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S&W Revolvers: 1961 to 1980 3-Screw PINNED Barrel SWING-OUT Cylinder Hand Ejectors WITH Model Numbers


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  #51  
Old 06-20-2011, 11:35 PM
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I think this is a QSPR. Is it the same guy in the video clip?
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  #52  
Old 06-20-2011, 11:55 PM
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Originally Posted by 29-1 View Post
".... More later "
Chuck
I really look forward to it Sir!
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  #53  
Old 06-21-2011, 08:35 AM
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Default Thank you very much for sharing this.

One of the most historical Smiths I have read about in a long time. Simply Excellent post & thread.
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  #54  
Old 06-21-2011, 03:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kwill1911 View Post
I think this is a QSPR. Is it the same guy in the video clip?
Kevin, you are my hero! The History Channel folks will not sell their clips and my fear is that the clip I posted may be the only one still in existence that shows a QSPR and that it will be lost in cyberspace some day. Yes it is the same guy! Is there a link to the source for this picture?
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Old 06-21-2011, 04:10 PM
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Chuck,

I just sent you an email with a couple of links that may help you.

Regards,
Kevin Williams
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  #56  
Old 06-21-2011, 07:53 PM
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Great post!

Here's the best I could do on a screen shot:

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Old 06-22-2011, 04:36 AM
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Great post!

Here's the best I could do on a screen shot:

Bob, thanks very much. That is exactly the angle I was looking for.

Chuck
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  #58  
Old 06-22-2011, 06:21 AM
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Obviously the gun is a very rare piece. But the project seems ludicrous to me. All that expense and bother? I'd rather stick in some ear plugs and take a 1911 into a tunnel.
Thanks for volunteering, we'll be right here when you get back.
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  #59  
Old 06-22-2011, 08:45 AM
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I really look forward to it Sir!
AMEN. I cant wait. Dont make us wait to long.....
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  #60  
Old 06-22-2011, 06:30 PM
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Thanks again to the many folks on this forum who provided info on this rare Model S&W. You know who you are and it is most appreciated. This will be ressurected in a more detailed article complete with original Army reports and soldier's accounts of using the TG in combat. Quite a story still to be told about the 44 Magnum that had such a short life.
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  #61  
Old 06-25-2011, 01:16 PM
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BTT with Field and Stream reference.
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  #62  
Old 06-25-2011, 08:13 PM
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Just saw this, Chuck. Great job and great thread! Thanks...
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  #63  
Old 06-30-2011, 04:36 PM
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There was a new show on the "Outdoor Channel" last night called Gun Stories. It was on in another room where I could only hear it. I heard them mention the tunnel rats. I did not get in the room qiick enough to see what they were talking about. May be worth checking out.
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  #64  
Old 07-01-2011, 01:41 AM
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Originally Posted by boykinlp View Post
There was a new show on the "Outdoor Channel" last night called Gun Stories. It was on in another room where I could only hear it. I heard them mention the tunnel rats. I did not get in the room qiick enough to see what they were talking about. May be worth checking out.
That was all 1911, no revolvers pictured or mentioned. Pretty good show if you like the 1911 btw.
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  #65  
Old 07-01-2011, 07:30 AM
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That was all 1911, no revolvers pictured or mentioned. Pretty good show if you like the 1911 btw.
I'll have to go find this program. The 1911 was the standard tunnel gun because it was the standard issued side arm. It was just too loud and so the Army went looking for something quieter and more manageable. Too bad the TG and the Quiet Special Purpose Revolver that it evolved into never had the chance to ultimately prove itself.
Thanks for keeping this thread alive folks, because it really speaks to much more than a revolver/special ammunition. The QSPR story really is about the brave young soldiers of my and many of your's generation who fought and died in the tunnels of a country and in a war that they were drafted to fight in, yet they did so because it was their patriotic duty and their upbringing by the Greatest generation of soldiers before them. Think about these young men and women and those stuck in some hole on earth today while you are celebrating the 4th of July with your friends and family.
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  #66  
Old 07-04-2011, 09:24 AM
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Here is a Pic Kevin sent of a soldier from the 25th ID wearing what was known as the Tunnel Exploration kit. I'll start another link on this interesting setup.
Chuck

