From the Vault: Colt Police Positive Revolver

Brownells Gun Tech™ and all-around reassuring presence Steve Ostrem shows us his Colt Police Positive. A beautiful little revolver introduced in 1907, the Police Positive is built on the Colt D frame, same as the Detective Special. Steve's gun is chambered in .38 Smith & Wesson - oops! Colt called the cartridge the ".38 Colt New Police" because who wants to give their arch-competitor free advertising? The Police Positive was much loved by professional constabulary and private citizens alike because it was well-made, light, compact, and easy to carry around all day. And thanks to the mild-recoiling cartridge, it is very comfortable to shoot, too. Note that the .38 S&W / Colt New Police is NOT a short .38 Special; it uses a unique .361" bullet vs the .38 Special's .357" bullet. (Later, Colt produced a "Police Positive Special" with a lengthened cylinder chambered in .38 Special. Bit more recoil on that!) What about the name? Steve explains what the "POSITIVE" means. For latter-day collectors, the Police Positive is a great deal. It tends to be under-valued because everybody wants a Python. If you get one, give it some love, and it'll love you back!

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