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09-23-2018, 03:59 PM
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Colorado State Patrol 38-44 HD--VERY accidental find
At Tulsa last fall with good friends: last day feeling pretty dejected as I had nothing to bring home. My son spotted a modified & refinished Heavy Duty. Serial said pre-war, barrel looked post-war. Price was low so I took the plunge thinking I'd trade it off somewhere. Got home, and pit it in the safe. 1Aspenhill the forum (and world) authority of HDs encouraged me to check further.
Seven months later I dig it out of the safe. Whoa! The 'post-war barrel has patent dates on the top! Guess I bought this without engaging brain. Numbers match except for the goodyears. Sight has been modified and there's a factory return date on the grip frame. So, off goes the S&W Historical Foundation letter request.
So, here's the facts, maam:
In 1935, the Colorado legislature created the Colorado State Highway Courtesy Patrol with an authorized strength of 44 officers. There was some fear that this new agency could get out of control (and take over the state?) The governor wanted them unarmed. However, while the 44 recruits (selected out of 7000 applicants) were in training an order was placed through a Pueblo, CO. hardware store for 44 Heavy Duties. Mine has a rack #30 next to the serial on the grip frame and also on the inside of the grip frame. According to Roy, mine was returned to the factory in 1958 for refurbishment. He did not speculate on whether or not the factory did the sight mod.
Question: After refurb what grips would the factory have installed remembering the longer pre-war grip frame?
Shown wearing old, old walrus ivory grips from my stash.
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Last edited by quinn; 09-24-2018 at 09:27 AM.
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09-23-2018, 04:18 PM
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Pretty neat find.I seem to recall some old pix from that era with those officers riding either Harley's or Indians
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09-23-2018, 05:06 PM
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Nice!
I do firearms training at the CSP Academy range in Golden. This picture is on the wall. Should be representative of what a CSP HD would look like.
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09-23-2018, 05:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sigp220.45
Nice!
I do firearms training at the CSP Academy range in Golden. This picture is on the wall. Should be representative of what a CSP HD would look like.
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I notice this one also has the modified front sight. Was that SOP for CSP HDs? On which wall was this photos located? Thanks.
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Randy
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09-23-2018, 05:50 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by quinn
I notice this one also has the modified front sight. Was that SOP for CSP HDs? On which wall was this photos located? Thanks.
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Its among a group of photos showing issued handguns, shotguns, and rifles through the years, located in the classroom I use at the indoor range. I assume it is a typical issued HD, kept for historical purposes.
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09-23-2018, 06:23 PM
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GREAT score. Congrats.
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09-23-2018, 06:40 PM
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Randy,
Of this shipment, there are 2 others that have the "cut" front sight. I would imagine that these guns came with service stocks. If they pulled the grips prior to sending them back to S&W then the picture above shows them with post 1950 magnas and they look too short for the gun. There is at least one other shipment later than this one that has a rack number of 78 and this example was sent back to the factory in 1978. Hope this helps.
Bill
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09-23-2018, 09:28 PM
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My 1926, shipped to the PPD, went back in '65 and they added diamond magnas that fit lengthwise.
Last edited by LLOYD17; 09-24-2018 at 03:19 PM.
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09-23-2018, 11:12 PM
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Very nice. The 38/44 HD has got to be one of S&W's greatest revolvers.
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09-24-2018, 01:54 AM
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Very nice indeed. We have one that is at my mother's house that was my Great Grandfathers service revolver when he was a constable. He died in 1956, and my father found it in a chicken house or something. Refinished it in the early 70's when he was doing his wannabe gunsmith thing and made grips for it. I need to get it and find out when it was made. Shoots about 4" low and 4" left from point of aim to my recollection.
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10-04-2018, 11:33 PM
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Nice find, thanks for sharing!
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Tom Graham SWCA #2303
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11-16-2018, 03:57 PM
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Very interesting, thanks
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11-16-2018, 04:50 PM
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Excellent - you are making me really want to letter my early 1930s HD!!
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11-16-2018, 07:02 PM
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When the CSP went to Pythons every Gart. Bros. store in the Denver metro area had a whole display case shelf full of the trade-in HDs!
Of course I didn't need one' cuz I had a pre-27 5" myself!
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