Police department marking ?

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uglydukwling

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I have a Colt Pocket Positive with a 1920 serial number on the crane and adjacent frame. In addition to the serial number, it has SPF 3 stamped on the bottom of the butt. I've seen other police issue firearms with similar markings, so I presume the SPF stands for [some city beginning with S] Police Force.
Trouble is, there are a lot of cities beginning with S. How do I find out which one? Since this gun is double-damned (.32 calibre and 3 1/2" barrel), it's not worth the price of a Colt letter of authenticity. On the other hand, it may not be a police gun after all. With a nickle finish and pearl grips, it looks more like a pimp's gun than a cop's. Although I suppose the 2 may not be mutually exclusive, especially in 1920. Of course, it could also have been re-worked after it was disposed of by the S######xx Police Force.
 
If I can't determine what the S stands for, I should probably put it on the EE, and claim that S is for Shanghai and it's Fairbirn's personal back-up gun. It probably stands for something more prosaic, like Sarnia or Shawinigan, but why spoil the story?
 
uglydukwling said:
If I can't determine what the S stands for, I should probably put it on the EE, and claim that S is for Shanghai and it's Fairbirn's personal back-up gun. It probably stands for something more prosaic, like Sarnia or Shawinigan, but why spoil the story?
Click to expand...

Shanghai guns were .380 and had Shanghai Municipal Police (no abbreviation) stamped on right side. They also had an alteration to the left side of the slide to enhance reliability and the thumb safety had a screw put in frame to prevent it from being used. Also, Chinese police officers were issued the .380 Colt and the British senior officers were issued the Colt .45 1911.
 
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