good morning guys, im a austin police officer and have been for over 24 years now i have 4 more to go before i retire, i came on the dept in 1986 and was issued a s&w model 27 3.5in nickle 357mag.

i carried it for along time, then when we were allowed to get automatics i gave the city 27 back HUGE MISTAKE well i could have bought it back from the city for around 150.00!!!!

i did for some reason kept my leather gear holster and spedloaders as well as "loops" for it, i DESP. seeking a "A.P.D. STAMPED MODEL 27" cant remember what my number on it was and wont matter just want to be reunited with an ol friend.

"IF" anyone out there knows where one is for sale or have one they might would part with PLEASE email me at this address [email protected] and pretty much name your price.."i know im opening myself up to that one" but i really want one again, thanks for listening to my rambling and hopefully i can find one here thanks again guys.. from an ol flatfoot...

There is also a want to buy or trade section in the classifieds here. It gets a lot of attention.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/wanted-buy/

did that as well thanks

What bb.length was that gun? Just curious...

T-Star

3.5in model 27-2

Appreciate your service up there in Lib Country.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for a 27.

Good luck and stay safe!

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Professional Trainer

i might be able to assist folks who own retired a.p.d. guns get old retired badges for there diaplays as well as poss get the old 3x5 cards showing when the dept bought the gun as well as who carrried it.

ill be getting more info on this in the up comming weeks...

Hind sight is always what it is. When we transitioned to M&P's I made sure that I bought my issued Glock just for that reason. There is something special about having your duty weapon.

Good luck with your search. You might be able to research your original weapons serial number and get lucky.

donniedee, not trying to be argumentative but I've never heard of a 2" Model 27 or seen anyone write about one. The shortest barrel length offered by Smith on the Model 27s was 3.5". Is that what you are looking for?

Dave

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RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

your right dave my bad will correct tells you how longs it been since ive seen it

ok guys heres the update, i went to the polcie equipment room at the main station and found they still had the huge old 3x5 index card box with the model 27-2 department records in it, although all out of order.

after approx 2 hours of looking i FOUND MY CARD..my 27's number was 284, shows it was turned in by me in 1992 and sold to assistant chief, after a little more footwork i was able to call the retired assistant chief and found he did buy the gun AND still has it.

after telling him i was desp. looking for the gun to pass on to my son as i had carried it for years with the department, first he said " well, send me a letter with all your contact info on it, ill tell my wife and put it with the gun when something happens to me it will be there " then he said "if you can find me another 357 i just keep it in the night stand anyway im in my 80's ill trade you so you can get it back as there's no attachment for it too me".

fast as i could i located him a 4in s&w 65 in stainless steel and called him back, he now said " well i don't want you to be out anything, just send me your information in the mail ill put it with the gun".

the info for my contact as well as the letter stating it was issued to me for years and why i want it back along with a copy of the departments issue card showing this was sent out yesterday, ill wait and see if he calls after reading it till then i just have to wait.....least i know shes not left town and scattered all over the u.s. like the others....no updates till i get a word thanks guys....

This will be great if you can get it back. I will be following this one along to see what happens.

Like the George Peppard used to say on the A team- "I love it when a plan comes together".

Thanks for your service too.

Wow, that's really cool! Good for you. Talk about a needle in a haystack!

Boy I hope that all works out. Keep us posted.

First good luck in the return of your duty gun.

Second, any chance they kept 3x5 cards on the 38/44 Heavy Duties that were issued before the 27's?

Several of us on the forum own some of them. Would be interesting to find out what happened to Ranger Ray's Heavy Duty.

Take Care

ok guys, need some advice,

i mailed the retired chief who now has my ol 27-2 the contact info for me that he requested, would you call him and make sure he got it? stop by his house to talk and look at the ol gun???? or wait to see if he calls me wanting to sell it or trade it back too me??

i don't want to "bug" him...and all asking ref the 38-44 used in the tower shootings, i was told by people in the equipment room they get calls ref these guns all the time, there in the museum downstairs i saw the shotgun today as well as a nickle 38-44.... sorry....

