I just bought it from a fellow that owned it for 30 years. It's really nice, and had pach. Grips. I am going to order some stags for it.

Very sweet!

Congratulations!

Very nice and I agree, that gun deserves better than a pair of ugly old
goodyears.

I think those are some of the best guns S&W ever made. And, imagine, it was an economy gun in its day.

4" N frames. Gotta live them. Nice score.

Hi
An HP with a 4" barrel was my first S&W revolver, many, many years ago. I've had a number of them since that time and they remain among my most favorite guns. Currently a 4" 28-2 is one of my revolvers that gets shot the most. Two of my boys had these for their first revolvers as well. Wonderful guns! Congratulations on a good find.
I now see a lot more of them for sale with the 6" barrel than with the shorter one, and prices are rising. There was a time not all that long ago, you could pick up the 4" HP for around $200-$250. Not any more!
Here's a pic of a recent rapid fire target shot with a 4" HP - 25 yards.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

I removed the pach grip and the surface underneath is perfect. I think I will order some stag grips this week from Grashorns.

Anyone have a suggestion for OWB holster? I like Mernickle stuff but have never used it. I see that Milt Sparks has the PMK.

Contact Ray at Lobo Leather. He's here on the forum as well

I wonder why no one calls them Firestones or Uniroyals?

Yep, so well recall my entry into centerfire revolvers in the mid-'70's. The M28 was 'the working man's .357'. The 'econo-revolver', all business and none of the that shiny stuff. Mid-$200's price range.

I obtained a 6" M28 back then, as I was a new handloader and was brewing nuclear .357 loads that I was quite proud of. The M28 handled stuff that I'd NEVER put in any revolver that I cared about now.

Traded off the 6" M28 and picked up a 4" a few years back. Think a bunch of it.

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

Period correct non diamond N frame Magnas are fairly easy to find also. You might get lucky and find some unnumbered ones!

Two of my 28s, both with Grashorns, on the top (57 no dashes on the bottom)

Attached Images

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Even older, even crankier....

I'm going with some of those Grashorns. I love the contrast.

Great looking patrolman ya got there. Put a decent set of grips on her and she is ready for some shooting.

Congrats, that's a nice find. Now put some proper grips on it and all will be right with the world.

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SFC, US Army, Retired

A set of Kuracs would go real nice on her too:

Perhaps the off brands and unmarked ones get called
Firestones or Uniroyals.

I am always in wonder of those who delight in bashing and demeaning the Pachmayr and Hogue rubber grips. They may not be beautiful, but I find them to be far preferable to and more serviceable than any other kind for shooting purposes. And you don't need to worry about damaging them - in fact you cannot damage them. Finally, you can't beat the price. Any gun I get, about the first thing I do is remove and store away the original stocks and put on a pair of rubber ones.

Congratulations on your 28 purchase! My 28 no dash was my 1st. N purchase. It is a no dash, 6" from 1960. Mine is currently wearing Herrett target grips. Almost every Smith I own has factory target grips. Enjoy your 28! Bob

Never seen anyone say they didn't work, but they sure are ugly! I probably have 10 pair of them hanging around.....

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Even older, even crankier....

I second the motion of giving the Pachs a try before laying out big $$$ on something else.

Does anyone else ever notice how folks laud the M28 as "a working man's gun", "all business, no frills, no nonsense", etc., etc. ... Then the first thing they want to do is buy the fanciest / costliest stocks they can find for it!

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You're shy a few manners.

So true....back in the day all you saw was service stocks or pachmeyer on them as they sat on dealers shelves forever.Glad to see this model ,which was my very first gun get the respect that it seldom got when it was in production.To the OP, a set of dark walnut service or target stocks would look great as well.

28's are worthy, in my opinion, of having fancy handles put on them. They have to be a certain style, and not everything works on them, like they do on some others, but they dress up nice.

All in fun DWalt. No doubt they are cheap and practical and
cushion recoil with heavy loads but.......they's ugly.

I never lauded the gun as no frills, or a working man's gun. I just like the fact that this example is in nearly perfect condition, and I like stag grips. Actually, I prefer ivory above all else. Nevertheless, this gun is really nice, and it shoots well.

I'd get the orginal grips for it too so the value will go up on the original ones.

If I or I would assume many call them goodyears then it's all tongue in cheek good humor. They are usually very functional as long as they fit your hand and shooting style.

But they are known to trap moisture under them so it's always scary to look under a set that have been on for a long time. Did they RIG or did they rust...

Bob speaks truth. I pull the Pachs and Houges from every gun I get thats wearing them. Some really nice guns Ive gotten have had deterioration under them.

I actually prefer the Magnas on a square butt gun for heavy recoil. I do like to add a Tyler though.

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Even older, even crankier....

I bought mine from the original owner of 34 years, complete with box and copy of original receipt, just a few months ago.
They look much more original with factory grips than aftermarket, as they were service weapons.
I'm sure you will enjoy yours

I pulled the grips off a few days ago, hoping I wasn't going to find a mess. Not a single blemish under there! Maybe I will look for some original looking grips for the gun, if there are any to be had.

They should be fairly easy to find on either ebay or GB.
Good decision.

Maximumbob54: "....they are known to trap moisture under them so it's always scary to look under a set that have been on for a long time. Did they RIG or did they rust...."

That's been my experience too. Rubber grips are notorious for trapping moisture under them and causing corrosion. I may put a set on to use in the field, but I always take them off before the gun goes back into the safe.

You weren't kidding when you said you bought a nice one. The build quality of these earlier Smiths is the reason we old guys prefer the older S&Ws.