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04-16-2017, 03:09 PM
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model 28-2 in 44 special
I have model 28-2 in 44 special with unknown finish, not nickle, very durable. I bought this gun 20 or more years ago from a silhouette shooter. It has a 6 1/4" barrel, is serial # N296655, the top of barrel, front and backstrap are engraved with longitudinal grooves. The gun is a beautiful shooter, I used to carry as backup when hunting. What is this gun? Does it have any value? Thanks for any help, Butch
Last edited by henrympliske; 04-16-2017 at 03:10 PM.
Reason: mistake in model #
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bananaman, Bobbysixkiller, CH4, heater1, jringo8769, ki5mc, Lee's Landing Billy, loc n load, mhg2tld, Muley Gil, S&W Fan, Shark Bait, WC145 |
04-16-2017, 03:17 PM
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Just 28-2 converted to .44SPL. Finish appears to be hard chrome which is durable material. I'd be hard pressed not to buy that at a fair price if I stumbled across it. I'd guess it would pull $550-600 in my area.
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04-16-2017, 03:21 PM
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Interesting mainspring. Was it the recipient of an action job? I have a snub 28-2 that dates to 1978, also converted to .44spl, it's a ton of fun to shoot (now that the initial issues have been taken care of).
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04-16-2017, 03:50 PM
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The finish is probably Armaloy which is a type of hard chrome finish that was popular during the 70s and 80s. I don't recall if they did in house gunsmithing. Your 28 received a model 24 barrel with patridge front sight. The cylinder could have been bored to .44 Spl specifications or a .44 cal cylinder could have been fitted to your 28 frame. Model 28 conversions were not uncommon during that era as .44s were difficult to come by. Most were great shooters as I imagine that yours is.
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04-16-2017, 04:36 PM
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I have a 28-2 that was converted to .44 Special in the early 80's. The work was done by a gunsmith by the name of Leon Smith out of either Redding or Red Bluff California. The reason I mention it is that the main spring treatment is exactly the same as Butch's gun, converting it from the then standard leaf spring to a coil spring. Leon bored out the .357 Mag. cylinder to .44 Special Specifications and installed a shrouded barrel ala Dan Wesson, though the barrels are not interchangeable with the Dan Wesson models. The finish, however, is a very nice high polish blue. Still own and shoot it as it is a lovely piece of gunsmithing and an excellent shooter.
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Last edited by heater1; 04-16-2017 at 04:38 PM.
Reason: More info.
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04-16-2017, 04:56 PM
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Welcome to the Forum. S&W dropped a number of handguns in 1966, including the .44 Specials. In the mid '70s, Skeeter Skelton, who wrote a monthly column for Shooting Times magazine, mourned the loss of the .44 Specials and also felt that S&W should have chambered more revolvers in .45 Colt.
Skeeter took a number of M28s, which were the most common and inexpensive N frames available, to his gunsmith and had them converted to .44S and .45C. Most were converted by fitting factory surplus .44S and .45 ACP barrels and re-chambering the .357 cylinders.
There were many of his readers, including this poor college student, that followed his column eagerly each month. In 1976, I found a 3 1/2" M27-2 for a reasonable price and bought a 6 1/2" .44 Special target barrel from J&G Rifle Ranch. I took everything to Walker Arms in Selma, Alabama and had the conversion done. I later had my conversion cut to 5", a ramp front sight fitted and re-blued.
Later on, I had a M28 converted, as well as two Old Model .357 Magnum Ruger Blackhawks. Skeeter also promoted this conversion.
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04-16-2017, 05:48 PM
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Nice piece. My converted M28-2.
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04-16-2017, 08:53 PM
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FYI, if your cylinder's charge holes are counterbored for the cartridge rims, it is most likely the original .357 cylinder rechambered to .44 Spl. It could just possibly be a shortened Model 29 cylinder - see if a .44 Mag will chamber. If not recessed, it is probably a Model 24 cylinder.
As to value, it is clearly a highly prized shooter, but collector value is nil.
Larry
Last edited by lebomm; 04-16-2017 at 08:57 PM.
