Once again, I'm posting a draft article here for information and comments. This revolver is near and dear to me, as my dad and I each had one. We loved to go target shooting with them together now and then. Hope you enjoy it.
John
The S&W Highway Patrolman Revolver
Way back in 1967 a number of my co-workers and I enjoyed going out on the desert near Phoenix to target practice with centerfire revolvers. I had a well-used S&W Model 1950 .45 ACP target revolver that I had picked up a number of years earlier because it used then-plentiful military surplus ammo. Some of my friends had Smith & Wesson Model 28 Highway Patrolman revolvers. They were excelling at longer shots (out to and beyond 100 yards). At those longer ranges my old .45 revolver had a trajectory like a thrown Dutch oven, while their .357s got out there with plenty of hustle left over. That lesson was not lost on me – the .357 magnum was a lot of gun. While talking with them and examining their revolvers, I learned that these beauties could be had new for a lot less than the deluxe Model 27. It didn't take long for me to trade in that Model 1950 for a brand new Model 28. Yes, the ammo was more expensive, but I could learn to reload, and I did.
I was not unique in my zeal for this gun. At that time, the Highway Patrolman revolver was often an individual's first .357 revolver. It was, very simply, a more utilitarian and less expensive version of the famed S&W.357 Magnum (which became the Model 27). While that fine revolver had held sway as an ideal robust N-frame in the S&W lineup since 1935, it was always a classy premium firearm. It featured a high-gloss blue or nickel finish, with the frame's top strap, rear sight tang and top rib of the barrel finely checkered to reduce any possibility of light reflecting off of those surfaces while aiming. There were many choices offered on the gun, including types of stocks, front and rear sight options, and target-style triggers and hammers. All of those things cost money.
In the early 1950s, numerous inquiries were made to S&W by various law enforcement agencies regarding a possibly less-expensive version of the .357 Magnum. Hopefully, such a gun would be more affordable by both the agencies and individual officers. One of the most vocal of the groups was the Texas Highway Patrol. Their pleas did not fall on deaf ears. The president of Smith & Wesson at the time was Carl Hellstrom. He took the initiative to huddle with his engineers to see what could be done to satisfy this perceived need. What was called for, he thought, was a gun fully as functional and as smooth-operating as the .357 Magnum, but with a lesser cosmetic finish and fewer options. It would be less expensive to make, and the economies could be passed on to their customers. S&W had some experience doing alterations of this type when they made the Victory Model .38 special revolvers for our armed forces during World War II. The Victory Model was basically a Parkerized version of the cosmetically-nicer Military and Police service revolver. It did not cost nearly as much to make, and more could be made quickly to meet the needs of the services. Hellstrom's engineers went to work, and what resulted was a real game-changer.
In January of 1954, prototypes of the new gun were crafted. These guns mimicked the .357 Magnum, but had a brush blue finish rather than the high-polish blue or nickel finish that was standard on the flagship gun. The top surfaces (non-serrated barrel rib, top strap and non-serrated rear sight tang) and the front and back of the frame received a matte finish. The plain no-insert Baughman front sight and its base were transversely serrated. There were no trigger or hammer options offered. There were only two customer choices – either a 6-inch or a 4-inch barrel, and either magna (service) or target stocks. All of these guns would receive a micrometer click-adjustable rear sight with no frills. Samples were sent to a number of agencies for field evaluation. The original test samples were marked simply "Patrolman." By March of that year, the majority of the opinions returned were quite favorable, and plans were made for volume production. On April 15, 1954, the first production guns came off the assembly line, with the initial serial number being S103,500. The gun was first presented in the January, 1955 catalog. The only listed customer options were barrel length and stock style. Either barrel length cost the same ($85.00), but if target stocks were ordered, the gun cost slightly more ($89.50). The only finish was blue. The name change to "Highway Patrolman" was widely reputed to be at the suggestion of Mrs. Florence (Flora) Van Orden of Evaluators Ltd., located near Quantico, Virginia. At any rate, this name was adopted and stamped on the barrel. All of these first-production revolvers were built on the square-butt target N-frame with 5 screws.
The acceptance of the new revolver was quite strong, and S&W produced a total of 8,427 of them by the end of 1954. All had chambers counterbored for cartridge rims, and pinned barrels. The stocks had checkering with a diamond center pattern. The guns had shrouded extractor rods, semi-target hammers, and 6-groove serrated backstraps and forestraps on the grip frame. These were later changed to 10 grooves, front and back. Triggers came from the factory either .265" grooved or .400" smooth, depending on inventory. In 1956, the upper sideplate screw was eliminated in favor of a dovetailed tab.
