***SEE POST #36 FOR UPDATE WITH PHOTOS OF LETTERS FROM ROY JINKS***


Purchased my 2nd WSP 38/44 recently from another member and wanted to share some of the differences.

The serial numbers are 45,619 apart

The later model with higher serial number sports a high polish blue while the earlier gun has a more matte finish.

You will also notice the later model has a small font for the "Washington State Patrol" roll-mark on the backstrap.

Both very nice condition guns with original S&W finish.

The earlier gun has an issue with hammer push-off and my feeling is someone set it up with a slightly lighter mainspring and did some fiddling with the sear to make is smoother/lighter in double action and went just a touch too far. Easily repairable issue though.

I do have the factory letter on S/N 155436 (1957) and will get one for the other HD soon......see post #2 below for a link to more information on this one.

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

Here is a link to a thread I started on the 1957 38/44 WSP shown above.....

Washington State Patrol 6.5" 38/44 HD - Shipped January 9th, 1957

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

Very cool pair. I'm jealous.

I was so hoping this was a “sales” post. Awesome brace!!

That is one great pair of revolvers. The 38/44HD has been my one of my favorite revolvers for several decades.
Well done!

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Ken

Thanks all, these WSP guns that still retain their back-strap markings are scarce......only a select few made it out intact going home mostly to those retiring from the patrol is my understanding.

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

Very interesting information. Like many here, I love the 38/44s, and love the history behind them!

Mine is #15568 and shows plenty of wear. The WSP name was ground off the backstop - leaving 4 or 5 letters. Just enough to see it once said Washington State Patrol. It lettered to a sporting goods store in Seattle that acted as a supplier to the WSP. Mine shoots very accurately - of course the long barrel gets you halfway to the target.

Jerry

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Very cool set of HDs.

Thanks for sharing,

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Nice set of guns Tom, glad you bought the second one. You find a lot of state or local police guns. Cool collecting area, Larry

Thanks Larry,

I really am not out looking for S&W LEO hand ejectors, but have been fortunate enough for a few to come my way.

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

Congrats on a couple of very nice WSP, HD Smiths, 3DFlyer! I wasn't aware the Factory ever offered them in mass order with such as "high blue"! Itself, very nice! Comparing your SNs against my couple of 'civvie' models, noting: S 109515 & S 142072. Respective pix below!
As this Thread exemplary, an appreciable recurring body of material associating this model particularly in WSP. context. Wondering if perhaps mine might yet be of some such LE lineage too. That would seem the principal market for this model/config.
Nothing re my 'couple' to suggest any such association whatsoever. Moreover, too many of my other Smiths yet in 'someday letter' queue...
Thanks for sharing a 'fine pair'!
Best!
John

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Excellent pair, I'm jealous mainly because I live in Washington. I like the Heavy Duty but prefer the Outdoorsman. I had a Heavy Duty that was modified with adjustable sights and was a partial "King" piece. The WSP also purchased 2nd Model .44 H.E.'s that's the one I consider a "Grail" gun, sadly most had the stamping scrubbed off which ruins it for my taste.

Any former law enforcement firearm with markings intact is a true treasure.....grab them when you find them!!

The day is coming when all former LEO weapons will never be released to the public.

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

**UPDATE**
I received my Power Custom Series 1 Universal Stoning Fixture in the mail today.....

Power Series I Universal Stoning Fixture [PC-GST-017] - $179.99 : GrandMasters L.L.C., Gunsmithing, Ruger 10-22, AK-47, Ruger, AR-15, Ruger Accessories, Gunsmithing Tools and Gun Accessories

And I am pleased to report that I was able to lightly stone the trigger sear to it's correct angle and the repair was a success.

NO MORE PUSH-OFF!!

This tool is a very sturdy piece of equipment that is very well made and precise. I highly recommend it, I run into the Push-Off issue on occasion so I am sure this tool will be put to use.

The single action trigger is now smooth and crisp.

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

Nice 6.5" WSP guns esp with the markings on the backstraps. I have 167ea in my database that were shipped to WSP and Im sure there were more. The one I owned had the markings removed but with a magnifying glass you could make out some of the letters. Great find!
Bill

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38-44heavyduty.com

Thanks Bill, I feel fortunate to have them in my collection.

You mentioned that you have 167 WSP S&W's in your database.....does that include these two??

Also do you know how many of those still retain their WSP markings intact??

Tom

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

Tom,
Those are the only 2 I know of that still have the markings and yes I do have those 2 in there.
Bill

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38-44heavyduty.com

Holy cow, Bill! Now I'm wondering whether either/both of my two above Smiths might be scrubbed WSP guns. I work from XL Spreadsheet and file photos rather than digging out
real McCoys'. No pix of either backstrap in my pix files... Any other way to tell whether prior WSP guns? Do you have the WSP SN listings?
SN re in my post above. If there was anything rough on either backstrap, I'd recall or have noted. But something subtle... Might go without notice!
Request advise!
Best!
John

Bill,

Had no idea that these two are the only examples that you know of to have the markings intact....that indeed makes them extra special pieces.

