I got my first Smith & Wesson revolver as a gift when I was 16, in 1968. My friends and I all thought that a double action revolver should be a Smith & Wesson, a single action should be a Colt and an automatic should be a Colt Government Model. While I've branched out considerably since those days the prejudicial feelings still echo.
Regards,
turnerriver

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turnerriver

It probably didn't work out for the flippers, but it worked out fine for some of us. My 29-2 was purchased in 1979 at a premium price of $500. I think they were supposed to be around $350. I still have that beautiful revolver sitting in my vault. I've enjoyed it for the past 36 years and really don't miss that $150 a bit.

Born in '56 and raised that if it was round it should be S&W, if flat then Colt lol. All my dad's buddies (and dad) carried at least one S&W-most carried two. None of them would carry a Colt revolver, they all felt Smith was superior and more durable.

In the 70s my circle felt the same way with a rare Hi-Power or model 59 thrown in for good measure. Knew one deputy that carried a Python.

By the time I started buying guns in 1982,only the Colt Python was going for more than a Smith & Wesson. Ruger was starting to be the .357 wheel gun to buy at this time,due to durability and strength.It wasn't long before the wondernine craze took off killing almost all interest in revolvers from any manufacturer.Both the Python and Bren Ten were selling for $500.00 by 1985.

Growing up I didn't know anyone who owned a handgun. My mother was much of the opinion that the only people who had them were cops and bootleggers. (I often wondered about that picture of my father, standing next to a 40 Ford Coupe, holding a brace of what appeared to me to be Smith & Wesson 38's. I was pretty sure they weren't "toys" as I was told when I asked about them. And my dad wasn't a cop.)

Still the TV shows of the 50's and 60's were mostly westerns and cop shows. I really wanted a handgun.

The first S&W I bought was a Model 19...probably a -4 (and my mother predicted I was going to hell in a handbag), but I didn't know anything about such things then. The dealer told me, "They're not as good as they used to be." even then. That was in the late 70's...maybe early 80's.

Things haven't changed. I bought a Model 69 a week or so ago. The dealer told me, "They're not as good as they used to be."

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John 3:16 .

that probably 90% of the LE agencies in the US then mandated revolvers (usually a choice between S&W and Colt), the S&W revolvers were the overwhelming choice - thus were highly regarded.

I grew up in the 80s, and was out of the house by 87. Growing up S&W revolvers were generally considered excellent, as were Colts. Most folks favored one or the other. There were a few that poopooed both saying they were junk, some things never change.

Firearms taste have changed greatly since my youth. Growing up in rural south central Kentucky, the only semi-auto anything I knew about was my friends dad's Reminton model 11 shotgun and his beloved Colt Woodsman. Everything else was either lever, bolt or revolver. In fact when I visited home in 1992 with a freshly purchased Chinese SKS, everyone asked "what do you need that for", well most did. Now if you show up with a freshly purchased lever rifle you'll get that same response.

In the mid 70's when I started getting into handguns S&W had some pretty stiff competition from Colt, Dan Wesson & a fledgling Bill Ruger. Kind of taken for granted IMO, unless you really knew guns. I made all my personal expenses (beer $) flipping mdl 10's when Leos were allowed to upgrade to 357's. Bought them for app 35$ at one shop, drove them to another & sold them for a 5-8$ profit, which was enough to get by on then. I never kept 1 more than about 30 minutes. I bought a mdl 10 this spring for 350$.

Good question. In 1977 I had need to get a .357 and had time to select one. I checked colt, ruger and S&W. After testing them in ever store I could find in that section of Texas and NM even though I wanted to be impressed by the ruger and thrilled by the colt, the S&W was without a doubt the best in my opinion. So smooth and well worked compared to the others. A 66 was purchased.

I was around A LOT in those years. And I could not afford to buy junk.

I hope these will help to answer your question...

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

"He was a Texan and a U.S. Border Patrol Inspector."

Bill Jordan was from Louisiana. He was also a WW II Marine Corps officer. He went back to the Border Patrol after the war and when he retired, he became an NRA rep.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Yes, during the period mentioned, Smith&Wesson was on top when it came to revolvers. Colt was a close second with the smoothest double action. And, as someone already mentioned, Ruger showed up. I feel you can't beat the old Smith revolvers from that period and before. Right now, I don't care for the new products, I always seek out the older models. This week I found and purchased a real nice model 63 (1982 vintage).

