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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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  #1  
Old 12-30-2017, 02:07 AM
mistersmith mistersmith is offline
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Default .44 Mag 28-2?

While trolling a LGS I came across a 28-2 that had been fitted with a 29 barrel and cylinder. The seller said, rightly or wrongly that the conversion was done at the factory when 29s were in high demand and short supply.
Does anyone know anything about these conversions. The one I saw had a satin frame and a polished barrel and cylinder, along with TTTs.
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Happy New Year to all.
Robert
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Old 12-30-2017, 06:56 AM
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I highly doubt that the factory did this. Somebody rounded up a barrel and cylinder. Some people would freak out by a 44 mag on a 28 frame. I think it would be fine.
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Old 12-30-2017, 08:46 AM
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It would look odd, not only with the finish mismatch but also the bull barrel/wide serrated rib of a model 29 and the plain frame top of the 28 contoured for the tapered barrel/thin rib.

Someone here may know if the .357 and .44 Magnum frames received the same heat-treatment but it has been specifically advised in the past not to use a non-Magnum N frame .44 (the model 544 in .44-40) to build a Magnum.
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Old 12-30-2017, 09:03 AM
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There are lots of converted 28s out there. M28s have always been plentiful and, until recently, inexpensive, so they were cheap foundations for conversions to.more desirable calibers. I have two converted 28s, a .45acp and a .41mag. Seems like every 'smith out there was doing conversions on them back in the day, new .44mags and .44spls were particularly hard to come by and the problem was solved by converting 28s. However, it was not something that was done at the factory. If S&W wanted to make more 29s all they had to do was make more 29s, the frames were essentially the same for all of the N frame guns, they could have diverted some that were destined to be 28s, 27s, 57s, whatever, to 29 production if they wanted to. However, with the high demand for 29s they were selling all they were making, and I'm sure some dealers were charging extra for them. Increasing production would have meant satisfying and reducing demand to some degree, pretty sure that isn't something that S&W wanted to do.
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Old 12-30-2017, 09:13 AM
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I can't see S&W converting a Model 28 to 44 Magnum. Most likely it was a gunsmith who obtained the parts to make such a conversion.
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Old 12-30-2017, 10:05 AM
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Originally Posted by steelslaver View Post
I highly doubt that the factory did this. Somebody rounded up a barrel and cylinder. Some people would freak out by a 44 mag on a 28 frame. I think it would be fine.
Agreed. A 29 being in short supply from the factory is a function of barrels and cylinders, not so much frames. I don't see how that's rectified by putting the scarce parts on a 28 frame.
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Old 12-30-2017, 01:26 PM
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Yep, Dirty Harry didn't do the .44 any favors. A lot of IHMSA shooters still wanted one so, built them from model 28s.
Steve
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Old 12-30-2017, 01:28 PM
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Thank you, my thoughts also.
Happy New year.
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Old 12-30-2017, 01:33 PM
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Thank you, my thoughts also.
Happy New year.
Buy the gun, not the story. There a plenty of converted 28s and others that are damn fine revolvers and they can often be had for very reasonable prices.
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Old 12-30-2017, 01:43 PM
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I would think that if the factory did it, they would at least make the finish match.
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Old 12-30-2017, 02:45 PM
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Have seen converted 28s, mostly 44 Specials.
Factory conversions?
Don’t think so.
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Old 12-30-2017, 08:55 PM
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The factory would have restruck the model number.
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Old 12-30-2017, 09:11 PM
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I can vouch for the fact that dealers were charging 2 to 3 times the list for .44 Magnums after Dirty Harry hit the theaters!! Even the, they were very hard to find. I saw one in a gun shop in Illinois back shortly after the first DH movie and it was priced around $800!! I bought my first one in 1968 for $125.
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Old 12-31-2017, 09:00 AM
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Is the finish mismatched? Could it be just a mislabeled/stamped 29?
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Old 12-31-2017, 12:28 PM
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Definitely a converted gun "after" it left the factory.

Its the same frame so I wouldn't hesitate to shoot it - IF THE GUN SMITH DID THE JOB RIGHT!

