What can you tell me about this Colt? - Page 1

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What can you tell me about this Colt?

Posted: 8/26/2018 5:33:58 PM EDT

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I have a Colt that I'd like some information on. I'm not 100% sure on exactly what it is.

Posted: 8/26/2018 5:43:59 PM EDT

[#1]

Any ideas what the crossed something proof mark is? What does "/380" mean?

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British proof marks?

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What does the "B" and "S" signify?

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"ATP913" or "ATD913", what could that mean?

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Posted: 8/26/2018 5:58:09 PM EDT

[#2]

It's badass... that's all I got.

Posted: 8/26/2018 7:16:48 PM EDT

[#3]

Nice pistol.

Posted: 8/26/2018 8:27:55 PM EDT

[#4]

Cool pistol.

I think those are British proof marks. And l think 380 is how they mark their 38's. I could be wrong though, but that's the vibe l get from them.

Took me a while, and some sleep, to remember.

The Brits called the .38 S&W (shorter than the .38 Special) the .380/200.

So I'll bet the gun is chambered in .38 S&W, unless someone lengthened the chambers to .38 Spl.

Posted: 8/28/2018 9:49:01 AM EDT

[#5]

I called Colt this morning and ordered a letter for it. The rep confirmed that it is an Official Police made in 1939, so it is not an original Commando. With the British proof marks it will be interesting to see who originally bought it.

Posted: 8/28/2018 10:13:08 AM EDT

[#6]

Obviously non original barrel ( bummer) I would not be surprised if it turned out to be shipped in the era of the “British purchasing commission “ of about 1939/40 when the British feared a German invasion and were buying up anything and everything to defend the home islands. During this period they bought up every odd Colt they could including 38 super 1911’s double action revolvers in every caliber available and even single action army revolvers.

Posted: 8/28/2018 11:11:58 AM EDT

[#7]

Quote History

Quoted:
Obviously non original barrel ( bummer) I would not be surprised if it turned out to be shipped in the era of the "British purchasing commission " of about 1939/40 when the British feared a German invasion and were buying up anything and everything to defend the home islands. During this period they bought up every odd Colt they could including 38 super 1911's double action revolvers in every caliber available and even single action army revolvers.

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Any idea what this is worth?

Posted: 8/28/2018 8:40:29 PM EDT

[#8]

With the replaced barrel not much maybe a couple hundred bucks

Posted: 9/16/2018 5:50:02 PM EDT

[#9]

How can I tell if it is .38 Special or .38 S&W besides cambering a round? A .38 Special round fits into the cylinder just fine, so I presume it is safe to shoot?

Posted: 9/16/2018 7:57:01 PM EDT

[#10]

A lot of S&W Victory's were made for England in .38 S&W, and when many of them were brought back to the US they were re-chambered so they'd fire .38 Special.

It's possible this Colt was also re-chambered.
If so, it's safe to shoot, (as long as the gun itself is not defective), but will bulge cases and possibly split cases every now and then.
Shoot a cylinder or two and inspect the cases. If they aren't damaged the gun was either an original .38 Special, or someone has installed a new cylinder.

This Colt probably had a 4 or even 5 inch barrel originally.

Posted: 10/19/2018 10:56:30 PM EDT

[#11]

Lucky for you I know how to read British proof marks and they say your gun is NFG. Send it to me and Ill waive my disposal fees. JK, sweet sixgun man.

Posted: 12/7/2018 11:14:49 PM EDT

[#12]

Colt hit my credit card for the letter this week.

Posted: 12/16/2018 4:42:59 PM EDT

[#13]

Letter received and reflects caliber as "38/c". Any idea what that means? It originally had a 6" barrel and was blued. It was sold to Winchester and shipped to the British Purchasing Commission, New York, New York. There were 226 guns in the shipment and the pistol was delivered in June 1940.

Posted: 12/16/2018 4:53:14 PM EDT

[#14]

Nice pistola and cool story

Posted: 12/17/2018 12:43:17 AM EDT

[#15]

that is seriously cool

Posted: 12/17/2018 9:16:12 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
Letter received and reflects caliber as "38/c". Any idea what that means? It originally had a 6" barrel and was blued. It was sold to Winchester and shipped to the British Purchasing Commission, New York, New York. There were 226 guns in the shipment and the pistol was delivered in June 1940.

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Back then, Colt often listed guns in documentation chambered in the short .38 S&W as ".38 C" or ".38 Colt".
Since Colt didn't want S&W's name on their guns, instead of using ".38 S&W" they simply changed the shape of the bullet nose to a flatter shape and called it the "Colt .38 New Police", and guns chambered for it were marked "Colt .38 N.P.".

So, this Colt was probably a .38 S&W-.380 British, but would be listed in factory documentation as a ".38 NP.
It most likely had checkered wood grips.
The WWII Plastic "Coltwood" grips were introduced in the early war, a few years after this Official Police was shipped.
Either the cylinder was replaced or simply re-chambered to .38 Special. If so, cases will bulge and may split.

Posted: 12/17/2018 10:25:25 PM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:
With the replaced barrel not much maybe a couple hundred bucks

View Quote

Not at all. I think it's right about where the OP paid for it, IMO.

If *I* had both the gun AND the $$$, *I* would send it to Turnbull Restoration & let them work their magic on it. Yes, it wouldn't make it worth any more than the $500 he paid for it, but would make it purdy..........

I love those old snubbies. Makes me want to talk like Jack Webb in Dragnet.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What can you tell me about this Colt?

Handguns » Colt

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