I have recently been going through back issues of 1950s-70s "American Rifleman". Ruger advertised a lot...Colt and S&W not very much.
Looks-wise, I liked the "aggressive" look of the S&W revolver. Colt looked a bit "static" to me. But there were "Colt people" vs "S&W people", just like "Lionel" vs "American Flyer" kids back in the old days.

I started on a NJ PD back in 1975 and was immediately issued a new in box, four inch, blued M-19-2. We carried either Super-Vel or S&W Fiochi 125 gr ammo.

I bought a 2" M-60 almost immediately as an OD gun. Also carried a .380 Walther PPK/s off duty. (I'm a big 007 fan)

I was around for the beginning of the 9mm craze. An area Dept issued M-59's and from then on, it was semi-autos all the way. Few NJ Departments issued or did I ever see many Colt's on fellow Officers. Maybe they were prevalent someplace, but not in Central NJ.

When I started with the MT Hwy Patol in 1985 I was issued a new M28-3 with 125 gr +P .38's. We carried those until the late 80's then went with Smith 5903's in nine.

I never felt undergunned or that I had been issued less than stellar gear with the Smiths.

If watching TALES of the GUN, S&W doesn't get you interested in s&w I give up. We can own, touch a piece of history, shoot it too. S&W is a world leader when it comes to design, innovation like the bored through cylinder, inventing new calibers, magnum calibers. Supplying a overseas market in the late 1800's.

If we write down all the things that s&w has done for the gun designs no one comes close.

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Plant garlic in the fall

Was this Trader's, The one with a police lightbar running out front?

IIRC, it was Robert's Sporting Goods, which is/was either downtown or just across the dividing line in southside.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Started LE in 1962. S&W was what 99% of my area officers carried. One reason was a S&W was a few dollars cheaper than a Colt which was a main concern of paychecks of that day. ( my starting pay was $2600.00 a year). My wife and I come from a long line of Lawmen. The service weapons preferred by both families from the past were COLTS either .38spl with six inch barrel or Model 1911 .45acp. I began with a used Colt Trooper 4" .38spl in a CROSS DRAW holster. This quickly changed when my agency sent me to a FBI sponsored Police school. Then it was a S&W in a Don Hume border patrol style rig.

That place is LOOOOOONNG gone. He had a reputation for not being friendly.

I started at TXDPS in 1959. My first issue sidearm was a prewar .38 Special Heavy Duty. I liked it. In the early 60s, Colt got the contract with the original Trooper, a Python in work form. Lots of guys liked them, but most of us found the lock work a little delicate. I came up with a set of the older target grips that were checkered all the way to the top. My lieutenant liked them. I liked his hardly used 4" 28, and got him to swap with me.

I carried that one for years, learned to shoot to competition level with it, had it tuned by our armorer. In the mid 80s, the gun had a lot of wear. An old hand who was an administrator, and who likely never even shot for qualification, retired and turned in his 28, another S frame from the same batch as mine. Mechanically perfect, showing only some holster wear, I arranged to trade for it. Our armorer installed a combat trigger and polished the innards. When the revolvers were retired, we were allowed to purchase them at trade in price (i.e., inexpensive).

I bought my two issue .357s. The above and a pre-war 1940 unregistered model ( rarer than registered) that was originally issued to a Texas Ranger. I have the inventory paper trail from 1946-7 on. That was when the inventory procedure was promulgated. We assume the same ranger that had it when the inventory procedure started had it from new. He was an old hand. At one point Ranger C had the gun refinished at S & W. The thing I notice is the lettering on the left of the 3 1/2" barrel is a little thin. Old Texas lawmen were prone to use the sidearms as a club at times. I suspect a little pitting from blood and he wanted it cleaned up. The front sight is perhaps a replacement as it is round on top, but it could have been ordered that way.

Bottom line, our agency had a love affair with S & W revolvers, but also with Colt 1911s. I also have one of those issued to a trooper originally in the forties.

IMHO, S&W revolvers rule. Side note: I was also issued a 2" pre 10 from about 1951. They did not sell those until after I retired. Darn! A year or so back, I walked into a pawn shop and found an identical one, almost mint, C prefix, priced at about a third of what it is worth, and it followed me home.

Best,

Jack

daddy bear,

WHERE ARE THE PICTURES?????????????????????????

