Detroit PD gun picture thread?!!!!

[Aerojoe]

smith there is no problem I never said that you said it was issued. I was just really surprised Detroit ever even placed an order for .45 revolvers.

A lot of DPD officers including my father bought their own guns. They didn't want the little .38. I know quite a few carried model 25 smiths they liked the reliability of the revolver and the large .45rd .

I talk and or see a few guys that worked or work at DPD firearms sections and the DPD range. I asked why they only ever issued .38's they usually said because everybody could handle them. It surprised most that Detroit had .45's on order at one time and nobody ever remembered seeing them in inventory ( doesn't mean they weren't there).

Detroit has ordered some cool guns early colt semi autos merwin hulberts, winchester 94's they even had walther PPK's " these were DPOA guns ok'd for duty use even though they were .380 . They even have early uzi's full and micro and Gi Thompson's.

The 45's could have very well been another gun they wanted to try out just seamed odd as they always pushed the .38's from the early 1900's up to 1992.

I NEVER said I had a problem with the gun I was just trying to get more info on it for you as Detroit has records back to gun #1 of what they were where they went and who they went to. They don't give info to non Dept personnel to my knowledge.

I don't like asking friends to check stuff for other people but if it is a weird gun like yours it gets me interested to see how many Detroit had and where they might have went to now. It also is interest sometimes like my Merwin Hulbert was sold to a hardware store for $6 in the early 1900's.

Oh well for trying to get somebody some extra info on a off the wall DPD marked gun

 

[Aerojoe]

The DPD glocks are at distributors you have to have your dealer order them. Any dealer can order them as long as they have an FFL. I am not sure if 27's are even available anymore I don't think there were that many available. Not all the guns are gone I have yet to see any of the Gen 3 glock 22's available.

 

[smith17]

Joe:
I must have misread or mis-taken your comment. My apologies.
Ed

 

[flop-shank]

Aerojoe. All of those DPD HS shotguns didn't get destroyed. A friend of mine has one and I helped him clean it up. I did the metal, he did the wood. I refinished nothing, but took the gun apart and cleaned it in a solvent tank. Someone had put some cheezy shellac finish on the stock. Ron stripped it, without removing the battle scars, and put a low gloss tung oil on it (we're history buffs and would never touch a factory finish). Looks great and does the noble duty of standing watch over his home. It has, IIRC, a 20" barrel, bead front sight, seven shot magazine (7+1), plastic butt plate and parkerized finish.

 

[Aerojoe]

flop-shank I have herd there are a couple that are out there but the majority of them were destroyed I herd they were junk when they finally got rid of them and went to the 870's. Tell your friend if he ever wants to sell it I would be interested. I also have a few guns I might be looking to get rid of non DPD if he is looking to trade it off.

 

[bshnt2015]

Very nice pictures and some great history there.

 

[baxtersmith]

Does anyone know if the Detroit PD was unique in issuing nickel handguns or were there other large departments that did that as well? I know that the NYPD prohibited nickel finishes at one point but I'm wondering about other departments.

 

[manny25]

i have a 5 inch 10-5 Detroit pd i picked it up at a gun show and few years ago

 

[moosedog]

The Detroit Police Department was not unique in issuing nickeled revolvers, many Midwest and Southern States with humid climates issued nickel guns as they held up better under those conditions. Florida HP comes to mind and you see some coming out of your south west departments.

Here's a presentation model 39 that was awarded to the City of Detroit Police Commisioner " Johannes Spreen" when he retired in 1970.
He then went on to become Sheriff of Oakland County Michigan. Last month I saw a newspaper clip, that showed him celebrating his 90th birthday.

 

[baxtersmith]

Thanks for the reply Moosedog.

