Colt Official Police .38 Special - Royal Restorations
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- After a long hiatus, I’ve returned. We got a 1961 Colt issued to a police department in the Pacific Northwest. It has some wear by the look of it. Looks like holster markings. I decided to blue it to my liking. For the sake of time among other reasons, the cylinder-yoke assembly was not broken down. I prefer this shade of blue and grade of polish.
*correction: A viewer pointed out this is very likely a pre-war model. The auction house dated this at first, but given how they can make mistakes like anyone else, pre-war is quite likely too.
#restoration #vintage #police #colts #restore #usa #america #craftsman #work #repairing #asmr #music #jazz
Sir, you did a great job of cold bluing a great Colt "Classic" Official Police. You really made that old Colt look young again. I noticed that you identified this Official Police as a post-war (1961) manufacture. I 'm reasonably sure that your Colt OP is a pre-war manufacture, that is built before WW 2 started for the US (1941). Please reference the Colt Firearms Company website on the internet. There is an opportunity to run the serial number at the Colt website to get an accurate date of manufacture. Does not cost anything to do this. Thanks for this great video about a gun that cops, FBI, Sheriff's Dept, and private citizens alike used for protection. Prior to WW 2 the Colt Official Police and their Police Positive Special were the number one request for large, small, and medium size agencies. I carried an Official Police .38 Revolver for many years in my cop career. I know this Colt Model very well. It required the services of a Colt Master Gunsmith to fit the hand-honed and hand-fitted trigger action into the frame. The very precise fitting of the side plate to the frame was a work of advanced handgun manufacture. Thanks for the video, well done sir.
I appreciate your thanks, especially since you’re someone who has relied on these. It’s my favorite handgun to shoot. Weirdly, I’m more accurate with it than my Glock or SW 686.
Your correction has been added to the description with credit given to you. The auction house I got it from said 1961, but I’ll actually check with Colt
Nice job 🎉
Thought I had one of those guns. Says "Official Police" on the barrel. A conversation with Colt revealed some gunsmithing. Mine, via serial number, is an Army Special made in 1918. I'm guessing with a 6 inch barrel, and someone wanted a shorter barrel. It was owned by a cop at one point, this from family history. The barrel and part of the cylinder is missing the blueing, in a strange pattern, not holster wear. I'm told blood can do that to a finish, dunno for sure. Sure does look like it laid in a puddle at one point.
No way I'd refinish it though.
Fair enough. I know the collector value most likely took a dive, but I knew that going in.
Really, you don't disassemble the cylinder?
I seriously looked into it, but given the availability of replacement cylinder-yoke assemblies and time constraints, I decided against it. I didn’t see enough value in doing a total breakdown of the cylinder. Further, there was scant information I could find on the breakdown of Official Police cylinders that actually worked on this particular one. As this cylinder wasn’t coming apart easily with the methods described I found, but was otherwise fully functional when I shoot, forcing it further was-in my judgement- risky and replacing it would create more room for issues like timing and alignment. I understand your point though.
Anak pinggit suhli pingin
Cold blue? Really?
I understand rust bluing and other methods fit more preferences and may be more durable. In my judgment, I deemed cold blue fit to my goals for this particular pistol. I’m satisfied and I think the color fits. Perhaps next pistol restoration (coming soon), I can do rust, but I stand by my decision to use cold blue here
@royalrestoration9322 I guess what turned me off was the title. When you put "Royal" on the thing I think some form of actual bluing.
@@fmjmanarroyo1342cold bluing is bluing. It permanently darkens the top layer of ferrous metal while chemically protecting it from rust, albeit not as well as rust or nitre methods. I chose this in light of the heat sensitivity of certain parts and time table I had to work with. Royal blue would’ve been too light. Rust and nitre bluing will be used in future when more workable
@royalrestoration9322 Arguable. I do use it but for small parts. It does not actually act as bluing, it wont protect againt rust any more than oiling will. Same with the bottled "anodizing" products, its a staining action.