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

My first duty handgun was a M67 and I purchased an Ashland M60 with adjustable sights as an OD. I lusted for a Python or Diamondback but got over that when I got my 686 no dash. Still would love a snake gun but current prices prohibit that. S&W and Colt were the gold standard. Rugers were looked at as tools, good,strong hammers.

I grew up in the 70s loving the 357mag.as a kid Id always ask cops if that a 357 mag you have. most in my town carried model 66s and 19s. when I got out of the army in 1987 I got my first 357 mag a 5 inch model 27. and no I don't have it any more. but like was said if a revolver get a colt or S&W and a 45 acp get a colt 1911

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God save the SOUTH

I wasn't around in the 50s, was a bit too young in the 60s, but was definitely active and involved in the 70s!
I'll concur with pretty much most of what's been mentioned already. I'm surprised nobody brought up GCA 68! This awful piece of legislation set back firearms rights by a massive degree and left citizens and the entire industry in shock. Many were expecting an all-out handgun ban. Combined with a few other societal issues, and it was, in many ways, a pretty bad time to be a gun owner, … or a gun company!
So, I'll just add a few points, (mostly from a target shooter perspective):
-Colts and Smith & Wessons of the 60s and earlier were already being perceived as better made, fitted and timed compared to contemporary examples. A nice example of either maker made in the 50s or 60s would generally be worth a premium over a similar 70s example, at least to knowledgeable shooters.
This can be a contentious point to a lot of people, because lock up and trigger pull, two obvious and demonstrable characteristics, are not necessarily complete indicators of quality fitting. Both Colt and S&W used to have expert fitters who could really tweak things like crane alignment, ratchet fitting, cylinder-to-bore alignment and parallelism, etc.
-At the same time, both the ammo and reloading industries shifted towards JHPs and JSPs. While much of this could be attributed to the considerable gun press concerning "stopping power", it is my firmly held belief that this was closely aligned to the issue of fit and finishing. Many of the Colts and S&Ws of the 70s shot lead bullets with mediocre accuracy. In some bad cases, bullet fragments would just spit out of the now all-too-often oversized barrel-cylinder gap. The jacketed bullet marketing was a good way to sidestep the real issues and make a lot more money via a more expensive projectile.
-Remember this: Elmer Keith's standard for medium and large frame target-sighted revolver accuracy was 1.5" groups at 50 yards using cast bullet handloads. That standard was slowly becoming harder to attain with any new, out-of-the-box revolver.
-If you wanted the most out of a 70s S&W and bring it up to earlier standards, you generally turned it over to a gunsmith to finish the job that the factory used to do! In some instances, you could have made stuff otherwise unattainable….(With the right 'smith!)
-Colt and Smith & Wesson were both starting to earn a reputation for not listening to the demands of their customers. Nowhere was this more evident than in the case of large bore double action revolvers. I guess you could lay part of the blame with "magnum-itis" and Dirty Harry. But, there was definitely a growing demand for 44 Specials and 45 "Long" Colts, (as we all said to distinguish from the 45 ACP). Even back then, older examples were definitely selling for a premium, if not yet considered "collectible". S&W was just trying to sell all the 29s they could, and Colt was so beleaguered with growing labor and QC issues they couldn't care less about the demands for a large frame revolver (i.e. a "new" New Service!).
-The demand was partially offset by custom gunsmiths converting S&W 28s or Colt New Services, generally by boring out 357 cylinders, fitting NOS barrels (which were quickly disappearing!), or re-boring original barrels.
- One caveat to the forum: Some of my comments are from the perspective of a competitive target shooter. Many of us were already moving away from revolvers to match grade hand-fitted 1911s (Clark, Giles, Shockey, etc.)
-As the 70s wore on, the emergence and growth of IHMSA silhouette shooting simply underscored all or most of my points.
It was generally up to other makers to step up the plate to "take up the slack": i.e. T/C Contender, Seville, and later (to a degree) Ruger.
-For all these reasons and more, one of the nicest, if unintentional, outcomes of the 70s was the rise of the custom pistolsmith, a new type of artisan dedicated to the demands of serious shooters and firearm professionals. But, referring back to the OP, even if the 70s S&W and Colt stuff may not have been quite up to the excellent standards of the previous era, they could certainly lay the foundation for a nice custom job.
Thanks for the chance to ramble on a bit!

Best Regards,
Jim