Originally Posted by Muley Gil

Welcome to the Forum. S&W dropped a number of handguns in 1966, including the .44 Specials. In the mid '70s, Skeeter Skelton, who wrote a monthly column for Shooting Times magazine, mourned the loss of the .44 Specials and also felt that S&W should have chambered more revolvers in .45 Colt.

Skeeter took a number of M28s, which were the most common and inexpensive N frames available, to his gunsmith and had them converted to .44S and .45C. Most were converted by fitting factory surplus .44S and .45 ACP barrels and re-chambering the .357 cylinders.

There were many of his readers, including this poor college student, that followed his column eagerly each month. In 1976, I found a 3 1/2" M27-2 for a reasonable price and bought a 6 1/2" .44 Special target barrel from J&G Rifle Ranch. I took everything to Walker Arms in Selma, Alabama and had the conversion done. I later had my conversion cut to 5", a ramp front sight fitted and re-blued.

Later on, I had a M28 converted, as well as two Old Model .357 Magnum Ruger Blackhawks. Skeeter also promoted this conversion.