In 1957, the Highway Patrolman officially became the Model 28. The model number was stamped in the frame recess for the crane, and the barrels continued to be marked as before. Some very rare variations were made over the years. Twenty-five guns with 5" barrels and nickel finishes were made for the Florida Highway Patrol in 1959. 761 guns with 6" barrels were made as Washington State Patrol commemoratives. Less than 100 were reported to have been made with 8 3/8" barrels. Five specially-crafted guns were reported as being made with a satin nickel finish for Adolph Blaick, Inc., and stamped with the Performance Center trademark in 2000. Some salesman samples and some made for the New York State Police (marked NYSP) have been found with red ramp front sights and white outline rear sights. In 1960, the Model 28-1 (now extremely rare to find because of its very short run) changed the extractor rod from right hand to left hand thread. The following year saw the Model 28-2, in which the cylinder stop was changed, eliminating the trigger guard screw. In 1968, the diamond-center stocks were discontinued. The revolver illustrated is a 28-2, manufactured in September, 1980. It's factory-equipped with beautiful target stocks. The Model 28-3, in 1982, eliminated the counterbored chambers and the pinned barrel, making it the least desirable version for collectors.
The Model 28 continued to be made until 1986 as a standard catalog item. As semiauto pistols took over the police market and an increasingly large segment of the civilian market as well, it was finally discontinued. In its day, the Model 28 was wildly popular and quite economical to purchase. It has never lacked for being the equal of the famed Model 27 functionally. For quite a while, these guns were plentiful as used items, usually in great condition, as they were tough revolvers. In recent years, however, the prices they command have zoomed as more and more people realize what great revolvers they have always been. I still have the 6" model I bought in 1967, and my father's 4" variation I chose for him in 1968. I have many fond memories of us going out shooting together with them. As a home defense gun, a field gun, or as police equipment for agencies still using revolvers, it's pretty close to ideal. Although it's heavy compared to some .357s, it has great strength and can easily withstand years of shooting with very high-powered loads. Its weight also soaks up recoil and makes it easy to shoot well. If you find one in decent condition, think twice before passing it up. It's become a modern classic.
(c) JLM
John
The S&W Highway Patrolman Revolver
Way back in 1967 a number of my co-workers and I enjoyed going out on the desert near Phoenix to target practice with centerfire revolvers. I had a well-used S&W Model 1950 .45 ACP target revolver that I had picked up a number of years earlier because it used then-plentiful military surplus ammo. Some of my friends had Smith & Wesson Model 28 Highway Patrolman revolvers. They were excelling at longer shots (out to and beyond 100 yards). At those longer ranges my old .45 revolver had a trajectory like a thrown Dutch oven, while their .357s got out there with plenty of hustle left over. That lesson was not lost on me – the .357 magnum was a lot of gun. While talking with them and examining their revolvers, I learned that these beauties could be had new for a lot less than the deluxe Model 27. It didn't take long for me to trade in that Model 1950 for a brand new Model 28. Yes, the ammo was more expensive, but I could learn to reload, and I did.
I was not unique in my zeal for this gun. At that time, the Highway Patrolman revolver was often an individual's first .357 revolver. It was, very simply, a more utilitarian and less expensive version of the famed S&W.357 Magnum (which became the Model 27). While that fine revolver had held sway as an ideal robust N-frame in the S&W lineup since 1935, it was always a classy premium firearm. It featured a high-gloss blue or nickel finish, with the frame's top strap, rear sight tang and top rib of the barrel finely checkered to reduce any possibility of light reflecting off of those surfaces while aiming. There were many choices offered on the gun, including types of stocks, front and rear sight options, and target-style triggers and hammers. All of those things cost money.
In the early 1950s, numerous inquiries were made to S&W by various law enforcement agencies regarding a possibly less-expensive version of the .357 Magnum. Hopefully, such a gun would be more affordable by both the agencies and individual officers. One of the most vocal of the groups was the Texas Highway Patrol. Their pleas did not fall on deaf ears. The president of Smith & Wesson at the time was Carl Hellstrom. He took the initiative to huddle with his engineers to see what could be done to satisfy this perceived need. What was called for, he thought, was a gun fully as functional and as smooth-operating as the .357 Magnum, but with a lesser cosmetic finish and fewer options. It would be less expensive to make, and the economies could be passed on to their customers. S&W had some experience doing alterations of this type when they made the Victory Model .38 special revolvers for our armed forces during World War II. The Victory Model was basically a Parkerized version of the cosmetically-nicer Military and Police service revolver. It did not cost nearly as much to make, and more could be made quickly to meet the needs of the services. Hellstrom's engineers went to work, and what resulted was a real game-changer.