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04-16-2017, 09:11 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Muley Gil
Welcome to the Forum. S&W dropped a number of handguns in 1966, including the .44 Specials. In the mid '70s, Skeeter Skelton, who wrote a monthly column for Shooting Times magazine, mourned the loss of the .44 Specials and also felt that S&W should have chambered more revolvers in .45 Colt.
Skeeter took a number of M28s, which were the most common and inexpensive N frames available, to his gunsmith and had them converted to .44S and .45C. Most were converted by fitting factory surplus .44S and .45 ACP barrels and re-chambering the .357 cylinders.
There were many of his readers, including this poor college student, that followed his column eagerly each month. In 1976, I found a 3 1/2" M27-2 for a reasonable price and bought a 6 1/2" .44 Special target barrel from J&G Rifle Ranch. I took everything to Walker Arms in Selma, Alabama and had the conversion done. I later had my conversion cut to 5", a ramp front sight fitted and re-blued.
Later on, I had a M28 converted, as well as two Old Model .357 Magnum Ruger Blackhawks. Skeeter also promoted this conversion.
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A five inch, ejector shroud, tapered barrel, .44SPL? Now THAT is a gun Id like to have!
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04-16-2017, 09:52 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SLT223
A five inch, ejector shroud, tapered barrel, .44SPL? Now THAT is a gun Id like to have!
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Here tis:
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04-17-2017, 10:30 AM
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Shown before, but relevant to this thread. Model 28-2 converted to .44 Spl in the mid-70's by George Matthews of Downey, CA. Like Muley, the barrel came from J&G and the original cylinder was re-bored. The front sight was changed to a gold insert Baughman ramp. Now mounted with a first generation (Japan) ProPoint. Also has a smooth combat trigger. Grips are one-off Micarta Hogues.
Adios,
Pizza Bob
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04-17-2017, 10:43 AM
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I would be thrilled to pick up a converted model 28 in .44 Special. It's a great round, especially with the modern loads that are available now.
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04-17-2017, 12:22 PM
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Thanks for the reply's, Its a beautiful gun but spends all its time in the safe. I'm getting old and dont get out much anymore might want to sell it some day. Thanks again Butch
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04-18-2017, 12:03 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Muley Gil
Here tis:
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I have shot it. It is a jewel. Very, very accurate.
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04-18-2017, 02:07 AM
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Like Muley Gil says, that's just how things wuz back then. We didn't have no new S&W .44 Specials, Al Gore hadn't invented the internet yet so we could find the few already made, SO we made our own. And we liked it.!!!
The late Robert Ballard made me one from a brand new Model 28-2 and a 4 inch S&W .44 barrel in 1977. He didn't countersink the chambers on mine. I wash he would have.
I sold it when it appeared S&W was going to produce a cataloged Model 24-3 and induced my efforts to get some of them.
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04-18-2017, 12:43 PM
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Now I'm dreaming of a 3 1/2 and/or 5 inch 27-2 in 44 Special. Wouldn't that be sweet?
Last edited by Shark Bait; 04-18-2017 at 12:45 PM.
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04-18-2017, 12:46 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RdrBill
Sir.
Would 4 1/2 inches do?
Bill@Yuma
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Works for me! Ready to ship it?
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04-18-2017, 04:32 PM
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I had a 6 inch 28-2 converted to 45 Colt in the late 70s. The barrel bore was bad and I picked it up for $140.00 at a gunshow. I took the barrel and cylinder off and sent it (I think) to a gunsmith in Bear, Delaware that advertised an $80.00 conversion to your own parts. He bored the cylinder and barrel and all I had to do was screw the barrel on and reinstall the cylinder. It was a beast to shoot with the pencil .357 barrel. It was accurate but the pistol was too light to shoot comfortably. When Smith & Wesson started to produce 25-5s I bought one and sold off the conversion.
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04-18-2017, 04:35 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RdrBill
Sir.
Would 4 1/2 inches do?