 

[NE450No2]

Great thread, it gives me a chance to again share this story. The old "unmarked" Model 1917 pictured below was obtained from the son of a Detroit PD, Homicide Lieutenant from the late 1920's thru the early 1950's. The son, now 78 years old, told me that his Dad aquired the Army Model 1917, 45 acp in the 1930's after being shot by a perp. The perp had been shot by the Lieutenant with a .38 special, but not stopped. He went to the .45 after this incident because, "when you hit somebody with a .45 they stayed hit". The old revolver was modified to the Homicide Lieutenant's specfications by another guy on the Detroit PD in the 1930's. The barrel was cut down, a front sight adjustable for elevation installed, a rear sight adjustable for windage, and the grip frame was rounded as were the service stocks. A set of Sanderson Grips were made for the revolver and were the ones prefered by the Lieutenant, the holster is a cut down U.S. 1917 issue that has most likely been with the gun since day one. I later learned that Lew Sanderson (grip maker) was on the Detroit PD in the late 1930's, the son told me the guy that made the grips did the modifications to the revolver. The son is the last in his family's line, so he passed his Dad's old friend on to me last fall. Greg

That is one of the best 1917 "Conversions" I have seen.

Back in the day, you would think the S&W factory would produce something like this.

A 45 ACP revolver is a great "Cop" gun.

Back in the day the half moon clips were the ultimate speed loaders.

I used a 6.5 and later a 6" Mod 25 for years as a duty gun.
At first with half moon clips, later with full moon clips.
While the long barrels shot great I always wanted a 4" but just could not cut one down...

 

[Aerojoe]

Just curious did anybody on here purchase a glock 27????

 

[S. Kelly]

Very nice guns.

 

[Aerojoe]

Just a note for anybody that gets an M1 carbine Detroit marked there were a few that were confiscated guns. They will have a C##### number where the Detroit police stock number is in front of the rear sight for Confiscated gun. There were only a few I believe they all had peep sights but not 100% sure.

 

[charlie sherrill]

This has been a very interesting thread. I just found it today. I have one of the 5" nickel DPD's. Serial number 3D00129. Rack number 20835. I bought it at a gunshow in Gulfport,Ms. a few weeks ago. My old department did the same thing with the High Standard Shotguns. The bonehead in charge traded ALL of our old guns (including 97's, .351 rifles, carbines, Victory revolvers, and a couple of Thompsons) for the Low Standard shotguns. They started falling apart as soon as they were issued and were later replaced by 870's.

 

[Aerojoe]

Detroit still has all their Thompsons and other "fun guns" I don't see them ever being sold although there are rumors every few years god knows they would make a killing selling them. Not sure I could swing 20k for a Thompson though

The worst part about the DPD 97's most of them were real GI surplus trench guns. They were traded off to century arms and god knows where they ended up. I herd they were only paid $85 a gun in the early 90's even then GI trench guns were worth 1k apiece. They also had some riot models and some confiscated 97's that DPD had cut down to riots.

 

[moosedog]

Aerojoe, your gun is a post war S&W M&P or also refered to as a pre model 10. There is no such S&W revolver as a "Smith & Wesson officers police special". It sounds like who ever listed it was thinking of a Colt "Officers Model" maybe or " Offical Police" by Colt and put them all together.

 

[Aerojoe]

Aerojoe, your gun is a post war S&W M&P or also refered to as a pre model 10. There is no such S&W revolver as a "Smith & Wesson officers police special". It sounds like who ever listed it was thinking of a Colt "Officers Model" maybe or " Offical Police" by Colt and put them all together.

That is pretty much what I figured happened but was not sure.I just thought it was weird that the auction company listed as a "police special" aswell as the DPD but I have herd people refer to the M&P as a police special. I needed a nickel M&P anyway for the collection and the $325 I paid was a pretty good price.

 

[Aerojoe]

If there is anybody LOCAL to Detroit area that is looking for DPD guns I have a few calls to sell me guns that I probably won't want as I do not keep double guns unless they are rare. I am not sure prices usually reasonable (sometimes not) I have a rule to not pay more than $350 unless it is rare or NIB. Send me a private message and if any come across I don't want or need I will let you know. I would like to see the guns goto other DPD gun collectors and most retired Po's want them in a good home. I will not ship any guns I am not an FFL I would just be the middle man not looking for any money.

 

[moosedog]

Here's a Standard Products DPD marked M-1 Carbine.