identifying gun

Question
QUESTION: Hi Doug,

My father had a gun my whole life (i'm 61 now) which he inherited from some family member.  He kept it hidden...never used it.  After he passed on i ended up with the revolver which i also store.  I am interested in knowing it's age and how to learn more about it, including value.  It is a Colt Police Positive 38.  The letter is m and the number is 19765.  I tried doing a Google search and i looked on the Colt sight) and i can't seem to find out anything about gun numbers.  Could you give me some information?
Thanks very much,  pat

ANSWER: Pat,

I need you to check a couple of things for me.  Could you look at the gun and tell me exactly what it says on the gun?  

1.  I need to know if it is "Police Positive" or "Police Positive Special".  
2.  What is showing as the patent date on the gun?
3.  Is the caliber is listed at .38 S&W or .38 New Police?
4.  Does it have a blued finish or is it a nickel finish?  
5.  Does it have hard rubber grips or checkered walnut grips?  
6.  Is the top of the gun smooth or serrated?
7.  Is there an adjustable rear sight or just a groove?
8.  A description of the gun's condition (any fading of the finish, rust, pitting, etc.)

If you can give me some of these answers, I should be able to give you more background including values...

Best regards,

Doug



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Doug,

I appreciate that you are helping me.  Finding this site was exciting for me and it was only after i had shipped off my ? that i got to your profile and realized you don't normally deal with the types of issues i'm asking about.  Upon reflection i'm sure they must be boring and probably, just as with me, a lot of people ask them.  So, please feel free to tell me how to find the info myself if you would rather not follow up any more.  Here is as much of the info as i can find:  The revolver is a Colt 38 Police Positive Special.  It was manufactured by PT FA Mfg Co
Hartford Conn and Pat抎 8/5/1884  6/5/1900   7/4/1905.

I took pics of it but don't seem to see a way to attach them.  It has a channel (groove) sight only.  I would say the condition is not that great due to scratches, uneven finish, etc.  No missing parts, etc.  It looks bluish to me.  It has a black handle which i believe it plastic.  It does not appear serrated to me.  I'm not really sure what to do with the gun as i have no real attachment to it, just an interest in it given how long it's been in my family.  As a result, knowing what to ask for it is only minimally important to me.  I would like to know but i also would like to have someone own the gun who would appreciate it.  I don't expect it to me worth a lot of money i guess.  Yes, know the monetary value would be great but i'm also just curious about it in general.  Thanks for whatever you can tell me.  pat d


Answer
Pat,

Thanks for the follow up info.  I don't mind helping out at all.  What you have is indeed a first issue Police Positive pistol.  They were manufactured between 1907 and 1927.  They came in 4", 5" and 6" barrel versions.  Yours appears to be calibered in .38 S&W.  They were an improved version of the New Police model which was manufactured from 1896 until 1907.  The grips on your gun are hard rubber which means it was made prior to 1924 when they started putting walnut grips on the gun.  In terms of value, without seeing photos it would be tough to grade the condition, but I will give you a range based on the info in the 28th Edition of the Blue Book of Gun Values.  

95% - $375
90% - $295
80% - $275
70% - $250
60% - $225

For a Colt collector, you might find them willing to pay quite a bit more.  There certainly aren't a lot of these out there any longer.  I have seen some going for double the 95% figure at some of the online auction sites like Gunbroker.com and GunsAmerica.com

I hope this give you a bit more info and thanks for getting the follow info so that I could narrow it down for you a bit more.

Best regards,

Doug