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  #67  
Old 07-16-2011, 07:41 AM
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BTT for a friend.
Chuck
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  #68  
Old 07-16-2011, 09:09 AM
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Chuck,
Thanks for the most interesting topic I've seen in years!
You've really fleshed-out a historically mysterious weapons system.
Don
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  #69  
Old 07-17-2011, 12:40 AM
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Chuck,
Thanks for the most interesting topic I've seen in years!
You've really fleshed-out a historically mysterious weapons system.
Don
Don, it's been a lot of fun, and I still have a few things more to report about the TG as soon as I get the documentation.
Chuck
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  #70  
Old 07-17-2011, 02:56 PM
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I absolutely cannot imagine the cajones it took to be a tunnel rat. Thanks for an interesting read.
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  #71  
Old 07-18-2015, 10:42 PM
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I can't find the reference right now, but I think the French suppressed a revolver by adding a shroud around the cylinder.
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  #72  
Old 07-21-2015, 02:16 PM
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now this is something you don't see everyday....thank you for sharing
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Old 07-21-2015, 05:25 PM
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I saw this gun demonstrated at Ft Bragg in 1971 at a symposium for new developments for Viet Nam. Another interesting item seen there was a silent M79 grenade launcher, or actually a silent round for the M79. It used a cartridge case with an accordion folded part of the case that contained all the propellant gasses when fired. I had already done my tour in VN, so don't know if either was ever used.
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  #74  
Old 07-21-2015, 07:45 PM
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Over 20 years ago, I had an employee who was a former tunnel rat (Marine or Army, I don't remember). He was not much for talking about his experiences, but told me once he used a .38 revolver. What kind, I don't know. He bought a ticket home by running over the edge of a cliff while fleeing a VC ambush and breaking his back. He was about what you'd expect as a tunnel rat, a small, wiry guy. The experience definitely had a lasting effect on his (unusual) personality.
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  #75  
Old 06-11-2017, 10:00 AM
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This is a very old thread, I realize but, why would BATF require the barrel plugged on a short barreled model 29? IE: Blauvelt Conversion to exact original specs but false/plugged barrel to meet BATF compliance.
Steve
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  #76  
Old 06-11-2017, 11:32 PM
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Thank you for sharing OP!!!

Not the same revolver but gives an idea of the size of some tunnels they might have been in......



Another interesting revolver for what looks like the same mission / use... However you would say that properly.




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  #77  
Old 06-12-2017, 07:28 AM
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This is a very old thread, I realize but, why would BATF require the barrel plugged on a short barreled model 29? IE: Blauvelt Conversion to exact original specs but false/plugged barrel to meet BATF compliance.
Steve
Hi Steve, the original TG barrels were smooth bore and those are illegal to own unless the gun has been declared a C&R by the BATF. And since there are no known examples outside government hands, getting one declared a curio and a relic will be an effort for sure, if even possible.
Thanks for reviving this old post. It is certainly an interesting weapon but more importantly it brings back to mind those brave American soldiers who fought and died in Vietnam.
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Old 06-12-2017, 07:41 AM
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Awesome article !

A question popped up -- If the cartridge was .526, why would a M29 cylinder used instead of a Model 25 cylinder ?
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Old 06-12-2017, 12:19 PM
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Hi Steve, the original TG barrels were smooth bore and those are illegal to own unless the gun has been declared a C&R by the BATF. And since there are no known examples outside government hands, getting one declared a curio and a relic will be an effort for sure, if even possible.
Thanks for reviving this old post. It is certainly an interesting weapon but more importantly it brings back to mind those brave American soldiers who fought and died in Vietnam.
Chuck
Thanks, I thought I'd read entire thread but, didn't see it was a shotgun barrel.
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Old 06-12-2017, 02:16 PM
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Awesome article !

A question popped up -- If the cartridge was .526, why would a M29 cylinder used instead of a Model 25 cylinder ?
I assume it had to do with the case hardening on the 44 Magnum components. Also remember the round itself was the actual weapon and the revolver was designed to accommodate the round. Good question.
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  #81  
Old 10-02-2023, 10:42 AM
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Forgive me for resurrecting this old post, but it seemed better over starting a new one.

Two questions come to mind.

1. Does the gun have a crane lock? Looks like it would need it, unless the “shotgun” ammo alleviated the need for precise alignment.

2. Ammo… Did the cartridge bleed off internal pressure? If yes, I would think the gun would hiss or whistle when fired. If no, I would expect the primer to back out and lock it up. Could this be the “reliability problems” mentioned?
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  #82  
Old 10-02-2023, 10:50 AM
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Question #2 answered here: The Tunnel Gun's 43rd Birthday

The primer was “internal”; it was covered by a screw-on cap and there was an intermediate anvil. So no backing out; which implies the cartridge was NOT designed to vent pressure.
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Old 10-02-2023, 11:13 AM
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MANY years ago I had looked at the TW and the Limited Warfare Laboratory's handling of it. Very interesting stuff.

Whats interesting is that the soviets used a similar captive piston round but in a derringer, thus eliminating some of the complexities needed to make the rounds work in a revolver.

I'd have to look in my notes from back then (at school right now) but I recall there was a Central American assassination where the two entry wounds were spaced the exact same distance apart as the barrels on the Soviet silent derringer and that witnesses reported no audible gunshots when the hit took place.

Captive piston technology needs to explored more; its quite interesting!

