POTD: Copied Smith and Wesson? – Fourth Issue Police Positive Special
Sam.S 05.23.22
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have one of my favorites of the variations of the Colt Police Positive Special. This is the Fourth Issue Colt Police Positive. These were a legacy sort of mix of the Police Positive series of pistols so it was simply called the Police Positive, but is widely considered the Fourth Issue due to the fact it was solely made in 38 Special. These were made in a very short window from 1977 – 1978. You can see with the shrouded half lug ejector rod style that most Smith and Wesson revolvers were known for at the time. This may have been either a misstep on Colt’s part in an attempt to tap into Smith and Wesson’s market. I personally really like the look of these Colt revolvers and would love to see it brought back like many of the famous snake guns have been, but I admit that is probably never going to happen and the market for full-size revolvers in 38 Special is fairly lacking.
“The included factory letter confirms the serial number, barrel length, special order shrouded ejector, caliber, grips, and October 24, 1977 date of shipment to Ashland Shooting Supplies. Standard markings and features with the exception of the noted shrouded ejector. With original box.”
Lot 1862: Special Order Colt Police Positive with Box and Factory Letter. (n.d.). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved May 16, 2022, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/76/1862/special-order-colt-police-positive-with-box-and-factory-letter.
