dabney
Member
Today was the monthly service pistol match conducted by the local PD. Open to all local law enforcement and service/duty pistol only. Since I carry a Model 10-6 and Official Police as my duty arms I had to obtain permission to shoot my Colt Police Positive Special in it. Granted by the range master with a little chuckle when he took a good look-see at my Colt. A 1965-production Police Positive Special (PPS) .38 with a 4-inch barrel, blue steel, and black rubber Pachmayr Presentation Grips. The PPS is a 4-inch Detective Special for those familiar with the "classic" Colt Service Revolvers. This compact frame Colt, with he pictured grips, makes for a perfect fit for my gun-hand. Using 158-grain LRN .38's, I managed to place 1st in B-Class. Since advanced shooters, PD Pistol Team, were shooting their S&W M&P .45's, the class was divided into A&B Class. It was hot, I was sweaty, and advanced in age, compared to guys and gals, young enough to be my kids and grand-kids. I had the wind-of-GOD at my back to steady my ageing hands and shot good enough to place, using an old fashion classic "blast-from-the-past" to do it. A great day for me, and one I needed badly, to uplift my sagging spirit.
The Colt Police Positive Special (PPS) was an arch-rival competitor to our Model 10 (standard bbl.) for many years. Built with much craftsmanship, including a "hand-honed" and "hand-fitted" trigger-action. The PPS was produced from 1908 into the 1970's, with a new production model, the MK V Police Positive, produced just one year (1994). Our LaVista Bill, of this fine forum, wrote a great piece on this Colt back in 1994 for Combat Handguns. The PPS was produced under 5-different generations of manufacture. It's greatest production period being in the pre-war years of WW2. For myself, it is a lightweight arm (23-oz.) and was perfect for me as a service revolver with those Pachmayr Grips on. After retiring/changing jobs in 1992, I would carry a PPS while walking the long, long halls of the hospital I worked at as a deputy sheriff doing security work. Those vast parking lots around the hospital required foot patrol duty too. The PPS was kind on a middle-age cops hip because of its lightweight and easy ride in the duty holster. Next to my other Colt, the Official Police, and the S&W Model 10, my favorite of the .38 duty arms. I have an abbreviated history with the PPS because I didn't own one until the late 1980's. No GS sold these down south here, and only when LE went to the semi-auto and these little Colts turned up on the PD-trade-in gun shelves. Bought my first PPS for 100-dollars and added a couple more down through the years. All in 4-inch barrel lengths and all former cop-guns. A great Colt Firearm from the past my friends. I hope you enjoy the pictures and short bio on this Colt. A wonderful day today for my old Colt and me.
David
PS: In the late 1980's, I read an article by "Massad Ayoob" on the Police Positive Special being a "best-buy" then on the used handgun shelves in GS. In this article, Ayoob gave a great history background on the PPS. This well-written article would be the driving force that led me to my first PPS purchase.
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