Colt Police Positive Series

The Colt Police Positive Series is designed as a complete research path, not a pile of disconnected articles. Start with identification, follow the timeline, use the serial-number guide to orient the gun, then move into collectability and value factors.

That order matters. A standard Police Positive, Police Positive Special, Police Positive Target, Fourth Issue Police Positive, and Detective Special-related D-frame do not all tell the same story. The series menu below keeps the research sequence clear for readers and gives Google a stronger structure for the topic cluster.

Collector Series

The Police Positive pages now work as a single collector series: start with identification, follow the timeline, date the revolver, then evaluate value and provenance.

01 Start Here Series Home The hub for the Police Positive guide, timeline, serial-number tables, and value research. 02 Identify Collector Guide Production years, Positive Lock history, Fourth Issue notes, and D-frame identification. 03 History Timeline A chronological roadmap from New Police roots through the last D-frame production years. 04 Date It Serial Numbers Separate serial-number tables for standard, Target, Heavy Frame, Special, and Detective Special branches. 05 Worth Values Condition, originality, Target premiums, Fourth Issue notes, provenance, and market context.

Recommended Research Workflow

Identify first. Read the barrel markings, confirm chambering, and document the visible features. Then use the timeline to place the revolver in context. After that, use the serial-number guide and Colt lookup as orientation tools. Finally, evaluate condition, originality, documentation, and value.

Start with the Collector Guide →

What Each Page Does

Collector GuideProduction years, Fourth Issue notes, Positive Lock history, and Police Positive vs Detective Special context. TimelineNew Police roots, Positive Lock, Target branch, Police Positive Special, Detective Special lineage, and late D-frame years. Serial NumbersTables for .38, .32, Target, Heavy Frame, Police Positive Special, and Detective Special sequences. ValuesCondition, originality, Target premiums, Fourth Issue collectability, provenance, and factory-letter guidance.

From My Bench

For any old Colt, I photograph the whole revolver first, then the barrel markings, cylinder, crane area, serial-number location, stocks, sights, box label, and any agency or owner markings. The photographs make the research stronger and preserve the story for the next owner.

Collector Gear

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I only link to products, books, tools, and accessories that fit the editorial purpose of Gun Collectors Club.

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 and References

The individual articles in this series list their source material below the author box. This hub exists to organize the research path and link the Police Positive topic cluster together.