I have this one for a few years. It is a 27-2 that is marked APPD 5. Anyone have a good idea of what department used APPD and may have carried Model 27s?

No idea who APPD is, but I do love your 27.

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Pine_Worker
Ex-LEO, NRA Life

How about Aransas Pass Police Dept. Texas?

Very nice 4” 27

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213th FBINA

This type of question is common, and it always helps to know if you have any idea about from where the gun originated, but it would have probably been a well-funded entity to afford model 27s as duty guns.

It does appear to be a LE property stamp with several options:

Adult Parole and Probation Department (Philadelphia, PA)
Allen Park (MI) or Asbury Park (NJ) PD
Or feel free to substitute any US city whose initials are "AP".

A letter of authenticity may help here.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

A letter of authenticity from Mr. Jinks might help answer your question as it will tell you when and where the gun was shipped. It may also indicate it was part of an order for a police department.

Bill

Very late 27-2. Has the unpinned barrel used on the -3. Apparently they ran out of -2 barrels and cylinders right at the end of the -2 run and started using -3 parts. I call these with one -3 part Model 27-2.5 and with both parts incorrect 27-2.75. I'm just silly.

APPD is obviously a municipal police department. Yeah, some city with initials AP. Anything in your state?

I have one of 500 5" nickel 27-2s marked for the Florida HP in 1977.

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No life story has happy end.

I have the cousin to ur gun. Same 4", nickel, & markings. I have not been able to find the dept it was issued in. If you find our, I'd like to know.

It shoots well & gets along well with it's safe mate, a 4", blues version. The blues gun myst have been an undercover officer's gun as it has no dept markings😉.

I have an Austin, Texas Nickle M-27-2, 3 !/2 inch Bbl that is marked APD Austin Police Dept and a #. I have seen Nickle M-19s with AHPD Austin hospital police dept. Your revolver may be An Austin Park Police Dept revolver
SWCA 892

Those appear to be factory markings and a factory letter provide you with the answer.

I have noticed other guns marked in a similar way. The APPD seems to be under the nickel so I would agree it could easily be factory marked. The question is it worth 75 dollars just to see where it went? The current grips are not original to the gun as it came with a set that were aftermarket and I prefer original any day.

Aransas Pass Police Department of Texas is a good contender. The link below is to their history and at the bottom of the page is several pictures showing revolvers that appear to S&W 4 inch guns. The cartridges in the belts are too long for a 38 special. Here is one of the pictures. My gun could have had the large presentation grips shown in one of the pictures.

Police Department Past

I would call them or write them a letter. There might even be an old-timer or two still around that carried a M27.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

PDs in Florida are known to have purchased nickel N-frames...could it be Avon Park Police Dept.? Avon Park, FL was settled in 1884 and incorporated in 1926. Not much history available, but it's another possibility.

Is the fact that it’s nickel mean the gun was probably shipped to a high humidity or salt water state, probably the south to narrow it down? I think I do recall nickel guns going to Detroit, though, but can’t remember if Colt or S&W.

Detroit bought Colt & Smiths in 5 inch nickel for duty and two inch nickel for bureaus.
I love those nickeled N frames guys.

As of 2016, they had a 20 man Police Dept. May be worth a phone call.

A fellow deputy left the sheriff's department that we had both worked for and went to Florida and joined the Highway Patrol. When the sheriff that we worked for died a few years later, we both returned to east Alabama for the funeral. He wore his FHP uniform and was carrying a 5" nickel M27. I believe this was 1980.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Might have been the very gun pictured. I got it for $215 in 1988 as a police surplus. It was in nearly new condition.

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No life story has happy end.

Regardless of the history, for a PD gun it sure is purty.

I also have an FHP M27. One of my prized possessions.

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Retired Dep Sheriff & Armorer

Frank I was asked to research a m27 a while back with this same markings. I discovered that when Austin Airport had its own police force, they marked their guns this way. APPD—Air Port Police Department.

I have no idea what the initials stand for, but I'm glad I'm too young to have ever been pulled over by someone wearing such a beautiful gun. I'm sure they'd have to add to the charges something like " aggressively attempting to trade for/buy the officer's service weapon" or something along those lines.

I'm sort of glad the cops carry ugly plastic now. Makes it easier not to get emotionally involved.

I had APPD 27, NIB, and sold it years ago to a member of the forum.

I thought it was Avon Park, P. D.

Chop

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MSG US Army