockwise.

The thumb latch is squared and it has the number 550 stamped on the thumb latch and crane.

Colt DA 38 on the six inch barrel, obviously the caliber.

Any thoughts?

 

[august1410]

If it's a Police Positive, it puts it as a 1920 mfg date.

If it's a New Army/Navy, it's a 1899 mfg date.

 

[rj1974]

Looks like a Army&Navy and the S# puts it at 1899

The police positive had a rounded cylinder release and there is a screw in the frame on the left side over the trigger .


Dammit Joe you beat me to it again lol

 

[august1410]

Looks like a Army&Navy and the S# puts it at 1899


Dammit Joe you beat me to it again lol

I concur. With that cylinder release, it definitely is a 1899 Army & Navy. It looks too "rough" to be a Police Positive. A Police Positive was a little more "refined".

 

[rj1974]

here is a police positive .......

 

[A1Uni]

It is rough in more ways than one, the finish is about 30 or 40 percent at best. Nice grips and smooth crisp action. The bore is still bright as well.

It appears that the Police Positive has a plate screw on the rear left side of the frame, this one does not.

Thanks for the help!

Anybody who posted above me and was nice enough to help me out, and who would like some promotional schwagg, PM me your address and I will send you out some manufacturer freebies.

 

[Jimbob2.0]

It apears to be a police positive or earlier, it could be a civilian new army which was my guess from your earlier post.

Rationale:

1. Its got the flat catch and counter clockwise action,
2. Lacks a lanyard ring (most military were converted)
3. Has wood grips.
4. Military models will be labeled on the pommel, though this could have been removed for surplus
5. If its Army (or civilian of the same gun) it could be a 92, 96, or 01 (hence my question if it was pre-01) each of which has subtle differences.

Look at the barrel if it says Colt .38 DA its .38 long colt.

A good example from the web that sold for $1699 (highway robbery) is

Realistic on a 60% 1896/1901 is much less.

I have one, and its not near as good as the pictures and has a hell of a deep dragline (appears to have had a bad bolt spring which somone had recently replaced when I got inside) doesnt drag now. Seems to function near perfectly now but there is some timing damage in the notches (doesnt affect it yet, but in another 10k rds maybe). May the gods help whoever has to time one of these extremely complex mechanism.

Think I paid $300 for it (and think I overpaid!)

 

[FrankOceanXray]

Do you have any history on it? If it was a local PD gun I'd be interested....

 

[A1Uni]

I did some poking around on the Blue Book of Gun Values, I know, not a wealth of Colt info but it was all I had, anyway, they had photos of the civilian vs Govt. models of the New Army/Navy.

The written descriptions noted that the civilian model had hard rubber instead of wood grips and no lanyard ring appeared in the civilian pic. Still unsure of exactly what it is.

I have no history on the gun and do not believe it was a PD gun. These all came from the proverbial little old ladies attic.