Seldom have I ran into a gun that I plain love as much as I love this gun. According to the serial number data range that I found on Al Gore's invention, this little gem left the Hartford factory in 1958, and it was apparently a very good year. Here is a picture of one of somewhat earlier vintage.
Having a small quantity of Fiocchi 32 S&W Long cartridges on hand, I decided one day that it was time that I reviewed this particular handgun.
The Police Positive Special was one of Colt's more successful revolvers, as it was in production for longer than any other except for the SAA. It first appeared in 1907 and with brief production interruptions in the Second World War, it continued up to the late 1980's or possibly the early 1990's.
Produced on what was called the D-frame, it is small and easily concealed and is the basis for the famous Detective Special, first made in 1927 from the Fitz Special. Here is a picture of the Fitz Special:
Wisely, Colt did not produce the Fitz Special, but they seem to have used it as the basis of the Dick Special, which was a huge commercial success. The DS was produced with the trigger guard intact.
It went through some major production modifications in 1952, resulting in a much flatter top of the trigger guard and greatly improved and stronger sights, and then in 1965-1966 came the shortening of the grip frame. Along the way, the D-frame was made in lightweight alloy as the Cobra and the Agent, and the little-known Courier. Then in the 1960's came the Diamondback, essentially a scaled-down Python.
The D-frame went out of production completely about fifteen years or more ago.
Enough history.
A brief description of this particular gun is a Police Positive Special made in 1958. It takes the 32 S&W Long/32 Colt New Police cartridge and has the all-steel frame with the full-length grip frame. Like all Colt DA revolvers, the cylinder rotates clockwise from the shooter's POV and it is released via pulling the cylinder release to the rear. My particular specimen came with the hammer shroud but I took it off as I thought it looked strange, and I have never had the problem of the hammer snagging anyway.
I took the Colt and some of the Fiocchi ammo out to my range one morning not long ago and put the Colt through its' paces, shooting about 72 rounds of the wadcutters through it.
When I first got this gun several years ago, and tried the trigger out, I thought I had died and went to heaven. This little gem has an action that will--and I kid you not--put a Python to shame. I have never seen any other Colt with a trigger pull this smooth. The recoil was very mild even though the gun weighs just under a pound and a half. Functioning was flawless, and the Colt handled quite well. Point shooting, I did very well and I would absolutely would have ruined a mugger's day.
Even though it is no power-house, this is one Colt that I am very happy with.
Having a small quantity of Fiocchi 32 S&W Long cartridges on hand, I decided one day that it was time that I reviewed this particular handgun.
The Police Positive Special was one of Colt's more successful revolvers, as it was in production for longer than any other except for the SAA. It first appeared in 1907 and with brief production interruptions in the Second World War, it continued up to the late 1980's or possibly the early 1990's.
Produced on what was called the D-frame, it is small and easily concealed and is the basis for the famous Detective Special, first made in 1927 from the Fitz Special. Here is a picture of the Fitz Special:
Wisely, Colt did not produce the Fitz Special, but they seem to have used it as the basis of the Dick Special, which was a huge commercial success. The DS was produced with the trigger guard intact.
It went through some major production modifications in 1952, resulting in a much flatter top of the trigger guard and greatly improved and stronger sights, and then in 1965-1966 came the shortening of the grip frame. Along the way, the D-frame was made in lightweight alloy as the Cobra and the Agent, and the little-known Courier. Then in the 1960's came the Diamondback, essentially a scaled-down Python.
The D-frame went out of production completely about fifteen years or more ago.
Enough history.
A brief description of this particular gun is a Police Positive Special made in 1958. It takes the 32 S&W Long/32 Colt New Police cartridge and has the all-steel frame with the full-length grip frame. Like all Colt DA revolvers, the cylinder rotates clockwise from the shooter's POV and it is released via pulling the cylinder release to the rear. My particular specimen came with the hammer shroud but I took it off as I thought it looked strange, and I have never had the problem of the hammer snagging anyway.
I took the Colt and some of the Fiocchi ammo out to my range one morning not long ago and put the Colt through its' paces, shooting about 72 rounds of the wadcutters through it.
When I first got this gun several years ago, and tried the trigger out, I thought I had died and went to heaven. This little gem has an action that will--and I kid you not--put a Python to shame. I have never seen any other Colt with a trigger pull this smooth. The recoil was very mild even though the gun weighs just under a pound and a half. Functioning was flawless, and the Colt handled quite well. Point shooting, I did very well and I would absolutely would have ruined a mugger's day.
Even though it is no power-house, this is one Colt that I am very happy with.
