Heard about this M 58 a while back and been pestering the owner to part with it. Musta caught him in a weak moment... The Roy Jinks letter says it shipped to the San Antonio PD on Oct. 25th, 1974 as part of a "large shipment of Model 58s sent to the City of San Antonio." The letter indicates it shipped with "checkered walnut grips" (not PC?) Shown in photo with an original SAPD badge, S&W brand slapjack and period correct duty leather. This is the only SAPD M58 I have ever seen... there must be others out there???

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Randy
Provenance nerd

Nice find. I wonder how many departments carried the s&w m58's?

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Plant garlic in the fall

There used to be a SA cop named Tom Ferguson. I only met him once, at an NRA convention there, in the Alamo City. Note the shape of the Alamo at the top of the badge.

Tom also wrote for gun magazines. I think I recall him writing about the .41Magnum, but don't remember if he liked it. The gun had too much recoil for many officers, and women and small-handed men preferred smaller guns.

They used the S&W M-10 before the .41 and Ferguson said the 200 grain .38 bullet was a sorry performer. I suspect that a 210 grain lead SWC from a .41 would work better.

Unfortunately, the factories never loaded the police ammo for the .41 right. The lead bullets were too soft and leaded barrels and gave poor accuracy.

Recoil was excessive, especially if a department issued the high velocity jacketed loads, meant for highway patrol and hunting use.

The hardest kicking revolver I ever fired was a M-58 with Pearlite grips. I think the other .41, M-57, with a six-inch bbl. and suitable grips, is a good gun. But ammo is often hard to find and you have to handload to get good "service" ammo. The N-frame is too big for many cops, especially women and some smaller men. Remember, female FBI agents sued to get permission to carry J-frames when even K-framed guns proved to be too large for them.

I think the real answer to better stopping power in cop guns was to improve .38 Special ammo, and that does seem to have largely solved the problem.

The stocks are incorrect. Should be Modified Magnas (PC is a made up term not used by S&W).

I have N178339 and I wonder how close yours is to this?

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No life story has happy end.

A slapper? Oh my, wouldn't the liberals have their shorts in a bunch if that piece of equipment was issued now?

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Metro Man

Few. San Francisco, I think, and San Antonio. I think one North Texas dept. did, but can't recall which. Amarilllo?

Some smaller departments probably got them, and so did some individual officers, where they had a choice. But most seem not to have liked the M-58. See my other post here to see why.

I've owned .44 Magnums that kicked less than the .41 Model 58.

Evan Marshall wrote about carrying his M-58 on the Detroit force. He preferred it to the issue nickel M-10 with five-inch bbl. I'd rather carry a M-10 with today's improved .38 ammo.

Don't have a definitive answer but I believe the San Francisco PD was authorized to carry the .41 and I know the Chicago PD officers also had the option.

Knew one Chicago LEO who said he liked it and to all his buddies who didn't look close, they thought he had a Model 10 just like theirs.


Reform Supt. Orlando Wilson in Chicago was the one who OKd the .41 for his officers. He was a criminologist brought in after the so-called Summerdale scandal in which it was revealed that
officers from the Summerdale District were moonlighting as store burglars. One time the burglars almost opened fire on
fellow Summerdale officers who were doing security checks and weren't in on the thievery.

About 1973, the Pennsauken Police Department (a suburb of Philadelphia) switched over to the Model 58. It was the only department in Southern New Jersey that I am aware of that carried 41s.

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Judge control not gun control!

The M58 was authorized by the Birmingham, Alabama PD, if loaded with the 210 grain lead police load. I once owned a factory nickel M58 that had been owned by a B'ham sergeant.

Tom Ferguson liked his M58, according to the articles of his I read.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

i have one of those 58s with the same markings,got it a pawn shop in newnan,ga.

Way to go Randy, but I think I see Scott sneakin' up behind you.

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Sure you did

Nevada State police were issued the 58.

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Living a dream - S&WCA #2364

Irrifleman- Mine is one of the Pennsauken revolvers. Got it around 1988 when a dealer was clearing them out at $189 each. Came with a Bianchi basket weave holster in black and matching 12 round drop pouch.

Should have bought them all and cleaned up a few years later.

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No life story has happy end.

Definitely a neat gun along with the other goodies! Thanks for sharing! Bob

Google is your friend.

I have a nickel 58 from 1973. I bought it from our boss (Handejector) at the Richmond SWCA meeting. It had been fitted with a target hammer, trigger a red insert front sight and Pachmayrs. Probably a southern law enforcement gun. I sent it back to the factory to be re-nickeled.