I'd at least wait and give him a chance to take action. If he's in his 80's, he may be slow to getting around to do it, but you don't want to torque him off either.
If you don't hear back in a couple weeks, call him, then if he's fine with it, drop by his home.

I agree with Gun 4 Fun, do whatever it takes but try not to be too much of a pain in the process. Take the 65 and cash with you when you go see him though. It would be nice if he would just take the 65 in trade!

Makes me want to go looking for my first LE gun. I purchased it through the dept. A 1971 66 4". I sold it to one of our Deputies to purchase a 2.5" 66. I asked her if she still had it years later and she told me that she had sold it.

Best of luck, keep us posted.

Tom

he's hard to read, told me he has no attachment to it and understand why i do,,, and that it just sits in his night stand... then said he would trade me for another 357 to sit there, then when i said i found one to buy he said " i dont want you to be put out" send me your information and ill put it with the gun and tell my wife... ill wait a couple of weeks and call see if he did get the letter and offer him the trade again. if he balks ill let it ride till what ever happens happens.... "STAY TUNED" if im able to get her back ill plaster pics all over this page

The man does not want to get rid of the gun right now. He's made you a very generous offer. As others have suggested give it 2 - 3 weeks then follow up, only, to make sure that he has received your letter.

Hint, old folks HATE to be rushed, and I don't blame them.

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Always Stay Strong!

Maybe he realizes his 27 is worth more than a 65 and doesn't want to come out and say it. Perhaps he meant that he would trade for another N-frame, .357 Magnum, with adjustable sights.

Probably looks a lot like this:

Regards,
Kevin Williams

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

donniedee,

Great leg work in locating your old friend. Got my fingers crossed that it comes back to you. Good advice to let the deal cool for a couple of weeks.

Oh yeah, BruceHMX, not to worry. I'm pretty sure that my APD HD is the one that Ranger Ray had.

Bob

I doubt the old gentleman could care less about the money...what he does care about is being able to pick up a "real" handgun should the time ever come...an old school Texas lawman from the mid-20th century would never feel right w/ a stainless K-frame in his hand...find him a 4" Model 27 or really clean Model 28 and approach him w/ that...

no 80-something year old man should be expected to blast a crackhead or heroin addict in his home w/ a revolver weighing less than a Colt .45 using fullblown .357 rounds...it just aint right....

If I were you, I would look for a refinished Model 27 or 28 in 4 inch barrel...that way it's nice & broke-in, looks good, and costs hundreds less than a collector's piece (he's not interested in dollar value...just defense value!)...

Bob:
Did he post that the Model 20 is in their museum? I know 3 guys who have that particular gun.
Ed

Ed,

The APD has consistently said that they didn't keep the numbers of which gun was issued to each officer and Ray Martinez claims that he can't remember the number of his gun. So that means that each of us who own an Austin PD Heavy Duty can vicariously claim that ours is the one that climbed the UT Tower back on August 1, 1966. (I'm pretty sure that it was mine).

Bob

Bob:
Then, I feel honored to know you.
Ed

I hope it works out for you. It's hard to say what would be pushing too hard.

I have my original issued pistol, and it will be passed along to my boy one day.

bob,

a.p.d. dose have a big box with numbers from there models 10...27...66 38 357 i know cause i have access is where i found my orig card anyone with a apd gun needing info pm me ill go back this week and look dont think i saw any for therer 38-44 but ill look

Donnie:
The one in question might be listed as a Model 20 or 20-2.
Ed

ed,

im off today but will get down there sometime this week and check i cant go all the time is why i asked who all needs info on there AUSTIN POLICE GUNS, send me a PM with the model and a.p.d. number ill look it up and send you what i find whats found is the date the dept bought the gun, what they paid for it and who all it was issued too its a huge box and all were types cards have to look by hand as they were dropped several times and are all mixed up but ill do it

This is an interesting research thread. Good suggestions from lots of sources..

If I were you I would present the guy with three different revolvers as options for the trade. Not many people would trade without researching the value of what they have. If they find the value of what you want to trade is significantly less than what their pistol is worth you'd probably not hear from them again.