Bill@Yuma
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Yep, it sure does! That's a very nice example. Thank you for sharing
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04-19-2017, 09:15 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by austintexas
I had a 6 inch 28-2 converted to 45 Colt in the late 70s. The barrel bore was bad and I picked it up for $140.00 at a gunshow. I took the barrel and cylinder off and sent it (I think) to a gunsmith in Bear, Delaware that advertised an $80.00 conversion to your own parts. He bored the cylinder and barrel and all I had to do was screw the barrel on and reinstall the cylinder. It was a beast to shoot with the pencil .357 barrel. It was accurate but the pistol was too light to shoot comfortably. When Smith & Wesson started to produce 25-5s I bought one and sold off the conversion.
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IIRC, that was the late David Woodruff.
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04-30-2017, 06:23 PM
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Just got this Model 28 yesterday. Looks like a 44 Magnum conversion using a 44 Mag cylinder, barrel and rear sight. The interesting thing is that it is a nickel finish gun that looks to be original nickel. As you can see by the serial it was made in 1969. Is it worth a letter to verify factory nickel? It has ten lines on the backstrap, sight and barrel. It appears to be a 28 frame by the notches at the connection to the barrel.
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05-01-2017, 12:27 AM
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Nice looking 28, OP. Sorry you don't get to shoot it much these days, glad you posted the pics, though. I'm a sucker for custom handguns in general but really enjoy seeing these converted 28s.
Of course, these threads also give me an excuse to show off the Crowbar, my Marc Krebs built .45ACP 28-2.
[IMG]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9ReSF5QrYEFMI-71dCSWTYdZGrkCTj5YQBG2jLvqY41uvChICK2ODAB-l81-qBXm0CD7JuiNe2t-nMBuoM5hjoYS2q1MPPMfymKYtRMi82Lj12pkfzOv6stCCsFhWTUa5S94mxJ6EKap4V0fDwk1qDddTblts6-xO0kBCse0jMiIL5MbY2NmY9KguE_rNy4RqZvCrsyZcIFV89e5**I7LHE6vdrGEUhlX5eqFjvxB8tqUOmZSiXHWrNZ28zs8I69qRbyO5w0KMFZSK63vN4yud7CP6cliZ9IFjf2eaWHJoONn4i**rIDzyJQfjBFJIRRdcU0KprvVdWEeVksxP8CKuSAW2xmtSJ-16Z2-gvU9d4u-_5ZttuK9ci0haf0tktNbOIPkyYbLDOHK2-XTppQPCu88VepG3NgafkfpO3GxKZp7Lx11fGj5c2y7pHsAUlbRd6ksayKlPOazuyrVWkftvzXdEleIamtI99ImYAl-5-yEjM5L1N-0A6GzpEX7t12RJpunLNTBhJs6HMgKppaNxcG_Eg5lbjX1K4B0eVJvgzn4D9IGLbU63Kv4ja2Z-ptRliUkbdgbWqhaclzgwWtLd2nT1b9ZZlttK8PbJ6gD7V3V-RWds_ymjJwT7xEj__Z9LXuRnESWzZbpo4ZyhHxoZz-0WL_QOB99s0wLZCAIU0=w960-h673-no[/IMG]
And, while M28 conversions aren't the necessity they were back in Skeeter's day, they are still being done. Mark Hartshorne/Pinnacle High Performance Guns should be returning this 28-2 to me in the near future as 3" RB .41mag with a titanium cylinder. I'm really looking forward to getting this one back!
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05-01-2017, 12:40 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lynnbarrow
Just got this Model 28 yesterday. Looks like a 44 Magnum conversion using a 44 Mag cylinder, barrel and rear sight. The interesting thing is that it is a nickel finish gun that looks to be original nickel. As you can see by the serial it was made in 1969. Is it worth a letter to verify factory nickel? It has ten lines on the backstrap, sight and barrel. It appears to be a 28 frame by the notches at the connection to the barrel.
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Welcome to the Forum.
Your revolver has been refinished. Look at the fit of the side plate. You should barely be able to see the seam.
It is very doubtful your M28 was factory nickel. The rear sight has also been replaced. Factory M28 rear sights are smooth, not grooved.
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