Colt New Police .32 Colt Revolver, 6-Inch Barrel (1904) — Commercial 6-Inch Configuration, Swing-Out Cylinder
Produced in 1904, this Colt New Police is a standard fixed-sight model chambered in .32 Colt with a 6-inch barrel. The New Police is historically notable as the first standardized NYPD sidearm adopted under Theodore Roosevelt; however, the NYPD-issue pattern featured a 4-inch barrel. This 6-inch example is a commercial configuration. This small-frame, six-shot revolver features a swing-out cylinder, an unshrouded ejector rod with knurled tip, and black checkered hard-rubber grips with large COLT ovals, marking it as a classic pre–Police Positive design.
Condition
Overall Condition: Fair condition, showing extensive signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Condition: Fair - Generally clean, some residue or smudges, slight corrosion.
Bore Rifling: Fair Rifling - Worn rifling, slight loss of definition.
Specific Condition Notes: This revolver currently operates in single action only. When the trigger is pulled in double action, the cylinder cycles but the hammer does not fall. There are widespread scratches and blemishes across the metal surfaces, along with widespread pitting and finish wear. The rifling is present but shows blemishing.
What’s Included
- Colt New Police .32 Colt revolver (6-inch barrel)
This is the standard fixed-sight New Police configuration, not the Target variant. It retains the correct top-strap groove rear sight with a fixed half-moon front, an unshrouded ejector rod with a knurled tip, and a barrel marked COLT NEW POLICE. The black checkered hard-rubber grips display the large COLT oval panels appropriate to the model.
Historically, the New Police holds significance as the first standardized sidearm of the NYPD under Theodore Roosevelt. As a pre–Positive Lock design, it stands as a direct precursor to the Police Positive, representing Colt’s early small-frame swing-out cylinder lineage.
Chambered in .32 Colt with a six-round capacity, this revolver uses a steel frame and steel cylinder with an exposed hammer. The 6-inch barrel length offers the classic long-barrel profile within the New Police series while keeping the model’s compact small-frame proportions.
The action type is double-action/single-action by design; however, in its current state it functions in single action only, with the double-action trigger cycling the cylinder but not cocking or releasing the hammer.