Colt Police Positive 38 S&W Revolver C&R Catastrophic Failure

Serial #162765, .38 S&W, 4 inch barrel with an excellent bore except for about 1 1/8” split and bulged section at the muzzle. The metal surfaces retain about 85% original blue finish showing high edge wear, grip frame toned to mostly brown with wisp of blue visible, and light handling marks. The checkered hard rubber factory grips feature a stylized “C” around escutcheons and “COLT” in an oval. The grips rate excellent and are numbered to another gun. The gun functions mechanically with excellent timing and lockup. **This gun obviously should not be fired in the current condition.** However, it would be a perfect candidate for a professional shortening or a replacement barrel or just a cool paper weight. FFL or C&R