Having additional trade options would also be a good excuse for contact to determine where you are with the trade status.

This wouldn't be simply a gun trade but seeking a personal heirloom you wouldn't want to miss out on....

JMHO

we have a deal, he just wants a gun for his night stand, and wants a glock 40 said it can be used, well im waiting on a new one in the box to arrive with 3 mags and a box of hollow points ... its a done deal i saw it today she looks awesome.... will post lots of pics when she comes home...

That's great news. I know we are all waiting to see her once she comes "home".

I have been lurking in the shadows reading this thread since it started and just wanted to chime in and say congrats! I am happy for you in that your trusted companion is coming home!

This thread also made me curious... I purchased a 27-2, nickel 3.5" over the holidays here in North Texas and I was wondering if it might be a former LEO sidearm. Was this revolver a standard for Texas LEO's for a period of time? Mine does not show any special markings to indicate it as such. Did most departments mark their guns? If I wanted to research this more... do departments have offical historians or am I at the mercy of lady luck if I want to find out more?

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pax

I, for one, am thrilled for you both...the old Chief should be well served w/ a .40 Glock...

congrats!

swDC,

The M27 was a popular police handgun; some departments marked them and some didn't. Your best starting point to trace the history of your gun would be to spend $50 and get a factory letter. If you are lucky the letter will tell you that it shipped to a specific police department. But since many of those guns were sold commercially it may say that it shipped to a retailer. But that will often be a lead also since many departments, particularly the smaller ones, had a dealer receive the guns for them. You can then contact the Department in that city and ask. Sometimes the selling company is still in business and they can then be contacted for any existing records on your specific gun.
Good luck.

donniedee,
That's great news. Let us see it when you get it...and report on your first return to the range with your "old friend".
B

We will be waiting. You Sir are a lucky man! Let us know how the visit goes too.

Thanks

I love happy endings!

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Doug

well..... im still waiting on him to call, he said he has the letter i sent in his night stand under the 27. and he also told me he likes the glock 22 40cal i sent him another letter telling him id buy his a brand new glock 40 with 3 mags and box of hollow points and deliver it to his door step within and hour, nothing yet...... he did say he was going somewhere for afew days. so here i sit cash in safe and waiting begins. ill post back when i hear something...

The waiting is the worst part.

yes its tough...i want it back sooo bad but i just have to wait....... yes i cant wait very good and i cant make him trade or sell it so....as painfully as it is i have to wait till he gets around to thinking about the new glock.... will post with any new news HOPEFULLY soon

well the ol guy called me asn said he wants to keep "it" in the family so looks like i crapped out on getting my 27 back......

Man that was a long bitter road. Sorry.

I'm sorry that you couldn't be reunited with your sidearm, but don't completely give up hope. Although you can't get it right now; that doesn't mean it couldn't be available in the future. I've seen it happen a lot with old cars - someone's "never" going to sell their old car, but then something happens, and they decide to sell. The best thing you can do is let the family know that if they ever decide to sell it, to put you first on the list. Good luck.

Donnie,

It is tough to come so close to satisfying a desire and then be stopped but Koz has given you excellent advice. The best thing that you can do at this point is to write a very polite note to the retired chief. Express your appreciation to him for his consideration and that you are pleased that your old sidearm is now protecting his family. Ask that he give you consideration if he ever decides to sell it. I can almost assure you that your letter will be stored with the gun.

Then just move on with your life.

I once visited with an older gentleman about a pair of beautiful Parker shotguns. He just couldn't bring himself to part with them. I wrote him a nice letter thanking him for showing them to me and forgot about it. Almost 30 years later I got a call from him as he was moving into a nursing home. He wanted me to have the two Parkers and would only take a small token of their value in exchange. His words were that knowing that they were with someone who would appreciate them meant more than the dollars at that point in his life.

Bob

What a bummer!!! I have been following this thread from the beginning and was hoping that you got it or will be getting it. Instead of a Glock show up at his door with a nice 3.5 27 as a trade or have you tried that?

unable to find one around here just posted a want ad on her ill see what falls from the smith tree

Sorry Bob, but I was told mine is the gun used by Martinez.