Curious if anyone owns an M&P wit these initials?

I assume it may be from Detroit PD, Denver PD, Dallas PD but there are many other cities that could use the initials.

If you have one stamped the same let me know what you came up with?

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

All I can tell you is that it is NOT Detroit, because they used Colt before the war and always stamped DETROIT POLICE plus number on the backstrap.

The question has come up in the context of various guns stamped with DPD in different places over the years. Since, as you mentioned, there are several large cities starting with D and they all used the DPD to refer to themselves, it’s hard to nail it down unless you get another gun with the same location and font that is documented. I hope you do.

PS: Here’s an example from my picture files, a Colt Commando that shipped to the US Maritime Commission and then apparently had a second post-war career with a DPD; no way to figure out where that was though.

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I'm not adept enough at the early M&Ps to know the vintage of yours. Early 20s?

Perhaps a clearer definition of the revolver's vintage would help. Just thinking out loud.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

Well, I don't know how the vintage might help; but it can't hurt. I have at least four with that style grip, and while I haven't checked to be sure, it's a good bet the grips are original to the guns.

They are-----------------

A 32/20 target (#114655 from August 21, 1923).

A 22/32 HFT (#444707 from March 8, 1927).

A 32 Regulation Police Target (#449510 from February 18, 1927---shipped to a fellow named Pedro in Argentina).

A .38 M&P Target (#594451 from March 8, 1929).

So---------I'm betting Tom's D.P.D. gun is from the 20's---and none of mine are any help with D.P.D.

I just thought of another 20's gun----same grips, no help, but a neat little story---and a true story as near as I can tell. It's another .38 M&P (#354467, shipped November 16, 1920), and bought new that same year by my father-in-law. It spent the next 60 years or so riding around in the hip pocket of his britches, and it's said "Sammy" could put six rounds into a fence post from the back of a galloping horse with that gun----riding bareback. I never knew "Sammy", but Mr. Sam's contemporaries are the one's who told the story, and Mr. Sam just smiled when I asked him about it.

Ralph Tremaine

The serial number on this one marked D.P.D. is 499778 so the late 1920's seems to be correct.

I would assume a letter from Roy would be a good place to start, it will most likely letter to the PD it went to is my guess.

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

And if it turns out to be a special order of an unspecified nature (and there's nothing special about it---other than the D.P.D.), it's a good bet it's "factory engraved". And that's unlikely because the mayor would see to it his friends down at the jewelry store got all the engraving business----and he got a little "to wet his beak"---as they say.

Ralph Tremaine

It’s likely a 1924 vintage.

It’s been my observation that during that time period it was more common than after WW II for police departments to order through a local dealer rather than directly from the factory. The letter might show both. As an example, I have a letter for the same model (I’ve shown the gun here previously) from 1923 which contained that information.

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There's 1000's of possibilitys.
Cities, towns and villages in every State in the USA starting with the letter D.....
It doesn't have to be a large metro area PD.

If the marking is hand engraved (look closely at the impressions/cuts), it's most likely a local job after the gun was received by the end customer.
But I imagine the factory would mark small lots or spl-order pieces. Why not, they'd engrave your initials on one if you requested it and payed for it.
Hard to tell at this point with the amt of wear if the marking was done before or after the bluing was done.

If before,,I'd see it as a factory marking but the 'letter' would tell all assuming it's mentioned.

Aftermarket, stamped or hand engraved would have been 'thru the blue'.

I too have a DPD stamped revolver, but mine is a Colt Commando just like Absalom's and the badge #8195 just six numbers higher. One of the grips is even cracked exactly the same way! With badge numbers as high as these, the police department had to be a large one like Denver, or Dallas.

Thanks all, hoping someone will post a photo of an M&P with the D.P.D. marking that matches what is stamped on this revolver.

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

A letter would be the right place to start, regardless of whether it lists the PD or a dealer. At least it will get the area the gun was shipped to, and that might be the best clue of which police department purchased it.

I happen to have a four-inch M&P with the same D.P.D. stamp. It's anyone's guess which PD these belonged to. Here are a few photos.

De Oppresso Liber

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I would say I have some evidence to indict the perpetrator, although I still don't know the victim

Please look at the attached comparison.

The St. Louis Police inscription has been confirmed by Roy as factory-applied. Comparing the size and font of the D to the two specimen presented here would suggest that S&W also stamped the D.P.D., although it doesn't rise to the level of proof.

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I think it would be worth a letter. If it letters to Dallas P.D., it would probably add some value to it and it is always nice to know.

It seems you are placing more value on the possibility of Dallas PD over Denver PD. That would be wrong headed. Not trying to start a war between the states, here, but... oh, heck maybe I am. Full disclosure: I was born in Dallas Parkland Hospital, but nearly native to Colorado since 1964. Got here as fast as I could.

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

No matter which city it turns out to be, if the visual clue of the D is right and the stamping is factory, that obviously makes it significantly more likely that a letter will provide the definite answer.

So I’d roll the dice on a letter. Of course I’ve rolled the dice on letters on a lot less evidence, but that’s just me

How about Dayton?

Down here in Alabam we hoping for Dothan.

Value of which police department it indicates is highly subjective to where the gun is sold. If it's sold at a CGCA show in Denver, and it's Denver PD, the value will be higher there. If it's Dallas PD and the gun sells at a Dallas area, it's value will be higher there.

I have a ca. 1959 CM (Model 15) with DPD (no periods) hand-stamped on the butt with the SN. Consensus opinion is that it is from Dallas.

Dallas did have them then. Saw them in holsters and when a detective investigated a burglary at my mother's home, he wore a nice nickel M-15 with fake stag. I think it had an adapter, probably Pachmayr. He showed me the gun.

I was very young, but knew S&W's well from books by Keith and other authors.

I had just two handguns then, a Webley MK VI and a Colt M-1917. I'd recently gotten the Colt for Christmas. I was 16. I was 19 before I owned an S&W, a .455 MK II.