“New York Police” Engraved Colt New Police 4″ .32 DA Revolver, 1896 Antique

SOLD FOR: $2,675

WOA#: WY240316MC002

Make: Colt

Model: New Police

Serial Number: 3440, New York Police rack or badge number 7748

Year of Manufacture: 1896 (Colt Serial Lookup)

Caliber: .32 Long & Short Colt

Action Type: Double Action SA/DA Revolver with Swing Out Cylinder

Markings: The top of the barrel is marked “COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. / HARTFORD CT. U.S.A. / PAT. AUG. 5, 84. NOV. 6, 1888.”, the left is marked “COLT NEW POLICE 32”. The sideplate is marked “COLT’S / NEW POLICE” with a rampant colt. The crane and crane cut are each marked “3440”. The backstrap is engraved “New York Police”, the butt is stamped “7748”. The inside of each grip panel is hand-scribed “3440”.

Barrel Length: 4”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade fixed to the barrel above the muzzle. The rear sight is a U-notch integral to the top strap.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered black hard rubber featuring “COLT” in an oval logos. The left panel has a loss at the bottom rear across the frame indexing pin. Otherwise, the grips show even minor handling wear with a few light marks. The checkering is well defined. The grips are in Good-Plus overall condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Much of the remaining finish is Original. Worn or eroded areas show treatment with cold blue.

Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with well defined rifling. There is some scattered light erosion and infrequent minor pitting. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 6 or 7 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 40% of its metal finish. There is scattered wear, more notable in the grip areas. There is some scattered minor surface erosion. There are a few light nicks and scratches. There are tool marks around the sideplate screws. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Very Good condition as Antique.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The cylinder locks in each position with no play when the trigger is pressed. We did not fire this firearm. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.

Our Assessment: The Colt New Police is a double-action, six-shot revolver manufactured from 1896 to 1907 by Colt’s Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut. The New Police Revolver was selected in 1896 to be the first standard issue revolver of the New York Police Department. This decision was made by the Commissioner who was trying very hard to clean up the city, one Theodore Roosevelt. The New Police would eventually be replaced in the Colt catalog in 1907 by the improved Colt Police Positive, which featured an internal hammer block safety and better lock work.

This New Police is not only from the first year of production, 1896, but has New York Police engraved markings. The revolver retains strong mechanics, having survived nearly 130 years better than any of us are likely to! This revolver’s history in the progression of Colt revolvers and association with the NYPD will make it a great addition to any collection. Please see our photos and good luck in your bidding!

Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud