choosing a s&w revolver for a soda jerk.

[mg357]

Dear s&w forum, I'm and amateur writer and i have this idea for a small writing project. it's romance story about a soda jerk and a beautiful blue eyed secretary. An i'm having trouble choosing a s&w revolver for the soda jerk character to carry for self defense. I have 3 revolvers in mind but i can't choose. the story takes place in 1951 and the soda jerk is a world war 2 army veteran, 26 years old 5 feet 9 inches in height and is very muscular. sincerely and respectfully mg357 a proud member of the s&w forum. p.s. here is the list of s&w revolvers that i have in mind.
1. s&w model m&p 4 inch barrel
2. s&w registered magnum 4 inch barrel
3. s&w chief's special 2 inch barrel.

 

[Iggy]

#3 Sure wouldn't want to spill anything on a RM

 

[rboineau]

If he's working at a soda fountain he won't have much money. Plus, soda jerks of that era almost always wore well-fitting "uniforms", where any gun but a small one would make a giveaway bulge. He'd be carrying a Safety Hammerless, picked up in mint shape at a pawn shop.

 

[Roadranger]

A war trophy P-38 or Hi-Power or even a PPK might make more sense. Other wise an I frame 32 or a k frame 38. 357's were almost unobtainable after the war. Bob!

 

[BaldEagle1313]

A war trophy P-38 or Hi-Power or even a PPK might make more sense. Other wise an I frame 32 or a k frame 38. 357's were almost unobtainable after the war. Bob!

I was thinking that if he was a veteran of WWII then the obvious choice is a 1911 brought home from the war, but I like the war trophy aspect of the P-38.

One thing I don't know. How available was 9mm ammo in the US at that time? 38 & 45 ammo would have been common, but 9mm? He could still have either of the "war trophy" guns at home and carry a snub-nose.

Just my .02; feel free to disregard if it doesn't fit the parameters of your story.

 

[diamonback68]

#4. Nothing. I lived through that time era and I can almost assure you that a soda jerk would never have been carrying any weapon. NO ONE DID! You didn't have to, there was almost zero need to. Everyone was respectful back then and obeyed the law, people didn't even lock there car or house doors, crime was almost none existant. Biggest crime was maybe a kid shoplifting a candy bar. Having a soda jerk packing would be so far out of character, it would be unbelievable.

 

[Sprefix]

I gotta go with Iggy on this one.....RM!!

 

[GyMac]

I think a Victory Model .38 Special, but a 1911 .45, brought back from the war sounds good.

 

[JSR III]

I have to agree with diamondback. 1951 was a different era and I don't think that there was anything in a soda fountain worth getting into a shoot out over.

If some bruiser started hitting on the blue eyed secretary and getting fresh, our WW2 vet would have vaulted the counter and given him a sound thrashing. Don't think that he would have pulled out his gat and plugged him.

 

[Oldiron]

mg357, Around here in the 50s not too many folks carried a gun unless they were hunting. Most folks had a single barrel shotgun or a single shot .22 sitting in the corner next to the front door. On the opposite end some of the moonshiners carried pump shotguns in their cars to shoot out tires of any revenuers cars the saw on the side of the road. Only heard of one that had a Thompson.

You didn't say what part of the country your story takes place in so maybe someone in Chicago, Detroit, or some of the other cities that were still holding remnants of the old days of gangster violence etc. could have packed heat but I have no first hand knowledge of "cities" If I had to vote on one though it would be his Grandfather's .32 or a brought back .45 govt mod. My $.02
Larry

 

[feralmerril]

MG357, Fact is at the end of world war two, many vets collected unemployment for a full year when they came back and partied! Also many went to school on the GI bill. I really doubt many took a job as a soda jerk. I personnaly knew several that used the GI bill to learn to be actors. Those went to the pasadena playhouse and got their start they told me. I well remember several of my returning uncles raised heck and partyed, fished and went hunting for the full year then the 25 -52 plan I think they called it, ran out they got their jobs and settled down. Those were my young "forming years" and it seemed I was sometimes their "mascot". I am happy and proud they took time with me!
Twice I remember two uncles, one dad`s brother and the other moms brother, both were buddies together. They went deer hunting durring thanksgiveing two years in a row, got thrown in jail both years for drinking, getting in a accident, and the other time one was driveing while the other was shooting insulators off a telephone line. Mom both years had a big thanksgiveing dinner that they didnt make! You wont hear much about it now days, but right after the war things were wild!

