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Ben Cartwright SASS
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Colt Officers Models .22 and 3 sequentially numbered .38 Specials
Boston Police Guns looking for a list
- Thread starter Ben Cartwright SASS
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policerevolvercollector
Member
I no longer own any guns from Boston P.D. However, I did have a Police Positive from the mid '20s in .38 New Police (aka .38 S&W) that was marked for them and a S&W Model of 1896 .32 from the Boston & Maine Railroad.
I do have PD revolvers that were carried IN Boston.
1) Colt Police Positive .38 NP from 1934 - Metropolitan District Commission
2) S&W Model 65 .357mag., Mass. Registry Motor Vehicles
Best,
Charles
I do have PD revolvers that were carried IN Boston.
1) Colt Police Positive .38 NP from 1934 - Metropolitan District Commission
2) S&W Model 65 .357mag., Mass. Registry Motor Vehicles
Best,
Charles
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"We still have some Ruger Speed Sixes at our range for civilians to take a LTC test with." Kelly I used one to qualify as Boston Special back in '02 at Moon Island. A coffee can with a Speed Six nose down in it and a handful of .38 semi wadcutters......and a short walk to the range.
You would be correct. My father retired BPD once showed me the small indoor practice range they used in the basement of their defunct police academy building. Interesting because 45 years after he was in the Academy, I was working in the adjacent building in the City of Boston Graphic Arts Department. He came to my building to visit and asked if the custodian had keys to the whole building, I said I think so, we got him to bring his old set of keys to the basement and on the fifth or sixth key the door opened and it was like going back in time. There were still a few empty shells on the floor some .38 and some .22lr and I asked him what was up with the .22? He said the city was too cheap to let us shoot the .38's all the time so we had dedicated .22lr versions of the the same revolvers that we carried.
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Ben Cartwright SASS
US Veteran
It was not only for training that they had them. The Pistol Team, at least in the late 1930's had them as well. They were Colt Officer's Models in .22LR. In 1937 they received a shipment of 5 of them from Colt, I have the only one that I know of and it letters to the Pistol Team. I also have 1 of 3 pre-model 45's BPD .22's (2 others are not BPD) they have 6 inch barrels and S&W made about 40-50 of them, basically Post Office Models but with 6 inch barrels. They sent 20 to the BPD There is one in Michigan and one in Florida, they are in better shape than mine, I saw one at the Orlando S&W show. Kelly didn't even know about the Colt .22 target pistols.
Previous owner had S&W jewel the hammer and trigger, what a crime.
Colt
added correct ejector rod nut and correct stocks
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Modified
Member
Man, you sound like the guy to ask this question. Any idea who may have modified this gun or what the initials mean?
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...3144-unexpected-boston-dorchester-pd-gun.html
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...3144-unexpected-boston-dorchester-pd-gun.html
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Ben Cartwright SASS
US Veteran
I have never heard of a Dorchester Police Department. Boston Police has a district C-11 in Dorchester which is part of Boston. I don't know why a gun in 1938 would letter to the Dorchester Police Dept. At the very least I would think that maybe it meant instead of the armory it was sent right to the BPD Dorchester district. I will ask the BPD historian about that.
The initials on the butt looks like someone's initials and the date could be anything, a date they bought it or retired or who knows.
The initials on the butt looks like someone's initials and the date could be anything, a date they bought it or retired or who knows.
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Ben Cartwright SASS
US Veteran
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Ben Cartwright SASS
US Veteran
Emailed the Historian and he got back to me in a couple minutes. Here is his reply
"It's Boston Police they might have sent it to the Dorchester District always has been Boston Police. Just like they call the East Boston Police."
I would think an actual factory letter would say Boston Police, but no guarantees. All BPD guns were stamped BPD and a rack number, even the target guns. I wonder if there was a stamping on the backstrap or butt (they usually were marked in one of those two places)
Check out my website Home - Boston Police Fan site Memorbelia Equipment Photographs
Modified
Member
Thanks! When I have access to the gun I'll look closely at it to see if has maybe had markings removed.
When I got that letter from Roy my immediate suspicion was that someone ordered a personal target gun and just had it shipped there for a police discount. Have you seen anything like that?
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Ben Cartwright SASS
US Veteran
I haven't but I am sure it happened. I used to use it for a discount at Burger King and now I use my disable vet discount anywhere I can!
I have a friend who was good friends with a Boston retired detective, who moved to Maine for a while back about 10 years ago. He sold him two guns, that he told me were issued to him at one time. One was a colt detective special and I know who has it now and it was not marked. The other was a S&W model 59 it was like new so I don't think it was carried, It had the box and I was told it turned up missing from the house of the guy who bought it. I didn't see them on your list so I thought I would mention them.
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Ben Cartwright SASS
US Veteran
The Colt Detective Special is on the list, but everyone I know about is marked BPD, are you sure it wasn't ground off? I have never heard of a S&W Model 59 with the BPD.
I will check with Steve regarding both guns and get his input and let you know.
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Ben Cartwright SASS
US Veteran
bob1956
are you sure it wasn't a 659?
are you sure it wasn't a 659?
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Ben Cartwright SASS
US Veteran
According to my sources, the Boston PD Historian and a BPD Detective who is an authority on what guns Boston carried, it is possible the Colt was unmarked, but they carried 659's not 59's.
A factory letter on either would answer the question.
A factory letter on either would answer the question.
This is what probably happened, it makes sense. List updated as well.
Hello...I have a Colt Commando 38 special marked B.P. D. with a 4 digit number..I purchased this gun from Marble Hardware in Wareham Ma. somewhere in the late 60's...They had a board with like 50 of them stuck in it...I noticed you are looking for Boston guns...I am in the process of trying to determine value,the prices seem to be all over the place...Would you be interested ?
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Ben Cartwright SASS
US Veteran
srqpete
Like anything it all comes down to condition. Some people feel any markings including the police markings hurt the value of a gun, but police collectors such as myself actually look for them. But then that being said the 3 things that determine value are condition, condition, condition.
Of course rarity also helps. My S&W pre-Model 45 was one of only 20 guns the BPD had and 1 of only 40 (or 50) that Smith ever made so that adds to the value. The Commandos were not rare and there is not record of how many they had but at a guess it was hundreds, so it is condition based.
Like anything it all comes down to condition. Some people feel any markings including the police markings hurt the value of a gun, but police collectors such as myself actually look for them. But then that being said the 3 things that determine value are condition, condition, condition.
Of course rarity also helps. My S&W pre-Model 45 was one of only 20 guns the BPD had and 1 of only 40 (or 50) that Smith ever made so that adds to the value. The Commandos were not rare and there is not record of how many they had but at a guess it was hundreds, so it is condition based.