Best,
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  #84  
Old 10-02-2023, 11:39 AM
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The cartridge was a heavy steel cylinder that held the gas after it was discharged. That is what allowed the revolver cylinder walls to be so thin. (They were reamed out to 0.528.) That also made the ammo dangerous if it went off in a fire or some other accident so a special ammunition can was used for storage that was line with 1/8" steel.
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  #85  
Old 10-02-2023, 01:03 PM
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I don't have any first hand information about this highly modified M-29 but I did arrive in country about the same time as they did, July, 1969. My battalion HQ was in Cu Chi but my company, the 187th AHC was just a little more out in the bad lands, Tay Ninh. The 25th ID was one of our main customers. We carried them on countless combat assaults and other, more specialized missions, including their CRIP platoon, which I think I've written about here in the past.

The VC tunnel system was wide spread, from the Mekong Delta up through the piedmont terrain and jungles of III Corps. That's not to mention the huge underground complex on the Cambodian side of the border, which were not just spider holes. 25 ID, 9 ID, 199 Light, 5 SFG and others, and the people like us who supported them paid a heavy price dealing with with the VC, and NVA tunnels.

Thank you 29-1 (75th Ranger) for your original post on this very unusual weapon used on a very difficult mission.
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Old 10-02-2023, 01:08 PM
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saw a good article on these is Man at Arms magazine a while back. Were talking about the Hush Puppies and the M29 Tunnel Gun. Will see if I can find the article.
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Old 10-02-2023, 01:44 PM
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Quote:
Will see if I can find the article.
Yes, please.
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Old 10-02-2023, 01:52 PM
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Post #12, Smokey04 is correct.
Earplugs in that situation is a death wish.
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Old 10-05-2023, 08:44 PM
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I found the article that I was referring to in a previous post.

" "Tunnel Weapon" (later named the Quiet Special Purpose Revolver or QSPR). It was a modified S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum revolver that fired silent shot shells. When fired, 15 tungsten pellets were pushed out by an internal piston that was captured by the case, thereby containing the noise and flash."
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Old 10-05-2023, 08:52 PM
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Oh yeah, I'm quite familiar with that article. :-)
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Old 10-05-2023, 09:55 PM
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Thought I'd repost a pic of the subject of this thread from about 12 years ago. Good to see this post get revived. It was an interesting concept in 1969 that unfortunately came a little too late to see much use in the VC tunnels of the Viet Nam war. I'll try and round up the rest of the original posting which was lost after the Foto Time disaster several years ago, if there's any interest.
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Old 10-05-2023, 11:57 PM
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Thought I'd repost a pic of the subject of this thread from about 12 years ago. Good to see this post get revived. It was an interesting concept in 1969 that unfortunately came a little too late to see much use in the VC tunnels of the Viet Nam war. I'll try and round up the rest of the original posting which was lost after the Foto Time disaster several years ago, if there's any interest.
Chuck
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The article is from "Man at Arms for the Gun and Sword Collector" Oct. 2016.
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Old 10-06-2023, 08:41 AM
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Originally Posted by 29-1 View Post
Thought I'd repost a pic of the subject of this thread from about 12 years ago. Good to see this post get revived. It was an interesting concept in 1969 that unfortunately came a little too late to see much use in the VC tunnels of the Viet Nam war. I'll try and round up the rest of the original posting which was lost after the Foto Time disaster several years ago, if there's any interest.
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The example in this photo is factory NIB. I would like to see one after or during the test period. I know they lived a short but vigorous life.

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Old 10-06-2023, 10:03 AM
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I think if you just rifled it you’d have no problems with the ATF. It’s not like you’ll have any of the orig ammo to shoot, and if you want the big chambers there’s nothing else safe to shoot either.
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Old 10-06-2023, 10:15 AM
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Here's a great article on the QSPR.

http://https://weaponsman.com/the-qu...pose-revolver/
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Old 10-06-2023, 11:23 AM
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Link doesn't work but I found the article. It is pretty good but it says the pellets were depleted uranium. I have all the government reports and not one of them agrees.
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Old 10-06-2023, 11:41 AM
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This is the magazine that I referenced Magazine - Mowbray Publishing I guess that you must be a subscriber. To research the site. The funny thing is the magazine shown on their website is the magazine I referenced. The October 2016 issue,it has a seven page article "Smith & Wesson Silenced Pistol" in it. Kevin is that yours?
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Old 10-06-2023, 12:09 PM
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Yes. Since I wrote that almost 8 years ago I'm in the process of revising and updating it. It will be in a future issue of the S&WCA Journal.
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Old 10-06-2023, 12:15 PM
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Quote:
In would like to see one after or during the test period.
I've got lots of pictures but none of one well used. The Tunnel Weapon was blue and one of the problems was rust on it and the ammo. When it was revised and renamed the Quiet Special Purpose Revolver (QSPR), they started putting a Teflon finish on them. They also added a lanyard loop. The ammo was quite unreliable initially so they tweaked it as well.

I know of one specific incidence of use in the tunnels (NVA was killed) but they were also used successfully on ambush and search/destroy missions.
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Old 10-06-2023, 01:26 PM
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I think the lanyard loop would be a "must have" down in the hole.
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