North Carolina State Highway Patrol posted this on their FB page today:

Piece of History Returned to SHP

A Colt revolver that was issue to one of the original members of the SHP in 1929 has been returned home! The revolver was unexpectedly located by Salisbury Police Department in a field inside the city of Salisbury and returned to the SHP after finding the engraving of NCSHP #10 on the butt of the revolver.

The inoperable Colt Official Police Revolver was then sent to Colt to be authenticated and restored. The Office of the Colt Historian found that this weapon was originally shipped to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and Captain Chris D. Farmer on April 29, 1929. This revolver was number 10 of 39 which was chambered in .38/c with a 5-inch barrel, blue finish and beige grips.

This piece of history was found and returned to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol unexpectedly during the year of our 90th Anniversary in 2019!


Found in a field? I wonder if there are any reports of it being lost, etc.

quote:

chambered in .38/c

This is a great story, and a truly classic revolver!

Somebody please cure my ignorance, is the stated caliber the same as 38 Special? Or is it .38 short or long Colt? Or, perhaps, .38 S&W? If I were to find one of these in a field, what ammo should I buy for it?

Very interesting story, thank you for sharing.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:

quote:

chambered in .38/c

This is a great story, and a truly classic revolver!

Somebody please cure my ignorance, is the stated caliber the same as 38 Special? Or is it .38 short or long Colt? Or, perhaps, .38 S&W? If I were to find one of these in a field, what ammo should I buy for it?

.38 Colt AKA .38 Long Colt is not the same as .38 Special.

I've never tried it myself, but I understand .38 Special may chamber in a .38 Long Colt cylinder but should not be fired due to the differences in chamber pressures between the two.

my how times have changed

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I can imagine what that revolver looked like after being buried for so many years. Colt sure did a beautiful restoration.

That is very interesting! Thank you for sharing!

quote:

Originally posted by marksman41:
I can imagine what that revolver looked like after being buried for so many years. Colt sure did a beautiful restoration.

A friend of mine gave me a model 17 that some kids stole and police found in a field over 10 years later. It was un-usable IMO, heavily pitted etc., surprisingly aside from the grips being discolored they were in good condition. I took the grips and he took it to a gun buy back.

Colt did a phenomenal job of restoring that gun.