Real badge?

I use to collect badges until I read a report that over half the badges sold these days are phony. I also purchased an assistant chief of police from where I worked and realized we had never had that position!

 

Well, that's all that matters, right?

 

My hometown (~1000 population then) used to have Special Police on patrol Saturday evenings. They probably had badges, I don't recall. No guns, that I do recall.

 

"Special Police" in my community are everything from Crossing Guards ( Schools ) to Crowd Control at major events...( Fireworks on the 4th ).

Usually only have a flashlight and walkie...no firearms.

 

Here in Tucson they have Sheriffs Auxiliary. They are trained and wear badges but no guns. Traffic control or accident assist mainly. We also have the Arizona Rangers, trained and have badge and firearms. Can do security for donations to help charity or can ride along to assist state or local law enforcement. I did this for three years while my Stepfather and Mom were Sheriff Auxiliary.

 

I'm no expert in police memorabilia so I may be completely wrong but your badge may be a real. Badges were (and still are) made in varied styles and sizes. Yours looks a little on the small size so it may not be a shirt badge but it may be a hat badge.

Of course it could be a shirt badge. Small town police departments often issued smaller, rather plain badges to their officers. My great,great grandfather was a special police officer in my hometown here in southeastern Massachusetts back in the early 1900's and he was issued a badge that also looked a little fake, too. I have attached a photo of almost all of what's left of his police items. Included in the photo from left to right are two belt clips, police whistle key ring and handcuff key, "come along" wrist restraint (that's what Google calls it), his Meriden Fire Arms break open pistol, special police officer badge, Billy Club, and working handcuffs. I also included two additional photos of the pistol seeing as we all like firearms.

 

I used to have a badge that belonged (supposedly) to an agent who was a "Brothel Inspector". I got it years ago at a gun show and the guy who sold it said it was real. I can't say I believe it is or not but I bought it as a novelty. It stated Kansas City on it. I used to wear it on my hunting hat but took it off and forgot where I put it. Gonna have to look.

Tommy

 

^ ^ Great post, Fireman. 3XGrampa was geared up. That break-top shrouded hammer gun has an interesting grip-to-trigger span; is it a small gun? Feel like doing some measuring?

 

Nice looking break top, what caliber is it?

 

I do not have any calipers so my measurements will approximations from the use of a hand held ruler.

The length of the revolver is seven and a half inches. The height is four inches. The width is an inch and three-eighths. The grip-to-trigger span is two and a quarter inches. (photo attached)

Yes, I find that it is a small gun but it is larger than my Charter Arms .38 Undercover.

Other than the serial number on the butt of the frame and what appears to be a 49 on the extractor and cylinder (photo attached), there are no other external markings.

However, I have another family heirloom from my father's side of the family, a Harrington & Richardson top break 38 Cal S&W CTGE revolver that has almost identical dimensions. It appears that the two guns are the same caliber but I have no intentions on ever firing either revolver so I don't really need to know if that is true or not.

Interesting side note for those of you following this thread (my apologies to the OP for taking us on a tangent), unlike the Meriden Fire Arms break open revolver used in law enforcement here in Massachusetts, the Harrington & Richardson top break 38 Cal S&W CTGE revolver was supposedly used by my great grandfather in his dealings with mob connections in my dad's home state, Pennsylvania. Both revolvers although functioning, are not valuable but I am glad that I possess both as I love the family history.