Saxon,

Congratulations on your acquisition! There is a lot of untold history behind those revolvers. If you can find the article from the Philadelphia Inquirer's Sunday magazine entitled "The Cops That Couldn't Shoot Straight", download it and keep it with your revolver. Our town was much like a northern version of "The Duke's of Hazzard", with our own "Boss Hogg".

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Judge control not gun control!

awwwww c'mon......I wouldn't do anything like that

And yeah, the Magnas are not correct, but I do know where there might be a set of non-diamond PC magnas hiding out at

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On the Oak Savannah

Great acquisition. I still have my slapper from those uniform days in the mid '72 through '78 time frame. May have to dig the thing out but don't think it was an S&W. We had to buy our own equipment and I probably couldn't afford one that nice. hardcase60.

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You want me to do what?

My model 58, refinished and with diamond targets added, was shipped in September 1964 for the Amarillo PD. It still shoots great!

Another marvelous piece of Texas LEO history. Interesting that Amarillo had a mix of 57s and 58s. I wonder what that was all about.

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Randy
Provenance nerd

Back in the olden days of law enforcement, (1972) that narrow pocket on the right side of the uniform pants, where "modern" coppers carry pens, cell phones and mini flash lights, was what cops called a "Sap Pocket" and used it for what it was designed for. I carried a "Flat Sap" like pictured. It was used for up close and personal combat where a night stick (Oops, BATON) was too big.

Hi:
I recall Tom Ferguson's articles. On the article about S.A. Model 58 I recall that the .41 ammo that his agency received was in bad shape as somewhere the trucking company had let the ammo pallet sit outside on the loading dock during bad weather. His female partner carried a .38 revolver which he was ok with as she was an excellent shot.

Let us not forget the "Convoy" blackjack" which was a real attention getter and a great "Attitude Adjuster".

Two interesting hings in the M58 letter. About 40% of the guns were 57s. Who got those? Some cops want target guns while others wanted service guns? And the letter uses the term PC for the stocks. I have always seen Modified Magnas used in the letters.

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No life story has happy end.

My foray into the S&W .41 Magnum Family has resulted in two guns - a Model 57 with 8-3/8" barrel - my local shop had it on GunBroker - I was the only and the winning bidder.

The other gun is a 4" Model 58, found one day at a gun show in Birch Run, MI. I'm into both guns for around $700 each - did I say they were both Nickel plated?

I have a friend, retired from the SFPD, who fondly remembers carrying his Model 58 on duty. I love the .41 Police!


*.41 Magnum's original name!

Tom Ferguson wrote mostly for GUNWORLD magazine, in the Dean Grennell era. I enjoyed his writing. He made an effort to have the Model 58 marked as "the .41 Keith" instead of Magnum. He was aware of the power of political correctness to override common sense even then. He had one or more of his personal Model 58's remarked .41 Keith, and he was one of the first to recognize the poor bullet quality and diameter as being central to the police round's lack of accuracy and bore leading. Tom died early from, I believe, cancer.

He was a real Texas cop.

Mr. Ferguson died from lung cancer.(he was a heavy chain smoker)

Ah,the days of wooden ships and iron men.

Batons,billy clubs,pincers,slappers and blackjacks before the days of mace and tasers

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

I recall reading Ferguson's work. He spoke of ditching the 58 in favor of a Model 10 while walking a beat to save weight.

I remember when he passed way too early. Damn cigarettes. My first karate instructor was the toughest man I ever knew. But he smoked and died of lung cancer at 63.

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No life story has happy end.

I have read Tom Fergusons book entitled "Modern Law Enforcement Weapons and Tactics" and probably even still have my beat up old copy somewhere. In the book, he talks extensively about the Model 58 .41Mag. He said the department received an initial shipment of about 400 revolvers, with more to come bringing the total shipment to 1000 units. Mr. Ferguson said the workmanship and quality control on quite a few M58s shipped were terrible; this included 14 being rejected outright for things like rear sights being milled off center and a .44Mag cylinder mistakenly installed in one .41 revolver.

However, he did say the M58 was one of the greatest police revolvers. I tend to agree...

RIP Sergeant Ferguson...

I remember Dad having a "slapjack" in the drawer of his dresser when I was younger. We never did find it after he passed. I would have liked to own it now.

Carried a 58 for 13 years. Right below it was one of those little slappers
in my uniform britches.. I used the sap more than the 58, but it barked a few times too.

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Eccentric old coot

AMARILLO PD, Nevada State Police, Sapd, San Francisco PD
And one unnamed deep south Sheriffs Office issued 58's.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

In spite of some difficulties in the cartridge for police work due to the Smith and Wesson factory and ammunition factories not trying hard enough to get the cartridge right for police work, it is still one of the finest revolvers ever made by Smith and Wesson. Just an oversize Model 10 but built like Sherman tank and perfect for the rigors of everyday carry for field Police Officers, Deputy Sheriffs, and State Patrol Officers.