That's the question
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Old 04-10-2018, 09:01 PM
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I knew a Deputy back around '80 that had a 4" 28 struck 44 mag or a 44 chambered 28. Seems like it was polished blue cyl/brl and matte frame. IIRC he said it was factory but both of us could be wrong.
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Old 04-10-2018, 09:48 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mistersmith View Post
While trolling a LGS I came across a 28-2 that had been fitted with a 29 barrel and cylinder. The seller said, rightly or wrongly that the conversion was done at the factory when 29s were in high demand and short supply.
Does anyone know anything about these conversions. The one I saw had a satin frame and a polished barrel and cylinder, along with TTTs.
Thanks

Happy New Year to all.
Robert
I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT THIS IS TRUE. ONE OF THE TENETS OF THE FIREARMS HOBBY, IS TO "BUY THE GUN, NOT THE STORY". DO YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT THE FACTORY WOULD COBLE TOGETHER A REVOLVER ,THAT LOOKED LIKE THAT, AND SELL IT ? ? ? THE WORK MAY HAVE BEEN DONE AT THE FACTORY, AND PAID FOR BY THE OWNER OF A M28, HOWEVER. IS THERE ANY DOCUMENTATION TO SUPPORT SUCH A SCENARIO ? ? ?

I HAD A NO-DASH 686 SNUBBIE, FITTED WITH A 7 ROUND CYLINDER, AT THE FACTORY. AS WE ALL KNOW, THERE WEREN'T ANY NO-DASH, 7 SHOT 686 REVOLVERS, PRODUCED FOR SALE, BY S&W. THIS WAS A PROJECT THAT I FINANCED MYSELF. I HAVE THE PAPERWORK TO SHOW THAT THE NEW PARTS WERE PURCHASED FROM S&W, AND ALL WORK WAS PERFORMED AT THE FACTORY---AND NOT BY BUBBA, AT THE KITCHEN TABLE....
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Old 04-10-2018, 11:18 PM
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Default Model 28 converted to.44 Mag

This is a converted M-28 to .44 Mag, machined the main spring thinner on a surface grinder, changed the other springs (as recommended),purchased target trigger and hammer, jeweled both, internal parts honed then gold plated,,,notice the logo and writing machined off the right side , then the blue buffed off to highly polished metal, barrel and cylinder off a chrome M-29.

I still have the first conversion parts that being barrel and cylinder made into .44 special . First modifications took place in 1971.
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Old 04-10-2018, 11:27 PM
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No way the factory did the conversion and I'm sure Roy Jinks would say the same thing. Model 28s got converted to lots of weird and wonderful stuff. I had a NIB 28-2 converted to 8-shot 38 Super back in the 90s because S&W hadn't started making them. I bought a 28 that had been converted to 38-40/38WCF and still shoot it. I once had a 28-2 that I converted to .357 Bain and Davis....Just required a new custom cylinder. I sold the cylinder and dies along with brass to a local guy who loved playing with odd stuff like that.
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Old 04-10-2018, 11:39 PM
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There was a gunsmith in Houston in the early 1970's that would do this type of work and his work was very good. As I recall this type of work was for .44 special barrel and cylinder and was about $ 250.00 or so and was well below the price of a M 29 at $500.00 plus, plus.
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Old 04-11-2018, 01:29 AM
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Quote:
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No way the factory did the conversion and I'm sure Roy Jinks would say the same thing.
I MUST AGREE WITH S&WIowegan, WHO HAPPENS TO BE A SWCA MEMBER. AS SUCH, HE PROBABLY HAS A BIT MORE KNOWLEDGE, ABOUT MATTERS LIKE THIS, THAN US NON COLLECTORS...........
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Old 04-11-2018, 08:17 AM
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My dad used to convert 28's to 44 spl. back in the 70's several times a year. I still have one in fact. Shoots like a champ too!
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Old 04-11-2018, 11:20 AM
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Quote:
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I can vouch for the fact that dealers were charging 2 to 3 times the list for .44 Magnums after Dirty Harry hit the theaters!! Even the, they were very hard to find. I saw one in a gun shop in Illinois back shortly after the first DH movie and it was priced around $800!! I bought my first one in 1968 for $125.
I remember reading that in order for a dealer to get a .44 Magnum during the Dirty Harry Craze, S&W insisted that the dealer also order a lot of slower selling models along with it. Perhaps the dealers knew the slow movers would be on their shelves a long, long time and therefore priced the .44 Mag to offset this forced "investment".
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Old 04-11-2018, 02:07 PM
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I remember reading that in order for a dealer to get a .44 Magnum during the Dirty Harry Craze, S&W insisted that the dealer also order a lot of slower selling models along with it. Perhaps the dealers knew the slow movers would be on their shelves a long, long time and therefore priced the .44 Mag to offset this forced "investment".
I've wondered for a long time why S&W didn't ramp up production of Model 29s to meet the Dirty Harry craze and take advantage of it. They probably worried about getting stuck with inventory when people found out 44 Magnums hurt when you first start shooting them.
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Old 04-11-2018, 10:54 PM
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Default conversion parts

Here's the cylinder and barrel off the M-28 (from 1971) after converted to .44 special. For a little extra money they machined and added the red insert.
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Old 04-11-2018, 11:04 PM
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Yup during the Dirty Harry craze I seen the nib m29/6 1/2” barrel 44 mag go for $750 it came out of the salesman’s trunk of his car. They were scalped on the black market. That turned me off from buying s&w products for many decades. If you wanted a m29 you paid dearly. It was so bad guys were buying up any n frame in any caliber.
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Old 04-11-2018, 11:07 PM
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Quote:
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I've wondered for a long time why S&W didn't ramp up production of Model 29s to meet the Dirty Harry craze and take advantage of it. They probably worried about getting stuck with inventory when people found out 44 Magnums hurt when you first start shooting them.
They probably did ramp up the production but I think the demand was far greater. It couldn’t keep up with the demand, I wonder what the sales/production numbers were during this time.
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Old 04-11-2018, 11:39 PM
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At that time,, when couldn't score a M-29 opted for a 6" M-28 ,, few months after another a 4" M-28. Left one .357 the other converted to .44 special. The four inch now .44 special left no additional need for power after using hand loaded maxed out rounds, ( RBCS press with Speer bullets were the main sellers in my area then). One shot with the .357 without ear protection, never did that again.

Wasn't long before our group was splitting magnum range time with .22s. I bought a M-18 my friend a 48 with both cylinders. So the Dirty Harry craze did bring shooting to other type guns in the process.

The salesmen and or store owners would tell us, " I can get you a Model 29 but will cost you more than double." Every nearby Gunshop in every town, none were about to put a 29 in the glass display cabinet at regular prices when can get nearly triple for them. Then there was "The Waiting List."

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Old 04-12-2018, 07:13 AM
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Quote:
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The factory would have restruck the model number.
Maybe on some but not all. I had a Model 57 factory re-barreled and re-cylindered to .44 Magnum back in the Dirty Harry days, but mine is still stamped Model 57 ( no dash by the way).
Oh, and the cost? Seventy five bucks!
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Old 04-12-2018, 10:59 AM
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At a gun show in the mid 1980s, a dealer had Llama Super Comanche .44 Magnums (Spanish revolver somewhat of a copy of the M29) for $180 each. He sold out the first day. And this was about 15 years after the first DH movie. My 1980 Gun Digest puts the MSRP of an M29 at $331.50. But that price was often discounted.

My point is: It must have STILL been hard to get an M29 even at that point! After all, wouldn't most people spring an extra $100 to have the genuine item rather than a Spanish copy from some here today gone tomorrow gun show dealer?
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Old 04-12-2018, 12:09 PM
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Quote:
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I remember reading that in order for a dealer to get a .44 Magnum during the Dirty Harry Craze, S&W insisted that the dealer also order a lot of slower selling models along with it. Perhaps the dealers knew the slow movers would be on their shelves a long, long time and therefore priced the .44 Mag to offset this forced "investment".
The dealer told me back then when paying a 50% premium for a model 60, they had to take S&W holsters and ammo that they didn't want or need to get the hot models. The 50% premium brought the total to $165

Charlie
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Old 04-12-2018, 01:32 PM
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Back in Dirty Harry craze not only other S&W guns but they extorted you to buy S&W holsters, police equippment , and
S&W accessories to get your place in line for 29s. Most of the
LSGs had a list of customers that wanted 29s. They all wanted
the 83/8" barrels. The 1st one I got back then was a 4". I didn't
have it very long and a guy that run local HWD store made me
a trade I couldn't refuse. He promptly sent it into S&W and had
the 83/8 barrel put on it. He was so proud of it he had it on
display in his store, in his empty pistol case that he cleaned out
to trade me. Being a little HWD he had a FFL but wasn't willing
to buy the extra stuff to get 29s. When I look back on it buying
the extra stuff to get 29s was probably a loss for most small
dealers. The guns would sell but a lot of holsters and police stuff
ended up in sale bin. On top of that it wasn't like you could order
all the 29s you wanted, S&W were alloting them to distributors.
It depended on your status with your Dist. For your supply.
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Old 04-12-2018, 03:16 PM
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Quote:
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Here's the cylinder and barrel off the M-28 (from 1971) after converted to .44 special. For a little extra money they machined and added the red insert.
Any chance you'd like to part with those??? Tried to send you a PM but your mailbox is full.
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Old 04-12-2018, 03:45 PM
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Back in the DH craze I purchased the ruger SBH 7 1/2” barrel with a shoulder holster for ccw carry. The Next one came when the Redhawk was first offered in 44 mag with 5 1/2” & 7 1/2” barrels in s/s. I shot the snots out of the SBH. I regretted not getting the RedHawks in 357 & 41 mag.
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