Colt Official Police
| Colt Official Police | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Revolver |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Colt's Manufacturing Company |
| Produced | 1908–1969 |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Barrel length |
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| Cartridge | |
| Action | double-action |
| Feed system | six round cylinder |
| Sights | Fixed iron: Blade front, V-notch rear |
Introduced to the firearms market in 1927, the Colt Official Police is a medium frame, double-action revolver with a six-round cylinder, primarily chambered for the .38 Special cartridge, and manufactured by the Colt's Manufacturing Company. The intended specific target market for the Official Police was mainly law enforcement agencies and it became one of the best selling police firearms of all time, eventually in the 1950s coming to exemplify typical peace officer weaponry. The Official Police was also used by various U.S. and allied military forces during World War II.
As the 20th Century began, the older .32 caliber revolvers which had been standard-issue for the majority of American police departments began to be phased out in favor of the larger-bore .38 caliber. In 1908 Colt introduced a sleek and modernized revolver they dubbed the Army Special, which in the powerful (for the time) and popular .38 Special quickly became the issue service revolver of many departments. During the same period, revolvers began to fall out of favor with the U.S. Military, especially after the adoption on the U.S. Model of 1911 semi-automatic pistol. As military sales of their revolvers dropped off, Colt searched for an alternative market and realized the popularity and strong sales of their product line with civilian law enforcement agencies could form their replacement market.
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