Ammunition availability not withstanding, I have often pondered the relative virtues of a 41mag revolver vs a 10mm revolver. Any thoughts?

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NRA Benefactor

One of the leading issues with the Model 58 when it first came forth, was the ammo, which was TERRIBLE

Up until last Christmas my Model 58 sat in the safe and only came out once in a blue moon. My dear wife presented me with an RCBS Rockchucker and dies. Now loading 215 LSWC's over 5 grains of Titegroup and my 58 is happier than ever. Also obtained the proper diamond PC stocks from a brother here on the Forum. N Frame Nirvana!!!

...about the same ballistics and the advantage of full moon clips...

I carried two different 58s while serving with Dallas PD back in the 1970s and 80s... Never found it too heavy.

In 1977 when I was a rookie carrying a 29-2 6.5" the guy with the locker next to mine shot and killed a guy with his 58 using handloads. They were in an alley between two building and the when the bullet exited it took a chunk out of one of the bricks... It was a fairly light handload with I believe a Hornady 210 JHP pre-XTP type bullet at about 1000 fps.

Bob

I never could afford a 58 back in the day, but I did carry a S&W Model 1950 Army in .45 ACP for several years. My flat sap, my "Convoy" blackjack, and my "Come-along" (The Claw) are all in a shadow box at my son's house along with one of my badges. All relics of a bygone era, when law enforcement was a totally different game than it is today.

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Retired Dep Sheriff & Armorer

In my early days of law enforcement we bought and carried our own handguns. I carried a model 58 for several years until the department issued model 66's. For some stupid reason I sold that gun. A few years ago my son found a SAPD model 58 in a shop in Slidell, La. I had my son pay the $500 for the 58 and had it shipped to my local dealer. I still have it. It wears Grasshorn stags and a blued Tyler T, just like my old 58. I take it out and run a few rounds through it occasionally. Getting rid of it? Not this time.

I traded into a blued with imitation smoky pearl grips S&W Model 1950 Army .45acp in 1963 with the intention of carrying it as a service revolver.
I sent it back to S&W and had it nickeled plated. I also requested a new barrel be installed as the original barrel was pitted. The factory nickeled plated it but advised that replacement barrels were not available. THEN I discovered that the only service holsters available in my area were cross draw WITHOUT a safety strap. I gave the revolver to my father for a bedside weapon.

Now THAT is a gun for LE! Both the Model 21 (.44 Spl) and Model 22 (aka 1950 Army) are both much lighter than the Model 58 and have enough power with the right loads.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

That's funny,.....I never could find a night stick (Oops, BATON) that I thought was big enough......

If back in the day Winchester or Remington had taken Elmer Keith's suggestion of a semi-wadcutter .44 Special round in the 950-1200 fps range the .41 Magnum would not have been necessary... As it was there was only one round...a 246 grain RN lead bullet at 750 fps...not much better than the .38 Special...

I have a couple of 58's. I load commercial .41 bullets over 6.5 gr. of Red Dot. That load chronos at 950fps. My eyes are not what they used to be so my shooting is usually at 25 feet. I have shot many one hole groups at that range.
Unfortunately, I overcharged one my reloads and damaged the cylinder. When I started looking for a replacement, I found out two different length cylinders were used.
Found a NOS correct length cylinder and need to get it fitted. Dean

In 1976 I bought a 1917 for duty use. I carried mine in a 6" N frame holster.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I have my uncle's old blackjack. Our uniform pants used to have this very narrow but deep pocket on the back right side of the pants. I'm convinced it was put there for a slapper or blackjack. What else would it be for? God knows how many heads it cracked. I know they were never officially authorized, but everybody carried them before my time.

I'd be afraid to use one. I've smacked a 2X4 with them and it sounds like a gunshot. But I still keep it. Just in case. Handy little devils.

The ballistics of the 10mm are more like the .357 Rem magnum, not the .41 Rem magnum. You have to go up to a 10mm magnum to get close to .41 magnum ballastics.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

My sap was made by Tex Shoemaker Co out of Calif. 5 or 6 ozs of powdered lead at the end of that spring steel handle, bound in leather. Never hit anyone in the head with it, but cracked a lot of hands knuckles, fingers, elbows and knees.

They were effective, the liberals introduced us to non invasive arrest control techniques such as the PR24, a Taser and stun gun. These things cause far more trauma without being that effective. I say that as a former Taser instructor. Corrections work in a non weapon environment the Taser is quite needed and effective.