about 30 years ago I bought a Model 28-2 to use on duty as a Special Police Officer. After 4 years I stopped doing it, and my wife (who at the time was anti-gun) told me to get rid of it since we now had our first child. Stupidly instead of buying a safe I sold it to a friend who is a coin dealer. I hadn't thought about that gun until I started collecting Smiths.

I asked him if he still had it, HE DID, but he wouldn't sell it. He did say that someday I would be able to buy it from him but not to rush it, that was a year ago.

Not too long ago I had bought a used 28-2 for the collection and as a shooter. Now Massachusetts is considering a "One Gun a Month" and outlawing private sales of guns you would have to go through an FFL.
I went to him about it and said we should do it before the new law is passed and that I would do all the paperwork to Register the guns, in Mass we have total Gun Registration.

He asked what difference does just having a different serial number? I explained it was my first gun and very special.

He agreed to do a trade, 28-2 for 28-2

I am so excited! It was the first gun I ever bought and I have it back after 26 years! He even still had the original box!



What are the odds of that happening? The one I wished I never sold, came home!

Great story!This time keep it!And shoot it lots!Oh,yeah,great looking revolver.

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WALSTIB

Excellent!!!!

Beautiful gun and good to hear it is back home with you!

That is awesome.Everybody says to not sell there first handgun because you will regret it.I guess it worked out O.K. for you.Buy the way,I still have my first handgun I bought when I turned 21,a Springfield Armory 1911A1.

What a great ending! It's nice he was willing to work with you on this.

Congratulations. My first S&W was a M28-2 4 inch. Looks like your previous owner took good care of it.

Let's hope Chicago loses in the Supreme Court and then ya'll can start on Massachusetts.

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

When I had it I put maybe 200 rounds through it, my friend who I sold it to put one box, 50 rounds, through it and it has sat in his safe in the coin store in the original box for the last 26 years!

I am so thrilled getting it back!

The first gun I bought was a 28-2 in 1972. Like a fool I sold it. I didn't get the same one back, but I got a 28-2 from 1976 in 98% condition. I am keeping this one.

In 1976 I bought a Ruger Police Service Six which I still have and that one isn't going anywhere either.

You inspire me. I would love to have back my first two guns.

First was a pre-10 M&P, second was a 686 (traded the M&P on it).

I've thought about going back to the shop where I bought and traded them and seeing if they'd go back through the bound books for me to get me the serials and where they went after I had them.

Have thought about posting the serials on here too if I can get them on the off chance someone might have picked them up over the years.

Good gun, good story...now about that state you live in!

Dave

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RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

Yea Massachusetts,

the one gun a month law is going to be voted on this week, but what is worse is for this law they consider a magazine a "gun" and certain parts as well. And they are outlawing FTF private sales of guns, you have to go through an FFL

So you will be allowed one gun/magazine/gun part a month, if you buy more it is 10 years in jail.

I don't now how they will track magazines. Of course all the criminals will say I cannot buy this I already got one illegal gun this month!

That has got to be one of the stupidest things I have ever seen. How has the NRA's involvement been in this situation?

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

Fantastic outcome!

Like you, I've sold guns that I wished to get back.

Fortunately I was able to get two of them, an S s/n 6.5" 29-2 and a 25-7.

I had to buy replacements for two, an 89 series Mini 30 and a 4" 586-1 to replace a 6" 586 no dash. The 4" balances better. The 89 series Mini has a .308 bore like my original, so I can use .308 bullets - sweet!

It is amazing my friend never fired after the first box and stored it in a safe for 26 years, too bad it wouldn't letter to me, I bought it at a gun shop.

ON THE POTENTIAL MASS STATE LAW

The NRA has been fairly quiet on this horrendous law, but GOAL (Gun Owners Action League) has been very focal and I along with may others are calling and emailing legislators.
The problem is the Govenor Deval Obama, oops, I mean Deval Patrick is pushing it as the way to end gun crime in Massachusetts.

It sounds like what Pelousi (I think) said, "better a bad law that does nothing, than no law at all"

...I sold a model 27 one time. I was stupid, still loved my (now ex-) wife. I really miss her. (The model 27, I mean.)

My first purchase was also a S&W 28. I bought it Dec 1967. Pistol, holster, and a box of .38s-total cost $89 and no 4473. It sits in the safe as we speak.

Great story. Sorry about your state laws. While you're on a roll see if you can find my old 2nd gen SAA 38 special I sold when I was too young to understand. It might still have dried snot about 3" up the barrel from the time I screwed it up a rapists nose while waiting for the police.

Glad you could bring her back home. First gun and first duty gun all rolled into one. Like a first love those are the ones you remember.

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Romans 13:3 & 4

My first S&W purchase was a 28-2 over 35 years ago. Like a dummy let it get away and have always dreamed of getting it back. Glad to see that you did. Have replaced mine, but it is still not that first one.

Congrats!!

I wish I could accomplish the same thing. My first handgun was a M28-2 with a 4" bbl, that I bought a few days after my 21st, the legal age one can buy a handgun in CA.

Later it became my duty weapon until I abandoned a career in LE for mainframe computers. I sold the M28-2 a few years later to fund a M29-2... I wish like hell I could find that M28-2 once more.

In fact... if anyone crosses path with #N190708, I'd like to know.