This page is for Colt Police Positive .32 revolvers and Police Positive Target models. The .32 and Target branch deserves its own page because sights, chambering, barrel length, and collector condition often matter as much as the serial-number estimate.
Use a serial table as an anchor, not as a factory letter. These numbers are best for collector orientation. Record the serial exactly, confirm the barrel marking and chambering, and use Colt Archive documentation when originality, provenance, or price depends on the claim.
Related tables: This page is one branch of the Colt Police Positive serial-number set. For the decision tree, start with the Police Positive serial-number hub. The companion tables cover standard .38, .32 / Target, Heavy Frame, and Police Positive Special / Detective Special.
.32 and Target Models: What Belongs on This Page
Use this table when the revolver is a .32 Police Positive or a Police Positive Target. Do not merge this sequence with the standard .38, Heavy Frame, or Police Positive Special tables. Target sights and configuration should be photographed and described separately because they can influence collector interest.
Why the Target Branch Needs Separation
Police Positive Target revolvers are easy to mislabel when the serial number is treated as the only clue. Adjustable sights, barrel configuration, stocks, and chambering should all agree with the date range before a collector description is trusted.
Reading Gaps in the Anchors
A missing year in a published serial table is not permission to invent a precise date. For this branch, use the nearest production anchors, describe the result conservatively, and rely on Colt documentation when the exact production or shipment record affects value.
Police Positive .32 & Target Table
This table belongs to the .32 Police Positive and Target branch. Use the nearest anchors where the published sequence skips years.
| Year | Serial number shown / annual anchor | Collector use |
|---|---|---|
| 1907 | 49,500 | Annual anchor for the .32 / Target production sequence. |
| 1908 | 61,500 | Reference point for .32 Police Positive and Target-family dating. |
| 1909 | 67,000 | Use with barrel marking, sights, and chambering before assigning a date. |
| 1910 | 74,000 | Collector production guide for the .32 and Target branch. |
| 1911 | 84,500 | Approximate year marker; confirm Target features separately. |
| 1912 | 94,000 | Annual anchor for the .32 / Target production sequence. |
| 1913 | 108,000 | Reference point for .32 Police Positive and Target-family dating. |
| 1914 | 112,000 | Use with barrel marking, sights, and chambering before assigning a date. |
| 1915 | 124,000 | Collector production guide for the .32 and Target branch. |
| 1916 | 129,000 | Approximate year marker; confirm Target features separately. |
| 1917 | 137,000 | Annual anchor for the .32 / Target production sequence. |
| 1918 | 142,000 | Reference point for .32 Police Positive and Target-family dating. |
| 1919 | 143,000 | Use with barrel marking, sights, and chambering before assigning a date. |
| 1920 | 158,000 | Collector production guide for the .32 and Target branch. |
| 1921 | 169,000 | Approximate year marker; confirm Target features separately. |
| 1922 | 179,000 | Annual anchor for the .32 / Target production sequence. |
| 1923 | 188,000 | Reference point for .32 Police Positive and Target-family dating. |
| 1924 | 199,000 | Use with barrel marking, sights, and chambering before assigning a date. |
| 1925 | 209,000 | Collector production guide for the .32 and Target branch. |
| 1926 | 217,000 | Approximate year marker; confirm Target features separately. |
| 1927 | 224,000 | Annual anchor for the .32 / Target production sequence. |
| 1933 | 228,000 | Reference point for .32 Police Positive and Target-family dating. |
| 1934 | 230,000 | Use with barrel marking, sights, and chambering before assigning a date. |
| 1935 | 231,000 | Collector production guide for the .32 and Target branch. |
| 1936 | 233,000 | Approximate year marker; confirm Target features separately. |
| 1937 | 234,000 | Annual anchor for the .32 / Target production sequence. |
| 1938 | 235,500 | Reference point for .32 Police Positive and Target-family dating. |
| 1939 | 238,100 | Use with barrel marking, sights, and chambering before assigning a date. |
| 1943 | 238,623 | Wartime endpoint anchor; use cautiously with feature inspection. |
Caption language: Say “serial range suggests” or “production anchor indicates” unless a factory record confirms exact shipment details.
Suggested Caption
Example: “Colt Police Positive .32 / Target-family revolver, serial range suggests pre-war production. Sights, barrel marking, stocks, finish, and any box label should be inspected before assigning a premium Target-model description.”
.32 and Target Verification Checklist
- Confirm .32 chambering and barrel marking.
- Photograph sight configuration before describing a Target model.
- Use nearest production anchors where the table skips years.
- Separate the date estimate from claims about finish, stocks, box, or factory shipment.
Collector Takeaway
The .32 and Target branch rewards careful feature work. The number can orient the revolver, but sights, chambering, and configuration decide whether the collector description is accurate.
About Greg Cook
Greg Cook is a CPA and firearms collector who writes about gun collecting, history, provenance, ownership impressions, and the practical details that make individual firearms memorable. His Army MOS was 76Y, Unit Armorer.
Sources Consulted
This page was prepared by comparing Colt factory resources, historical firearm publications, collector serial-number archives, and Gun Collectors Club notes. The table is presented as a collector production reference, not as a factory shipment ledger. When value, originality, provenance, or a premium claim depends on the details, Colt Archive documentation remains the stronger standard.
- Colt Serial Number Lookup — official first-pass factory lookup for approximate date-of-manufacture orientation.
- Colt Archive Services — factory-letter resource for documented shipment information and original configuration details when records are available.
- Colt Timeline — factory historical background on Colt double-action revolver development and related company milestones.
- ProofHouse Colt revolver serial-number archives — collector reference material compared against the model-family notes in this guide.
- ProofHouse Colt target and small-frame reference material — historical collector data reviewed while checking .32 and Target-era anchors.
- ProofHouse Colt Heavy Frame reference material — archival serial-number reference consulted for the short Heavy Frame sequence.
- ProofHouse Colt D-frame reference material — collector serial-number archive reviewed for Police Positive Special and Detective Special family ranges.
- American Rifleman historical coverage — background on the Police Positive family, Positive Lock context, chamberings, and related D-frame development.
- Gun Collectors Club: Colt Police Positive Guide — companion GCC identification article for production years, issue changes, and Police Positive family context.
- Gun Collectors Club: Colt Police Positive Timeline — companion GCC timeline for placing the model family in chronological order.