I know WSP scrubbed off the majority of them when they were surplussed to the public.

I suppose we can assume that these two made it home with someone who was in the department or some other official.

I know the history of one (see link in post #2 above) but I know nothing yet about the other.

Will be sending off for letters on both of them shortly, and will report the results when I get the letters from Mr. Jinks.

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

John,
There are WSP guns close to your serial numbers but I do not have confirmation that they are WSP guns. If the backstrap looks grey or bare metal than it has been ground off. If they are WSP guns and the backstraps are blue then someone has touched them up.
Tom,
I have info on S109817.
Bill

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38-44heavyduty.com

Bill,

I sent off the letter request on both of my WSP guns this morning to Roy....the letters are taking a while to get right now, so my guess is it will be a few months until the letters are in my possession.

Any information on S109817 you can share with me by email would be appreciated.....especially if that information will not be included in the letter from Roy. My email is [email protected]

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

Tom,
Email sent.
Bill

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38-44heavyduty.com

Nice looking HDs. I have a 4" HD with a s/n of 109586, just 231 from your earlier 6.5" barreled one. Thanks for showing yours.

Here is how my Washington State Patrol post war 1926 3rd Model .44 special looks. With a loop you can make out the first few letters of Washington.

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Bill Bates

That's a darn shame Bill.....but a common practice back when they sold surplus to the public unfortunately.

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

Nice Set you got there

Referencing my Post #12 w/exemplars of my couple of 6 1/2 models and Bill Aspen's kind response. Now viewing the backstrap in the instant post... Unless mine both professionally refinished, such not WSP in prior life. Thanks for this photo post and also for your kind expertise shared Bill!

Referencing my Post #12 w/exemplars of my couple of 6 1/2 models and Bill Aspen's kind response. Now viewing the backstrap in the instant post... Unless mine both professionally refinished, such not WSP in prior life. Thanks for this photo post and also for your kind expertise shared Bill!

Holiday Best!
John

Sent off to Roy for letters on these two......

I see my check was cashed so now the wait begins......

I am told the letter return time is running 8-12 weeks.....stay tuned!

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

It would be interesting to research the practices of the WSP as to retained ownership and marking of their revolvers.

I have a 2nd Model .44 HE that shipped to the Washington State Patrol on March 25, 1938. Thus, it is much earlier than the two revolvers featured in this thread. It is lettered:





I started a thread about this revolver here:
.44 HE 2nd Model - Washington State Patrol #53531

It does not have a WSP rollmark on its backstrap, and I am confident it never had a WSP rollmark on its backstrap. Here are a couple of shots of its backstrap now:





You can click these for large blow-ups.



As for this revolver, my hypothesis is that either:

• The revolver was procured by WSP for further transfer of ownership to an officer as his personally owned sidearm (and thus not marked as agency property); or
• It was procured for ownership by the WSP, but their practice at the time did not include rollmarking their agency revolvers; or
• Somebody did one fantastic job of removing a rollmark.

I would be quite interested to know if anyone has information as to WSP practices in the late 1930s.

These agency revolvers are treasures!

Curl

That is a nice brace of S&Ws for sure. I love any old gun with service history like that, especially S&Ws.

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Some Might Say.

Great pictures of a couple of great looking revolvers. Looking at the pictures and reading through the thread one can't help but think how the times have changed...when these revolvers were standard issue for our men in blue they were the state of the art in police guns, and the guys wearing them were proud and happy to have them. These old wheelguns look so archaic by todays standards, yet they were all that stood between good and evil back in the day.

Thanks for sharing.

Curl,

I agree that your backstrap on your WSP gun does not look to have been scrubbed......thanks for the share!

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

The check was cashed for my letters on 12/5/19 so just about a month so far.......figure it will be February at the least before I see anything show up in the mail......but we are getting closer!

Happy New Year!

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

Received the two letters from Roy on these today......both confirmed as shipped to the Washington State Patrol and both confirmed to be marked "Washington State Patrol" on the backstrap's by the factory. I am thrilled to have confirmation on these two pieces of history!!

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

Nice to have the proof that the factory did mark them.

I cringe at the thought of an agency stamping new guns right through a factory finish. I wonder if the font could be picked or if it just evolved through the years.

I see a slight problem. Both revolvers are stamped "WASHINGTON STATE PATROL", not "POLICE."

You might want to drop Roy a line about that.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Yes, I caught that as well after reading the letters through again.

Roy refers to WSP as "Washington State Police" in all instances in the letter instead of "Washington State Patrol"

I have sent an email to Roy to see if I can get this corrected.

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

Got an email from Roy this morning and he will revise the letters.

Apparently the clerk that made the entries on the original invoices used the word POLICE in place PATROL hence the incorrect wording in the letters.

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

Roy has made the correction to the letters and all is well.......

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303