 

[JP@AK]

I agree with the earlier response that it would be unlikely a soda jerk would carry while on the job. It was a very different time.
But if your character is packing at other times of the day, I think the idea of giving him a Safety Hammerless is a really good one. There were plenty of them around and he would not have had to spend much to pick one up. And they were ideal pocket guns. Moreover, .32 S&W ammo was still plentiful at that time, so I'd go with the .32 New Departure.
As for carrying a war trophy gun, you could go that route too, but if you want to stay with a S&W, how about a Victory model? It doesn't have to be a 1911A1 or a German cast-off P-38!
Have fun with this.
JP

 

[Retired W4]

Out of the three on your list I would opt for #1.

 

[Camster]

Dear s&w forum, I'm and amateur writer and i have this idea for a small writing project. it's romance story about a soda jerk and a beautiful blue eyed secretary. An i'm having trouble choosing a s&w revolver for the soda jerk character to carry for self defense. I have 3 revolvers in mind but i can't choose. the story takes place in 1951 and the soda jerk is a world war 2 army veteran, 26 years old 5 feet 9 inches in height and is very muscular. sincerely and respectfully mg357 a proud member of the s&w forum. p.s. here is the list of s&w revolvers that i have in mind.
1. s&w model m&p 4 inch barrel
2. s&w registered magnum 4 inch barrel
3. s&w chief's special 2 inch barrel.

Try not to make it sound too much like Dana Andrews in"The best years of our lives".

 

[Old cop]

Given the parameters you've set the most realistic would be #3. Although a bit heavy (most readers would not realize this) it could be carried in a pocket. Some GI's did carry the .38 from that time period and was not uncommon to see one when I was in Nam.

Good luck.

 

[hummveecop]

S&W CS snub M36.

 

[soonerfan85]

mg357, Around here in the 50s not too many folks carried a gun unless they were hunting. Most folks had a single barrel shotgun or a single shot .22 sitting in the corner next to the front door. On the opposite end some of the moonshiners carried pump shotguns in their cars to shoot out tires of any revenuers cars the saw on the side of the road. Only heard of one that had a Thompson.

You didn't say what part of the country your story takes place in so maybe someone in Chicago, Detroit, or some of the other cities that were still holding remnants of the old days of gangster violence etc. could have packed heat but I have no first hand knowledge of "cities" If I had to vote on one though it would be his Grandfather's .32 or a brought back .45 govt mod. My $.02
Larry

I like the idea of the hero carrying an old top breaker .32. I can see it now, our war hero returns home to the small town of Sturgis, ND only to find the town overrun with badboy biker types. He gets into an altercation with a biker defending the honor of our lovely heroine and shoots a biker. Point blank in the chest with the .32 and he's graveyard dead. Or so everyone thinks. Despite the best efforts of the heroine to prove our hero acted in self defense, a jury sentences him to 20years in the big house. Frightened jury members and judge are intimidated by the badboy bikers and vote for conviction even absent the body of the deceased. Just when all looks lost, the heroine discovers the .32 bullet actually lodged in the biker's leather jacket and he escaped unharmed to Cali where he has been making porn movies about bikers and aliens.

Just sayin.

 

[pj151]

Switchblade would be more appropriate

 

[LoadedRound]

Model 30. 3" barrel.

 

[Raider]

A soda jerk would most likely have a .32 H&R breaktop since he wouldn't have much money. He could take a nice S&W off the thug he killed defending the honor of Marie, the orphan girl.

Charlie