1862 Police Pocket antique shooter

I have long been partial to the .36-caliber 1862 Police Pocket. To me, it's the epitomy of BP design elegance and power/balance/function -- although I also fancy the tidy 1849 Pocket.

Thanks to availability and relatively low price, I was scouring the web for a shootable '49 antique when I happened upon a 4.5-inch '62 PP listed for what seemed to me to be a very reasonable under $1k price.

A call and a few emails later, and this Civil War-era example (manuf. 1863) was all mine. Upon inspection and disassembly, it proved to be at least as good as described on the collectorsfirearms.com's website, with tight lock-up and reliable action for every cylinder, all numbers-matching, and best-of-all, shootable. I have yet to do so, and when I do, it'll be with all due care, but until then, it gets a prime spot in my vault, cozying up to my Uberti 5.5" replica.

I'm still looking for an in-my-price-range shootable '49, but this beauty has definitely won me over.

nice purchase!!!!

don't let her be a safe queen for too long!!!

camo

gregdr01 said:

I have long been partial to the .36-caliber 1862 Police Pocket. To me, it's the epitomy of BP design elegance and power/balance/function -- although I also fancy the tidy 1849 Pocket.

Thanks to availability and relatively low price, I was scouring the web for a shootable '49 antique when I happened upon a 4.5-inch '62 PP listed for what seemed to me to be a very reasonable under $1k price.

A call and a few emails later, and this Civil War-era example (manuf. 1863) was all mine. Upon inspection and disassembly, it proved to be at least as good as described on the collectorsfirearms.com's website, with tight lock-up and reliable action for every cylinder, all numbers-matching, and best-of-all, shootable. I have yet to do so, and when I do, it'll be with all due care, but until then, it gets a prime spot in my vault, cozying up to my Uberti 5.5" replica.

I'm still looking for an in-my-price-range shootable '49, but this beauty has definitely won me over.

View attachment 295121
View attachment 295122
View attachment 295124

Click to expand...

Nice find on that “62”Colt Police. The pair look like they could be brothers. One a bit younger of course.
Also it’s good to know they are shooters too.
I just got done working on my “62” pocket model yesterday. The cut barrel was a donor 6.5” I scrounged from a going out of business gun shop.
I decided to make it just a poker chip thickness shorter than the Colt Trapper model.
A little of this and that on the finish or I should say, lack of finish it’s now my “Little Darling”.
Good luck shooting your 62s my friend. A bit less fun to loading maybe, but great to shoot.

gregdr01 said:

I have long been partial to the .36-caliber 1862 Police Pocket. To me, it's the epitomy of BP design elegance and power/balance/function -- although I also fancy the tidy 1849 Pocket.

Thanks to availability and relatively low price, I was scouring the web for a shootable '49 antique when I happened upon a 4.5-inch '62 PP listed for what seemed to me to be a very reasonable under $1k price.

A call and a few emails later, and this Civil War-era example (manuf. 1863) was all mine. Upon inspection and disassembly, it proved to be at least as good as described on the collectorsfirearms.com's website, with tight lock-up and reliable action for every cylinder, all numbers-matching, and best-of-all, shootable. I have yet to do so, and when I do, it'll be with all due care, but until then, it gets a prime spot in my vault, cozying up to my Uberti 5.5" replica.

I'm still looking for an in-my-price-range shootable '49, but this beauty has definitely won me over.

View attachment 295121
View attachment 295122
View attachment 295124

Click to expand...

very nice! congrats!

gregdr01 said:

I have long been partial to the .36-caliber 1862 Police Pocket. To me, it's the epitomy of BP design elegance and power/balance/function -- although I also fancy the tidy 1849 Pocket.

Thanks to availability and relatively low price, I was scouring the web for a shootable '49 antique when I happened upon a 4.5-inch '62 PP listed for what seemed to me to be a very reasonable under $1k price.

A call and a few emails later, and this Civil War-era example (manuf. 1863) was all mine. Upon inspection and disassembly, it proved to be at least as good as described on the collectorsfirearms.com's website, with tight lock-up and reliable action for every cylinder, all numbers-matching, and best-of-all, shootable. I have yet to do so, and when I do, it'll be with all due care, but until then, it gets a prime spot in my vault, cozying up to my Uberti 5.5" replica.

I'm still looking for an in-my-price-range shootable '49, but this beauty has definitely won me over.

View attachment 295121
View attachment 295122
View attachment 295124

Click to expand...

What a treasure you found. If it were mine I also would have to shoot it a time or two just to see how an original compares with a reproduction but wouldn't want to stress the ole girl any more than was necessary to find out. So few of these in good shooting order are left for posterity in this day and age.

I have 4 1862 Pocket Pistols, 2 Police and 2 Navy. 1 Navy and `1 Police, both 2nd gens, have been given the Goon Treatment and Jackrabbit Job. They are a hoot to shoot!

dickydalton said:

I have 4 1862 Pocket Pistols, 2 Police and 2 Navy. 1 Navy and `1 Police, both 2nd gens, have been given the Goon Treatment and Jackrabbit Job. They are a hoot to shoot!
View attachment 307009
View attachment 307012

Click to expand...

I just fit a new cylinder in my 62 police ............. an early Dixie gun made my Uberti.
They impress me as little guns that act a lot like 51s when shooting them.

dickydalton said:

I have 4 1862 Pocket Pistols, 2 Police and 2 Navy. 1 Navy and `1 Police, both 2nd gens, have been given the Goon Treatment and Jackrabbit Job. They are a hoot to shoot!
View attachment 307009
View attachment 307012

Click to expand...

Do you normally hang out on the roof??? Or just for photo ops

I go up there when it's my turn to watch the border for illegals.

I had the opportunity to run a few round balls through the ol' gal today... just a single cylinder of low-powered shots, however.

Function was perfect, and accuracy was surprisingly good given the pimple-sized front sight and barely-there rear sight/notch in the hammer. Kept all the balls in a 5" group from 25', and even managed to get two in the "paint," firing more-or-less to point of aim.

For a 161-year-old all-original relic, it proved to be accurate, reliable, and an absolute hoot to shoot.

Next time, it'll be a few more than a handful of shots, and in the national forest where I'll have space to ring steel plates.

It's funny how people's taste can differ so much. I can't stomach the body lines of those. Evertime I see one it reminds me of this

BeardedGunsmith said:

It's funny how people's taste can differ so much. I can't stomach the body lines of those. Evertime I see one it reminds me of this
View attachment 308523

Click to expand...

Figures... that's one sexy beast!

Tip;
Have you measured the cylinder bores,
my original 1860 Colt needs .380 dia balls to produce tight groups.

dickydalton said:

I have 4 1862 Pocket Pistols, 2 Police and 2 Navy. 1 Navy and `1 Police, both 2nd gens, have been given the Goon Treatment and Jackrabbit Job. They are a hoot to shoot!
View attachment 307009
View attachment 307012

Click to expand...

I forgot, that I have another 1990 Uberti 6 1/2" around here somewhere.