Just curious what it is and what it is worth.
Old 1930s era Colt - 32-20
- Thread starter ISCS Yoda
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Ivan the Butcher
Member
That appears to be a Police Positive Special. mine is from 1918 or 19.
Your looks much nicer condition than mine, but I have no idea of value.
Ivan
Your looks much nicer condition than mine, but I have no idea of value.
Ivan
Darkenfast
Member
I'm pretty sure that is the frame that the Official Police and relatives were built on. The PP was on a smaller frame.
robertrwalsh
SWCA Member
I just bought a Colt Army Special 32-20 from 1920 for $600. It was rather rougher than your whatever it is. Mine has a 4' barrel which I understand is fairly uncommon for that time frame and caliber.
PaulDoc
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ISCS Yoda, I can't really tell you what it's worth, but I'm sure that's an Army Special. Should be marked on left side of the barrel. If the black rubber grips are original to the gun, colt stopped using in 1923. Checkered Walnut was then used and the Army Special became the Official Police in 1927. Here is my A.S. for you reference and I'm pretty sure I paid close to a G for it in a not so friendly firearms state.
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I believe its an Army Special which later evolved into the Official Police. It should say on the left side of the barrel.
Value would be subject to condition on the rest of the gun and condition of the bore. Many of the older 32/20s are found with rusty bores.
Value would be subject to condition on the rest of the gun and condition of the bore. Many of the older 32/20s are found with rusty bores.
Alk8944
US Veteran
It is difficult to say what model the OPs gun is from just one photo of the right side of the gun. It could be one of three models since the difference of scale. If OP owns the gun he can say what it is simply by reading the inscription on the left side of the barrel!
It could be a Police Positive Special, an Army Special, or an official Police. Colt clearly marked it's revolvers! I own both Colt Army Special and Police Positive Special revolvers, and have owned several of each model, and still will not venture to guess which OPs photo is!
The Army Special and official Police are identical guns as in 1929 Colt simply re-named the A.S. to O.P. with no other change, so if he is correct on date this narrows it down to P.P.S. or O.P. if he is correct. I would lean toward the gun in OPs photo being most likely a Police Positive Special.
Value? Best guess is somewhere between $500 to $1,000 depending on condition and what geographic area the gun would be offered in. I would not go over $600 with no more information than is given. Condition is very good judging from just the photo.
It could be a Police Positive Special, an Army Special, or an official Police. Colt clearly marked it's revolvers! I own both Colt Army Special and Police Positive Special revolvers, and have owned several of each model, and still will not venture to guess which OPs photo is!
The Army Special and official Police are identical guns as in 1929 Colt simply re-named the A.S. to O.P. with no other change, so if he is correct on date this narrows it down to P.P.S. or O.P. if he is correct. I would lean toward the gun in OPs photo being most likely a Police Positive Special.
Value? Best guess is somewhere between $500 to $1,000 depending on condition and what geographic area the gun would be offered in. I would not go over $600 with no more information than is given. Condition is very good judging from just the photo.
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Here's a Police Positive Special and an Official Police both in .32-20 from the inventory both showing the model markings on the barrel.
This Police Positive is from 1928, the second year of manufacture, and the Official Police was made in 1931. Both are nice but the OP is 95% or better. Both were acquired several years ago; the PPS for $395 and the OP for $600 - both via GB.
This Police Positive is from 1928, the second year of manufacture, and the Official Police was made in 1931. Both are nice but the OP is 95% or better. Both were acquired several years ago; the PPS for $395 and the OP for $600 - both via GB.
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DWalt
Member
The AS and the OP are on the same frame but they are not exactly identical. The OP has a brighter and more polished finish and the top strap is angular and matted instead of rounded, as the AS topstrap is. The barrel stamping is not necessarily definitive as apparently Colt intermixed some AS and OP stamped barrels around the time the name change occurred. I have also read that some have been seen with PPS-stamped barrels. Also, the OP trigger will usually be checkered. Except for those slight cosmetic differences, both are the same gun. From what I see, the revolver pictured seems to be a pre-1923 AS. It does not have the lines of a PPS. I would believe whatever name is stamped on the barrel. I have a .32-20 AS with a 4.5" barrel (1911) and a .32-20 OP with a 6" barrel (1933). As a rough guess, I would throw out an approximate $600 valuation, but I do not know anything about the present market condition for .32-20 AS sales.
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OP
Thanks, y'all! I'll get to handle that gun later this week and I'll follow up!
DWalt
Member
Be aware that .32-20 ammunition is not easily found nor is it cheap if you do. But I bet you already know that.
OP
Well, it's a cool revolver but they're asking $650 and I'm not that interested. However, FYI:
The top of the barrel has the usual Colt markings on top, the company name, Hartford CT and underneath that are three patent dates August 6 1884, June 5, 1900, July 4 1905.
The left side of the barrel is marked:
Colt Army Special 32-20 W.C.F.
The word Special is actually underneath the word Army.
Now y'all know what I know about this firearm.
The top of the barrel has the usual Colt markings on top, the company name, Hartford CT and underneath that are three patent dates August 6 1884, June 5, 1900, July 4 1905.
The left side of the barrel is marked:
Colt Army Special 32-20 W.C.F.
The word Special is actually underneath the word Army.
Now y'all know what I know about this firearm.
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Nice revolver, except for those nasty bits of rust at the rear frame, possibly from moisture trapped under a holster strap.
If the bore is in good shape and the revolver is mechanically sound that's a fair price hedging towards the "good deal" territory around here. They sure aren't making any more of those. Nice shooter but the .32-20 has been largely a hand-loader proposition for a while now. (We reload - thankfully.)
Bryan
Bryan
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