I bought this gun for my dad back in ’73. Originally it came with a six inch barrel.

Around 1988 my cousin mis-loaded some over pressure .357 reloads and they were fired in this gun, causing the cylinder to freeze-up. To get the cylinder to open a hammer was used on the sides of the cylinder, leaving nasty dents on the sides of the cylinder. The gun was still shootable, but I never really trusted it (not knowing what unseen, to the naked eye, damage might still exist), so I advised my dad to stick to standard .38 Specials until he could have it inspected by an S&W certified gunsmith – which he never did have done.

A while back, I acquired a M28 four inch barrel from a forum member here. From the outside this barrel had holster wear and the front sight had a little excessive wear at the top of the sight blade, but internally it seemed pristine.

About four months ago I had my favorite S&W gunsmith (John Semm, Shooter’s Service Center, Portland, OR) send it to S&W to have the cylinder repaired, replace the six inch barrel with the four inch, and give it an over-all check-up and service anything that came up. John explained (I believe) how the cylinder had ended up being banged on.

This is the result –



And I’m darned well pleased.

John added one of his wonderful action jobs. S&W added a slight chamfering of the chambers.

In Pursuit,

I bought this gun for my dad back in ’73. Originally it came with a six inch barrel.

Around 1988 my cousin mis-loaded some over pressure .357 reloads and they were fired in this gun, causing the cylinder to freeze-up. To get the cylinder to open a hammer was used on the sides of the cylinder, leaving nasty dents on the sides of the cylinder. The gun was still shootable, but I never really trusted it (not knowing what unseen, to the naked eye, damage might still exist), so I advised my dad to stick to standard .38 Specials until he could have it inspected by an S&W certified gunsmith – which he never did have done.

A while back, I acquired a M28 four inch barrel from a forum member here. From the outside this barrel had holster wear and the front sight had a little excessive wear at the top of the sight blade, but internally it seemed pristine.

About four months ago I had my favorite S&W gunsmith (John Semm, Shooter’s Service Center, Portland, OR) send it to S&W to have the cylinder repaired, replace the six inch barrel with the four inch, and give it an over-all check-up and service anything that came up. John explained (I believe) how the cylinder had ended up being banged on.

This is the result –



And I’m darned well pleased.

John added one of his wonderful action jobs. S&W added a slight chamfering of the chambers.

In Pursuit,

You darn well better.

Looks fantastic!

__________________
Memory of Randy Freas-Rimfired

Looks great. This is what 357's are about. Enjoy

Man, I just love the 4" Model 28.

Nice looking revolver with a great story to go with it.

Very nice gun and story. The neatest thing about it is that it was a present to your Dad 35 years ago!
Thanks for sharing

Great story on a realy fine revolver, Your G-Smith did you right. Love the Herretts also! Plan on keeping all of my guns in the family when my time comes. Enjoy it.

R/

__________________
V/R
Roger / SG

Thanks all!

I was 18 years old and stationed at Ft. Eustis, Va., at the time (’73 and ’74, as an Army Watercraft Operator, 61B [now known as 88K I believe]).

One of the other platoon members had bought this gun new from a dealer in Newport News, Va., just a couple months earlier (he only put about one box of ammo through it), but decided he reeaaaallllyy wanted a .44 AutoMag instead, so he sold this gun to me for $75.00; a few months later, while on leave, I gave it to my dad as a present – no special reason, just because.

My dad is now 79, has four retirements, is still in pretty decent shape, and works as one of our part-time Parking Enforcement officers. Two weeks after his last retirement, he called me and said “I need a job, or your mom is going to kill me if I don’t get out of the house!” so I suggested the parking job – he loves it.

The above gun is still his and he’ll get it back from me real soon (he hasn’t seen it since before the work was done). I had to loan him a Government Model .45, while his M28 was away – he hates being without a house gun. He retired from the Army Reserve with 42 years of service, and is very comfortable with the 1911A1 format – but the .357 is his, and darnit, he wants it back! (He’s promised it to me “sometime in the future”. )

I be looking for a set of Magna stocks appropriate for the early '70's to add to it, along with a Tyler T-Grip. Nothing wrong with the Herrett Shooting Star stocks on it now, I just want a set of original stocks to go with it.

My Dad’s a kick in the pants! Mom’s not so bad either (She’s 80).

Peace,

Nice looking 28! ..and good story too. I think your father will appreciate your gesture when he gets his hands on that piece.

I also think very highly of John Semm's work - and see him regularly.

I'll look around and see if I don't have a set of period-correct magnas that you could have for cheap - and let you know. Since we're both in the Portland area.

Regards, Jerry

Hope it will be may years before he lets you take the gun for keeps! My Dad passed at 79 and being the only other gun person in the family, I got his. Wish he would have kept them a few more years! Nice looking 28!

Very nice 28 and a great story to go along with it. Love those Herretts! to my hand the best thing going.
Take care,
Jeff

__________________
Jeff
S&WCA #2132

I was issued a NIB 28 in 1985 when I got on the MT Hwy Patrol. Happily when we switched to nines a few years later we were allowed to buy our duty guns for all oof $140!!

NEVER felt undergunned with that 28.

FN in MT

ASA35, contact me off-Forum (email.)

Looks good. Got a bigger picture? Did Smith refinish the whole thing?

Great story and gun...they did a great job, and so did you

Dang, that's pretty.

I think I remember Johnny Semm from Tri County IPSC many years ago. Sounds like he's doing good work.

Thanks again all!

Vit:

Here’s a larger version of the pic –



And yes, S&W refinished the whole shebang.

At your service,

John Semm does very good work. As I understand it, a V.P. from S&W, upon seeing some of John’s work, invited him to spend some time with the S&W service smiths at the factory so they could share knowledge. He was offered a job there, but John preferred to keep his own shop going.

When I took the gun to John originally I was expecting John to do the work, but at his advice we sent it to S&W instead. He felt they would do the better job with the cylinder and with the refinish; plus I would have a factory rebuild to keep the gun all, more or less, “original”. How do you like that, I think the guy was watching out for me rather than himself.

John does do an excellent job of doing action work (I’m told better than S&W does, and I have had him do this on two of my other S&W’s – with much pleasure), so I had him do the action after S&W did the other work, and again I’m very happy.

As Always,