.44 Mag 28-2?

[mistersmith]

While trolling a LGS I came across a 28-2 that had been fitted with a 29 barrel and cylinder. The seller said, rightly or wrongly that the conversion was done at the factory when 29s were in high demand and short supply.
Does anyone know anything about these conversions. The one I saw had a satin frame and a polished barrel and cylinder, along with TTTs.
Thanks

Happy New Year to all.
Robert

 

[steelslaver]

I highly doubt that the factory did this. Somebody rounded up a barrel and cylinder. Some people would freak out by a 44 mag on a 28 frame. I think it would be fine.

 

[murphydog]

It would look odd, not only with the finish mismatch but also the bull barrel/wide serrated rib of a model 29 and the plain frame top of the 28 contoured for the tapered barrel/thin rib.

Someone here may know if the .357 and .44 Magnum frames received the same heat-treatment but it has been specifically advised in the past not to use a non-Magnum N frame .44 (the model 544 in .44-40) to build a Magnum.

 

[WC145]

There are lots of converted 28s out there. M28s have always been plentiful and, until recently, inexpensive, so they were cheap foundations for conversions to.more desirable calibers. I have two converted 28s, a .45acp and a .41mag. Seems like every 'smith out there was doing conversions on them back in the day, new .44mags and .44spls were particularly hard to come by and the problem was solved by converting 28s. However, it was not something that was done at the factory. If S&W wanted to make more 29s all they had to do was make more 29s, the frames were essentially the same for all of the N frame guns, they could have diverted some that were destined to be 28s, 27s, 57s, whatever, to 29 production if they wanted to. However, with the high demand for 29s they were selling all they were making, and I'm sure some dealers were charging extra for them. Increasing production would have meant satisfying and reducing demand to some degree, pretty sure that isn't something that S&W wanted to do.

 

[stansdds]

I can't see S&W converting a Model 28 to 44 Magnum. Most likely it was a gunsmith who obtained the parts to make such a conversion.

 

[SLT223]

I highly doubt that the factory did this. Somebody rounded up a barrel and cylinder. Some people would freak out by a 44 mag on a 28 frame. I think it would be fine.

Agreed. A 29 being in short supply from the factory is a function of barrels and cylinders, not so much frames. I don't see how that's rectified by putting the scarce parts on a 28 frame.

 

[S.B.]

Yep, Dirty Harry didn't do the .44 any favors. A lot of IHMSA shooters still wanted one so, built them from model 28s.
Steve

 

[mistersmith]

Thank you, my thoughts also.
Happy New year.

 

[WC145]

Thank you, my thoughts also.
Happy New year.

Buy the gun, not the story. There a plenty of converted 28s and others that are damn fine revolvers and they can often be had for very reasonable prices.

 

[apollo99]

I would think that if the factory did it, they would at least make the finish match.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Have seen converted 28s, mostly 44 Specials.
Factory conversions?
Don’t think so.

 

[A10]

The factory would have restruck the model number.

 

[Nightowl]

I can vouch for the fact that dealers were charging 2 to 3 times the list for .44 Magnums after Dirty Harry hit the theaters!! Even the, they were very hard to find. I saw one in a gun shop in Illinois back shortly after the first DH movie and it was priced around $800!! I bought my first one in 1968 for $125.

 

[beagleye]

Is the finish mismatched? Could it be just a mislabeled/stamped 29?

 

[rgm36]

Definitely a converted gun "after" it left the factory.

Its the same frame so I wouldn't hesitate to shoot it - IF THE GUN SMITH DID THE JOB RIGHT!

That's the question

 

[ExRanger714]

I knew a Deputy back around '80 that had a 4" 28 struck 44 mag or a 44 chambered 28. Seems like it was polished blue cyl/brl and matte frame. IIRC he said it was factory but both of us could be wrong.

 

[one eye joe]

While trolling a LGS I came across a 28-2 that had been fitted with a 29 barrel and cylinder. The seller said, rightly or wrongly that the conversion was done at the factory when 29s were in high demand and short supply.
Does anyone know anything about these conversions. The one I saw had a satin frame and a polished barrel and cylinder, along with TTTs.
Thanks

Happy New Year to all.
Robert

I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT THIS IS TRUE. ONE OF THE TENETS OF THE FIREARMS HOBBY, IS TO "BUY THE GUN, NOT THE STORY". DO YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT THE FACTORY WOULD COBLE TOGETHER A REVOLVER ,THAT LOOKED LIKE THAT, AND SELL IT ? ? ? THE WORK MAY HAVE BEEN DONE AT THE FACTORY, AND PAID FOR BY THE OWNER OF A M28, HOWEVER. IS THERE ANY DOCUMENTATION TO SUPPORT SUCH A SCENARIO ? ? ?

I HAD A NO-DASH 686 SNUBBIE, FITTED WITH A 7 ROUND CYLINDER, AT THE FACTORY. AS WE ALL KNOW, THERE WEREN'T ANY NO-DASH, 7 SHOT 686 REVOLVERS, PRODUCED FOR SALE, BY S&W. THIS WAS A PROJECT THAT I FINANCED MYSELF. I HAVE THE PAPERWORK TO SHOW THAT THE NEW PARTS WERE PURCHASED FROM S&W, AND ALL WORK WAS PERFORMED AT THE FACTORY---AND NOT BY BUBBA, AT THE KITCHEN TABLE....

 

[Jersey Doug]

Model 28 converted to.44 Mag

This is a converted M-28 to .44 Mag, machined the main spring thinner on a surface grinder, changed the other springs (as recommended),purchased target trigger and hammer, jeweled both, internal parts honed then gold plated,,,notice the logo and writing machined off the right side , then the blue buffed off to highly polished metal, barrel and cylinder off a chrome M-29.

I still have the first conversion parts that being barrel and cylinder made into .44 special . First modifications took place in 1971.

 

[S&WIowegan]

No way the factory did the conversion and I'm sure Roy Jinks would say the same thing. Model 28s got converted to lots of weird and wonderful stuff. I had a NIB 28-2 converted to 8-shot 38 Super back in the 90s because S&W hadn't started making them. I bought a 28 that had been converted to 38-40/38WCF and still shoot it. I once had a 28-2 that I converted to .357 Bain and Davis....Just required a new custom cylinder. I sold the cylinder and dies along with brass to a local guy who loved playing with odd stuff like that.

 

[usmc2427765]

There was a gunsmith in Houston in the early 1970's that would do this type of work and his work was very good. As I recall this type of work was for .44 special barrel and cylinder and was about $ 250.00 or so and was well below the price of a M 29 at $500.00 plus, plus.