A neighbor ask me to clean some guns he has stored for years. Did 28-2 come from the factory like this? It has all the target options like a 27. Sorry about the photos. My S&W book #3 don't seem to list these. It has a .500 hammer red ramp and white outline rear. It has a fresh coat of oil.

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Looks to me that the checkered rear sight, trigger, hammer, front sight are add ons. Here’s my 28-2


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Remember for enough money S&W would do just about anything a client asked for. Also remember for what the factory would have charged for the upgrades the client would be getting close to model 27 pricing.

The only way to know for sure is order a factory letter.

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Always Stay Strong!

My 28-2 has presentation grips with target hammer and trigger. But it does not have that front sight. Not an expert by a long shot so just for comparison. Btw, very nice....

Is the box with the gun ? The label might show the extras. I'm also thinking they are add ons.

I know some law enforcement agencies sent their 28-2s back to the factory to have red inserts installed...or they ordered them from the factory like that. There's mention of this in a recent thread, but I can't remember where.

Also, am I the only one who sees it as a bit odd that the target trigger is smooth?

"Also, am I the only one who sees it as a bit odd that the target trigger is smooth?"

No.

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Always Stay Strong!

Guessing here but it would appear your 28-2 has been altered. I believe they came pretty bare bones with the standard trigger and hammer and of course the dull blue finish, to defray cosmetic costs associated with the 27's.

I just found and purchased my first 28-2. She is not mint but real close sporting a very light turn line but no visible holster wear. The bluing is in very good shape being a 1973 vintage. Have not fired her yet due to Iowa winter weather.

I feel the Highway Patrolman is among one of the best moves S&W could have made. I had to take advantage of mine so the 27's could remain pristine. Got the first 27-2 after Dad passed away. (Retired Police Officer) 6 1/2' 27-2 Nickel finish. Then added a Blue 27-2 in 6 1/2" along with yet another 27-2 in 3 1/2". It seemed necessary to add the 28-2 when it surfaced.

Years ago I was bitten by the deepest admiration for the Smith Revolvers and especially the pre 82 models.

You have found a Beautiful 28-2 there. Pics appear very nice shape with not much of a turn line. If I were a betting man, I would probably bet she has been altered with the trigger, hammer and sights. Looks like a very nice piece and if it were to become available, you should definitely make an offer on her!

There's a number of things that makes me think non factory mods.

The finish appears to be a bead blasted matte black finish, instead of the the "brush blue" S&W finish, wide target triggers were usually not smooth faced, and the front sight insert looks a tad bit undersized.

Still... a great looking shooter.

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Conrad
SWCA #1830 SWHF #222

The trigger looks to be a .400" smooth-face Combat trigger, an option available on order or as an add-on after purchase, ditto the 500" target hammer.

Neither of these pieces were original equipment on a Model 28 of any vintage, unless special ordered. Also, if not factory installed, lots of gunsmiths could install a red ramp on the existing blade, and the white outline rear sight slide to replace the original plain black slide.

A Jinks letter and/or the original box would tell you more about originality.

Edited to add: The rear sight leaf is obviously from a Model 27 so it is definitely not original to your gun.

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FBINA, 204th Session

I have a 28-2 4” NYSP with the same set-up. Smooth Combat trigger, red insert front sight, white outline rear.
Rear sight blade tapers down from the center notch out to the edges on both side of the blade.
It’s one of the smoothest actions of any Smith I’ve owned.
Ordered from factory or police armorer?

I don't know if it's factory original but I like it!

It isn't hard to install a red ramp insert, white outline blade, target trigger or target hammer. I installed a bunch of them for my fellow law dawgs back in the day.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I looked closer at the book and it does say NYSP only were available with the sights but this is not marked NYSP. The trigger is .400.

I believe that Model 28 got those improvements after leaving the factory. The Model 28-2 my Dad gave me was a stock 6” gun when I got it. When he saw I was serious about shooting he took me and the Model 28 to a local gunsmith who was recommended by several PA State Troopers. The gunsmith modified my Model 28 by installing a target hammer and trigger, and smoothing the action. He did a good job, and I still have the original hammer and trigger. While we were there he also offered to sell us a 4” Model 28, much like the OP’s, that he had modified. It could’ve been mine for $300, but that was a lot more money than I had at 15.

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Wheel guns are real guns.

I had one that had the target hammer and trigger, red ramp and white outline ordered from the factory. I really wish I had kept it. But as it has been said, it could have been ordered with all of those added accessories. Only a letter will tell and I doubt that the OP wants to spend money for a letter on a gun that he doesn't own.

Well, the gun has been re-finished. The Model 28 had the frame flats brush finished and the edges beaded. This gun is all beaded. The rear sight has been replaced, but it looks to me that is grooved, not checkered. That means the sight came from almost any N-Frame target sighted gun except either a Model 27 or Model 28. The gun could have come from the factory with the target hammer and trigger, but it is not likely. Chances they were added at the same time the gun was re-finished. Since the font sight is an integral part of the barrel forging, not pinned in, means the red insert is almost certainly an after-market addition by modifying the original sight.

It is still a nice shooter quality Model 28. Why don't you ask the neighbor about the modifications? He may know everything about its history, or maybe not.

I'll add to the above posts by noting that in 1977, at 18 years old, and having just received my CT pistol permit, I purchased a NIB 6 inch model 28-2 from a dealer that had a factory installed red insert in the front sight. The gun in question had been ordered by another guy who never completed the purchase. Was the red insert ordered as a special addition at the same time as the gun? I don't know, but it was there from the factory. Unfortunately, I no longer have that gun, and don't honestly remember what special features, if any, were noted on the boxes label. In all other aspects, it was a "regular" model 28-2.

Larry

The rear sight is checkered and matches the front.-just a bad photo. I called him last night and said it came from an estate sale years ago and didn't have a turn line back then. He said he thought he had the box but can't find at the moment. I cleaned two 28-2 for him and the finish looked the same.

Back in the 80's, a decent S&W retailer would have a blue wire rack with S&W Logo's on it of course! In said rack would be Hammers and Triggers of many variations, Target stocks for J, K, L and N frames and standard rear sight upgrade/replacements.

For example, a new N frame owner had the choice of probably 3 or 4 triggers, 2 hammers and SAO only hammers, white outline rear sight assemblies, Target grips and occaisionally, a checkered M27 rear sight assembly in either black or white outline.

Damn, I miss those days!

I would really appreciate the name of the book that you are referencing. Though I have owned a few S&Ws for decades, I have only recently gotten interested in them in an in-depth way. I would really like to get a book about them--specifically N-frames if that is possible--but don't know what to get. I am actually very interested in this particular model. I like it better than a 5" model 27 I have. It has a much better trigger and better sights.

I recently picked up this gem--a model 28-2 with a letter of authenticity that states that it shipped from the factory in 1979 to the NY State Police with a plane ramp sight. It also stated that the white outline rear and red ramp front, which the gun has, were added later, and that the NY state Police were often bringing their guns to the factory for special work. The gun is marked NYSP. It has a smooth trigger face and a great d/a trigger pull. It is in pristine shape.

I am going to attach a picture of the gun.

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This is the Bible of Smith & Wesson...

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FBINA, 204th Session

That appears to be the same finish of #1 post. Does yours have a checkered rear sight also? Smith&Wesson 3rd edition mentions the red ramp w/o sights.

The trigger is the combat trigger. I installed one on my model 28-2 many years ago

Looks nice original or not.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065