A shooter grade 4" 28-2 has been on my want list but I kinda got hung up (NO regrets) on my 44 mag collection. This gun shoots just as sweet as everyone has said. The previous owner, a retired LEO said he bought it from a friend new and put less than 100 rnds through it himself. The flame cutting above the forcing cone confirms that. No box or docs but I can live with it. I'm glad this one is a shooter and not a pristine "Oh My" I'm askeered to shoot it gun. Like my buddy sw282 said, "This is Miss America in a Corvette" and it ain't just for looking at!
I looked up the serial # in the SCSW 4 and the closest it got me for a ship date was 74-77. The Serial # is N2835xx if anyone can narrow it down for me I'd sure appreciate it!
I took it to the range with 50 ea 38 spl & 357 mag, both 158 gr swc. It only took a couple of clicks on the rear sights to get it on target. One thing I had to change after I got it home & cleaned it was to rob the BK grip adapter from my 66-2 for the next outing. The magnas look great but just didn't fill my hand.
I think I've found a new range friend!!
I finally got it cleaned up and took a few glamour shots.

When I first got it home.


After the range time and a good bath.









My name ain't Elmer but I felt pretty good about the groups for a first time out. The targets are numbered as I adjusted the sights.



And one HORRIFYING discovery!! A canted barrel!!! OMG! How can this be??? I thought this only happened with the NEW S&Ws. I believe my rears may be 2 clicks off center and otherwise you'd never know the difference.



Thanks for looking y'all.
Usta be a Tin Knocker

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

Looks nicer than shooter grade to me! I'd love to own it. Funny thing is I'm up to like 35 S&W revolvers now but I still don't have a nice 28-2 4". Like you said, either something else always gets my attention/money or people want too much for them. I have all the barrel lengths in 27's and 29's now (and in most cases both blued and nickel) yet still don't have this supposedly most common and utilitarian of work horses..maybe this weekend.

Cant go wrong with a beauty like that. Nice find.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Canted barrel?? Well Some you Kan.. Some you Kant.

Just call me K O U R T N E Y--K A N T

What a beautiful piece! I've got a Colt Agent and the barrel looks to have the same amount of cant. Revo is dead on though if I do my part. And the rear sight is a trench style at that, hahahaha!

Great lil guns! Congrats 75Vette!

That one may cause some jealousy among your .44 magnum harem!

Great looking 4"!

I cherish my 28-2. They are really fun guns to shoot. Your's looks to be in beautiful condition. Congratulations. Nice find!

N284589 shipped July 1977. All 28's are great revolvers.

Thanks for narrowing that down for me Bob. I'm very impressed already! (But I knew I would be )

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

That's a beaut. Every 357 magnum fan should have a M27 or M28.
I love mine. They are THE perfect platform for testing loads at the upper end of the powder range, IMO. No worries about damaged forcing cones, nice recoil dampening weight. Great platform.

It would have looked better on the rocks! You know what I mean! Bob

Good one Bob!!!

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

Great purchase and they are a joy to shoot.

Yessir it is. It's quite the change up from my normal rotation of 44s.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

The more I look at your 28-2 the more I want one for a house gun for the wifey! I'd fill it with .38Special +P's and take them both to the range to get better acquainted, the wife and the revo that is, hahaha!

Man that is a sexy revolver. I used to be a 1911 and CZ nut... still am a bit of I guess; but the last 5 buys have been 3 vintage Smith "J's" and 2 new "N" frames. They just seem to have more character and charm to them than semi-auto's. And the fact I can shoot mild to wild loads with a proper crimp there is no problem as long as I stay in line with the manuals! Did I mention I love your "Highway-Patrolman" revo?

I bet you feel a bit of a difference between recoil impulse going from .44mag to .357mag don't you? It's more of a quick flip in the wrists the .357 for me as opposed to a hard push with the .44mag. YMMV... Either way, nice find. I'm going to an estate sale this weekend, fingers crossed!

Thanks for the kind words. Shooting 38 spl outta the HP is a pure joy. I think the wife will enjoy that, especially if you put rubber grips on for her. So far, I've only shot it with the magnas and they've done me fine. As far as comparison to the 44 mag, I load mine down to between 950-1000 fps so you're right, it's more of a push than the snap of a 357 mag.

You are correct too about the character the revolvers have compared to the plastic guns. It's like each one has a story to tell. The plastic guns have their place I guess but they're all like George Foreman's kids...named George. 1911s do have their own personality and I never appreciated them until I shot one & now have 3 in the safe.

BTW, are you in Roswell with the little green guys or in Roswell, Ga? I need to tag along to some of these estate sells you've been scoring on!

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

Here's mine with an S serial number and a set of John Culina Maple grips.

OP, that is a fine looking revolver you got there!

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USMC 83'-87', NRA Member.

You compared that gun to Miss America in a Corvette.

I have felt for years that Miss America contestants are not as lovely across the board as those in the Miss Universe pageant. The present Miss Universe, formerly Miss South Africa, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, is a prime example. Check her out on YouTube, where you can see the entire pageant, as well as the entire Miss South Africa pageant, which she won. She is a remarkable young woman, very quick - witted, articulate, and easygoing. Doesn't seem at all stuck up, despite her beauty and wealth, which seems considerable. (You can also see her house and cars on YouTube.) And I like her Afrikaans (Cape Dutch) accent!

Miss A. seems a stuffier, more PC pageant.

If a Model 28 is Miss America in a Corvette, a Model 27 is Miss Universe in a Mercedes-Benz.

I've owned both. (Guns, not girls.) I think it's a good comparison.

But you have a really nice M-28, with better bluing than some.
Frankly, I wouldn't sell it, even to get a M-27. I'd buy the M-27, too. Seeing as this is about guns, not girls, you wouldn't risk a bigamy charge if you have both.

BTW, I found the N-frame .357's much easier to shoot really well when they have six-inch barrels. In your case, that M-28 looks so good that I think I'd keep it for average wear and buy a six-inch M-27, for wilderness wear and hunting. But I wouldn't push a .357 by using it on deer or javelina or coyotes much beyond 75 yards. And closer is better, unless you stumble on a marijuana patch and the owners open fire from a distance.

WOW! Javelinas & marijuana patches! I doubt I'll find either one in Atl, OR Miss America!! A Corvette yes. And it gets driven just like the 28-2 gets shot.


And yessir, I already own "Miss Universe" a 5" 27-2. NOT for wilderness wear.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

That is a really nice 28 you picked up man! I've been thinking of getting a 4" and a 6" barreled 28-2 myself for my little N frame collection to go along with my model 27s.

Awesome-looking Model 28! You’ll enjoy that for many years- those things were built like bank vaults.

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Some Might Say.

Nice find!! I am on the hunt for a 28-2 myself. I need to look a bit harder. My first revolver was a 1968 28-2 6" bbl. It was 101.00 brand new. Now I want what I got rid of so many years ago. I do not have much of an idea what they sell for. Tough to look at the somewhat inflated prices on the auction sites to get a fair figure, but it my next acquisition. They are wonderful shooters. In the next couple days I will no doubt post a WTB ad in the forum. Good Luck with yours

I have been shooting the Highway Patrolman since the early 1960s. They are wonderful guns. One of the first firearms purchases I made when I came back to the World from SE Asia, was a 4" Model 28-2. It is still in the family and I still have the box and tools.

Here is a pic of one of mine during a trip to the range (rapid fire at 25 yards):


Same gun, same trip, different target (aiming at the guy's left eye):

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Those are some great shots at 25 yards. It's pretty obvious you and the gun know each other very well!

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing