Antique Colt Question

[Rhetorician]

Hello all:

I inherited a Colt Police Positive 32 cal revolver from my father. I had one hard time finding ammo for it. It takes the 32 long Colt or the 32 short Colt. They do not even make the brass casings for the long Colts any more. But I found a loader to load the 32 short Colts. But that is another story entirely.

Background to my question. I have found a mate to my 32 in a Colt 38 special Police Positive or Police Positive Special. I am not sure which? And I may not have the nomenclature correct. I found it at a local pawn shop for $299. I think I can buy it OTD for $275 (+ / -)? I have just purchased a SW 38 Special Hand Eject 5 Screw 5" barrel pre-Model 10 revolver from the same pawn shop. Sweet weapon, good shooter, paid $200 for it.

My question is this for the Colt lovers amongst us: What do I need to consider before buying this old Colt? I know to look for bore issues in the barrel as well as the cylinder. I know to consider the tightness of the lockup. I know to consider timing which will be hard to do until it is shot. What else needs to be done? seen? asked? et al? before the purchase?

Please advise if you can shed some light on my collector's project. I would like to have this b/c it "sorta" "kinda" matches my old 32 Colt.


I own and shoot:
Heritage Rough Rider 22 LR / 22 WMR
Taurus 380 acp 738 "D Series" (Normal EDC Weapon)
Colt 32 Cal. Police Positive--Antique
Smith & Wesson 38 Special M & P Hand Eject 4" Barrel--Antique
Ruger LCR 357 "Snub Nose" (Alternative EDC Weapon)
Ruger Security Six 357 4" Stainless
HCP-Tennessee
NRA Member

 

[arjay]

If the timing and lock up are good and you like the condition/price,I'd say you're set.

 

[JcMack]

On another note: Are not Colt .32 short n long samey same wit S&W short n long? Brass for .32 S&W available?

 

[therevjay]

If the timing and lock up are good and you like the condition/price,I'd say you're set.

Me too. Timing can be checked SA by very slowly cocking the gun. When the hammer locks back is the cyl. locked into battery? You have to cock it s-l-o-w-l-y. If you do it briskly inertia will carry the cyl. into battery.

At least that's what a old timer showed me to do. If its all poo poo I'm sure someone here will say.

.32 S&W is a slightly fatter cartridge

 

[JcMack]

About bullets

http://smith-wessonforum.com/ammo/218150-colt-new-police-32-a.html

 

[Ben_hutcherson]

Background to my question. I have found a mate to my 32 in a Colt 38 special Police Positive or Police Positive Special. I am not sure which?

Just a quick word on model nomenclature for this model.

The Police Positive is chambered in 32 Short and Long Colt(like yours), 32 Colt New Police(which is the same thing as 32 S&W Long but typically loaded with a flat-nose bullet), and 38 Colt New Police(same as 38 S&W).

The Police Positive Special is slightly larger and has a longer cylinder. It is chambered in 32-20 and 38 Special, although I believe that it was also chambered in both 32 and 38 New Police.

My PPS is not explicitly marked "Police Positive Special." Mine, rather, is marked "Police Positive 38 Special." I've not examined other chamberings closely to see how exactly they're marked, but all of the 38 Special ones I've looked at were marked exactly as is mine.

And, assuming it checks out, I'd jump on it for the price stated.

Here's a thread I started a while back. Scroll down to the post from DFariswheel for instructions on how to fully check out the action on an old Colt.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-smithing/287469-off-center-primer-strikes.html

 

[jimmyj]

Isn't .32 Colt Short the same except for the bullet shape as the .32 S&W Short ?

Isn't the .32 Colt Long the same except for the bullet shape as the .32 S&W Long ?

 

[Ben_hutcherson]

Isn't .32 Colt Short the same except for the bullet shape as the .32 S&W Short ?

Isn't the .32 Colt Long the same except for the bullet shape as the .32 S&W Long ?

No, the case diameters and I think also the bullet diameter are different-I forget which is larger.

32 Colt New Police is the same thing as 32 S&W long other than the usual bullet shape.

 

[kwselke]

I remember your thread on the .32. I think a Colt .38 would be a neat companion gun if it is safe to shoot. Esoteric nomenclature and strange ammo have a cool factor in them.

 

[desi2358]

Isn't .32 Colt Short the same except for the bullet shape as the .32 S&W Short ?

Isn't the .32 Colt Long the same except for the bullet shape as the .32 S&W Long ?

The Colt rounds have a smaller diameter case than their S&W competitors. The 32 short and long Colt owe their design to the older 32 rimfire. They originally used a heel type bullet the same diameter as the case with exposed lube grooves. Later versions used a hollow base bullet to get the lube grooves inside the case (cleaner to use, wouldn't pick up dirt).

The 32 Colt New Police is the same as the 32 S&W long except for the flat nose bullet design. Colt apparently had a phobia about putting S&W on their guns so they designed a different bullet and put their name on it.