Difference between Colt's Official Police and Police Positive ?

[Perplexed]

Nice gun and good info, but the OP was last seen on December, 28, 2013.

No kidding. I did a double-take when I saw the screen name “Honeybee.”

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

Nice gun and good info, but the OP was last seen on December, 28, 2013.

That's only like 1.5 dog years...

 

[jackinok09]

like you all going from memory, but I believe the police positive had a hammer block system that the official police did not have. police positive special was first one 38 special. ??? before the special they were 38 colt (or 38sw etc.) I believe, but the positive was only made for a short time before the positive special came along. could be wrong but i think that's the difference. some internals and rotation of cyl was changed in there somewhere also. not exactly the same but army/navy is old style works, army special has new style very similar to modern python

 

[gerhard1]

like you all going from memory, but I believe the police positive had a hammer block system that the official police did not have. police positive special was first one 38 special. ??? before the special they were 38 colt (or 38sw etc.) I believe, but the positive was only made for a short time before the positive special came along. could be wrong but i think that's the difference. some internals and rotation of cyl was changed in there somewhere also. not exactly the same but army/navy is old style works, army special has new style very similar to modern python

The Police Positive was discontinued during the Second World War, IIRC the last ones were made in around 1943. The hammer block was a feature in every Colt DA wheelgun including the OP since before the First World War. The Army Special became the OP in the early 1930s or thereabouts, much like the 357 became the Trooper in the early 1960s.

DA Colts have always had the cylinders rotating clockwise from the shooter's view,

Hope this helps.

 

[jackinok09]

Your correct on timeline basically. However, unless I have the only backwards running one Colts did not always run clockwise. My army /navy model built 1907 DOES run counter clockwise. Army special built 1920 has redesigned internals like most modern Colts and runs clockwise ( big selling point back in the day). Somewhat follows the switch to smokeless powder. Also my pocket positive runs clockwise built 1913, and my 1960 model police positive special (marked for Columbian police) runs clockwise. When colt did not get the major army contracts that sw did in first ww They actively went after police and civilian market hence all the police whatever's. I remember all the hoopla when they stopped making/marking the police positive special and renamed it. Everyone wanted one because it had been the standard for so many years and all. Of course they only changed the look and not much else but it caused quite a stir for awhile.