100 year old colt

[Hdhic]

I bought this yesterday. It's a colt army special made about
1916. It's a 32/20 with a 5in barrel. It's been stored wrapped
up in a cabinet for the last 40 years. I got 28 rnds of Western
ammo in the yellow & blue box. Wish they hadn't tore the end
flap off it.
Hdhic

[Sportsdad60]

Beautiful!

[DocB]

That one sure does look a whole lot better than most of the ones I see out for sale.

[MCorps0311]

Wow absolutely awesome 100 yrs old Colt revolver. If you don't mind what it cost you?

[DWalt]

I have one of the .32-20 Army Specials also but mine is a few years older (1912), and in about the same condition. For some reason I cannot get into Photobucket, or I would attach a picture of mine. Mine has the far less common 4-1/2" barrel. You may or may not be aware that there is very little difference between the Army Special and the Official Police except the name and the topstrap shape. I don't shoot mine much, just too nice. I paid $425 for mine about 3 years ago.
________________________________________
I finally got in (it looks much better than the picture shows)

[Hdhic]

You could say I've got 500 in mine. I shot it a couple of time this morning.
I really liked the way it shot the 100 gr SWCs. Very nice old colt Dwalt
HDHIC aka cliff

[AJ]

Originally Posted by Hdhic

I bought this yesterday. It's a colt army special made about
1916. It's a 32/20 with a 5in barrel. It's been stored wrapped
up in a cabinet for the last 40 years. I got 28 rnds of Western
ammo in the yellow & blue box. Wish they hadn't tore the end
flap off it.
Hdhic

They tore the ends off to be able to get at the ammo easier. Little did they realize they were screwing up a collectible box. I feel the same way.

[DWalt]

Originally Posted by AJ

They tore the ends off to be able to get at the ammo easier. Little did they realize they were screwing up a collectible box. I feel the same way.

Go to any commercial range, and you will see 55 gallon drums full of empty ammo boxes, mostly brand new. Wonder what they will be worth in the year 2100?

[deadin]

Well, you made me go out and check my Colts. I have more of them then I remembered, 7 in all. 4 are over 100 years old. One will turn 100 next year and the other two will turn in 2019.

Their birth-dates (by serial number) are:
1863 x2 (M1849 Pocket & M1862 Police)
1893 (M1892)
1909 (M1903 Hammerless)
1918 (M1911)
1919 x2 (M1917 & a pre-Woodsman)

[Ivan the Butcher]

I have a Police Positive Special in 32-20, from 1919. The bluing is gone, but the brown patina looks nice, well lets say it looks OK. It shoots fine and I'm not afraid to use it. I use a cast 117 with G/C and Trail Boss. It is slow but very easy on the revolver.

Ivan

[les.b]

Heres my Colt 1917... It looks like it was made yesterday, except some genius decided to do a homemade checkering job on the otherwise pristine stocks:



You have to wonder how these guns made it through the years in this condition!! Here's a shot of the bore...the little speck is just some lint:



But I still shoot it...mostly with my own Auto Rim loads. I aquired a bunch of casings, and load them with lead semi wadcutters...I know they were designed for metal cased bullets, and I have shot a few, but I can shoot the lead forever and never wear the rifling.

Not quite a hundred yet, but this little Colt Pocket Positive is in even more pristine condition than the big brother 1917... In the .32 Colt New Police (.32 S&W Long) caliber...not a very clear picture, but pristine:



And yes, I shoot it as well. Mostly my handloads. At 2gr of BE per load, a pound of powder goes a long way!!!

But you were looking at Army Specials. Here is my one and only...a 1925, which is believed to have been modified at the factory. It has had the front and back strap professionally checkered, and the hammer modified, and has the Colt stamp indicating factory rework obviously reblued after the checkering on the frame. Appears to have had an action job as well. It had Jay Scott stocks on it when I got it, and I replaced them with these Ivorys, which I think contrast nicely with the blue:



Here's the backstrap:



Supposedly came from a retired Baltimore Police Officer.
Best Regards, Les

[Davinman]

Hdhic, your Colt looks terrific, wish mine looked that good. Here's my Colt PPS 38spl, serial # dates it to 1914. I got it for under $250 few years ago. It looks better in person than in the pic, the flash makes the nickle look funky.

[Warren Sear]

Here is my Army Special in .38 Special caliber, made in 1927...

[les.b]

Davinman:

That is cool. I was unaware that they were offering the Police Positive Special in the 2" that early. Certainly it has to be one of a very few. Have you lettered it through Colt? That's certainly a keeper!!

Best Regards, Les

[Davinman]

i have been thinking about doing that les.b, i just have never gotten around to it.

[les.b]

Well, don't feel bad, I've never lettered any of my guns, every time I get a little money ahead, I buy another gun!! I have several I would like to find out about, though. But I have been lucky enough to have had Roy look up shipping dates for a number of Smiths since I became a member of the SW collectors association. And Colt has the years, at least, on Proofhouse.

Best Regards, Les

[AJ]

Originally Posted by DWalt

Go to any commercial range, and you will see 55 gallon drums full of empty ammo boxes, mostly brand new. Wonder what they will be worth in the year 2100?

Worth whatever someone will pay for them. Check out this website:Ward's Auctions | Welcome

[Hdhic]

Very nice colts Les. They are hard to find here in Okla. 32/20s in good shape, S&W or Colt are really hard to find. Thanks for everyone's pics.
HDHIC

[Warren Sear]

Here is my Colt Police Positive Special, built in 1911. Caliber is .32-20 (it will plumb shoot through a man )...

[DocB]

I know I have an old Colt revolver here somewhere. Here it is. It's a 1914 Police Positive in 38. It won't shoot through stuff like those 32-20's will. I bought it because it has a mint bore and mint cylinders. You just don't see that in the guns that had to survive black powder ammo. I've always wondered about the mint bore survival rate among guns made before WWI. I speculate maybe 1 in 300 from what I've seen over many years. A little carry wear on this one, but I'll buy about anything this age with a bright bore.