official police .38

[never4get]

I was given a colt official police .38 and would like to know if it would be alright to shoot +p ammo in it. research says it was made in 1949. 4" barrel , nickel finish, 99% , excellent bore. I'm sure the grips are not original because they are plastic stag. I think original were wood. Anyway, any info that someone has would be appreciated. also got a S&W model 651-1 22mag. 4" SS. wood grips, target sights. Any idea of value? 99% condition. I haven't seen one of them anywhere. Info on that would be great too.







" Even the dull and ignorant has a story"

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[skud_dusty]

Do NOT shoot +p in that Colt! You will stretch the frame and ruin it. Metallurgy just wasn't the same back then as it is now. The old Colts for some reason don't demand as high of a premium as S&Ws of the same era, but they are still great little guns. I'm not sure how common nickel was as a finish, but one way to check if it's original is to see if the logos/stampings look "filled in." If they are tight and crisp chances are the gun has an original finish. If they look smudged at all or not crisp it's more than likely a refinish. Before shooting make sure you check the lockup on every chamber. Colts should lock up like a bank vault when the trigger is pulled and held to the rear.

Detailed pictures would go a long way in determining value

 

[GOG]

The 651 was introduced in 1983. If you want to post any prefix and the serial number, I can likely pin it down for you. Just leave off the last two digits.