In January of 1954, prototypes of the new gun were crafted. These guns mimicked the .357 Magnum, but had a brush blue finish rather than the high-polish blue or nickel finish that was standard on the flagship gun. The top surfaces (non-serrated barrel rib, top strap and non-serrated rear sight tang) and the front and back of the frame received a matte finish. The plain no-insert Baughman front sight and its base were transversely serrated. There were no trigger or hammer options offered. There were only two customer choices – either a 6-inch or a 4-inch barrel, and either magna (service) or target stocks. All of these guns would receive a micrometer click-adjustable rear sight with no frills. Samples were sent to a number of agencies for field evaluation. The original test samples were marked simply "Patrolman." By March of that year, the majority of the opinions returned were quite favorable, and plans were made for volume production. On April 15, 1954, the first production guns came off the assembly line, with the initial serial number being S103,500. The gun was first presented in the January, 1955 catalog. The only listed customer options were barrel length and stock style. Either barrel length cost the same ($85.00), but if target stocks were ordered, the gun cost slightly more ($89.50). The only finish was blue. The name change to "Highway Patrolman" was widely reputed to be at the suggestion of Mrs. Florence (Flora) Van Orden of Evaluators Ltd., located near Quantico, Virginia. At any rate, this name was adopted and stamped on the barrel. All of these first-production revolvers were built on the square-butt target N-frame with 5 screws.
The acceptance of the new revolver was quite strong, and S&W produced a total of 8,427 of them by the end of 1954. All had chambers counterbored for cartridge rims, and pinned barrels. The stocks had checkering with a diamond center pattern. The guns had shrouded extractor rods, semi-target hammers, and 6-groove serrated backstraps and forestraps on the grip frame. These were later changed to 10 grooves, front and back. Triggers came from the factory either .265" grooved or .400" smooth, depending on inventory. In 1956, the upper sideplate screw was eliminated in favor of a dovetailed tab.
In 1957, the Highway Patrolman officially became the Model 28. The model number was stamped in the frame recess for the crane, and the barrels continued to be marked as before. Some very rare variations were made over the years. Twenty-five guns with 5" barrels and nickel finishes were made for the Florida Highway Patrol in 1959. 761 guns with 6" barrels were made as Washington State Patrol commemoratives. Less than 100 were reported to have been made with 8 3/8" barrels. Five specially-crafted guns were reported as being made with a satin nickel finish for Adolph Blaick, Inc., and stamped with the Performance Center trademark in 2000. Some salesman samples and some made for the New York State Police (marked NYSP) have been found with red ramp front sights and white outline rear sights. In 1960, the Model 28-1 (now extremely rare to find because of its very short run) changed the extractor rod from right hand to left hand thread. The following year saw the Model 28-2, in which the cylinder stop was changed, eliminating the trigger guard screw. In 1968, the diamond-center stocks were discontinued. The revolver illustrated is a 28-2, manufactured in September, 1980. It's factory-equipped with beautiful target stocks. The Model 28-3, in 1982, eliminated the counterbored chambers and the pinned barrel, making it the least desirable version for collectors.
The Model 28 continued to be made until 1986 as a standard catalog item. As semiauto pistols took over the police market and an increasingly large segment of the civilian market as well, it was finally discontinued. In its day, the Model 28 was wildly popular and quite economical to purchase. It has never lacked for being the equal of the famed Model 27 functionally. For quite a while, these guns were plentiful as used items, usually in great condition, as they were tough revolvers. In recent years, however, the prices they command have zoomed as more and more people realize what great revolvers they have always been. I still have the 6" model I bought in 1967, and my father's 4" variation I chose for him in 1968. I have many fond memories of us going out shooting together with them. As a home defense gun, a field gun, or as police equipment for agencies still using revolvers, it's pretty close to ideal. Although it's heavy compared to some .357s, it has great strength and can easily withstand years of shooting with very high-powered loads. Its weight also soaks up recoil and makes it easy to shoot well. If you find one in decent condition, think twice before passing it up. It's become a modern classic.
(c) JLM
Last edited:
