“TX” marking on 28-2 Highway Patrolman

[Draw4u]

Picked up another S&W revolver this week and wondering if anyone knows what the hand etched “TX6077058” is for? Looks to be from 1972 and was told that it was used by a Texas PD or Sheriffs department. Just curious if anyone else has come across this and knows for sure because the seller was unsure.

 

[Breakaway500]

Looks like target trigger and target hammer. Nice find! Etched number could be a department added tag for identification.

 

[Draw4u]

Looks like target trigger and target hammer. Nice find! Etched number could be a department added tag for identification.

Yeah, I was definitely happy to find it. Gun and box are both in great condition! Hoping to figure out what the TX numbers are from, just to know about the history, but happy with it for sure!

 

[Bald1]

Getting the letter is probably only way to know for sure.

 

[Draw4u]

Yeah, I thought about that as well but wasn’t sure it was worth the expense of it. I might do it though, if nobody has come across this lettering before. Thanks!

 

[Old_Cop]

Could it be a Texas driver's license number?

 

[JP@AK]

A Texas driver license number, put there by the owner?

That would be my guess. I doubt a letter would tell you anything about it.

 

[Draw4u]

Could it be a Texas driver's license number?

Hasn’t thought about that but I guess it could be, not sure

 

[gmborkovic]

Property room evidence number.

 

[OFT II]

My Texas DL has eight digits and I've had it since 1960. It's possible that DL numbers were seven digit prior to mine since my first two numbers are 00. Definately not a Texas Department of Public Safety number but DPS did issue model 28s for several years.

 

[ken158]

Definitely a number etched by a previous owner or property room / lab for some reason who thought a serial number was not enough of an identification. Lettering this gun for that purpose is a waste of $100.

 

[colt_saa]

Could it be a Texas driver's license number?

BINGO

Texas DL numbers are seven or eight digits

 

[colt_saa]

My Texas DL has eight digits and I've had it since 1960. It's possible that DL numbers were seven digit prior to mine since my first two numbers are 00. Definately not a Texas Department of Public Safety number but DPS did issue model 28s for several years.

Texas DPS property numbers start with 405- (at least they did on my 357SIG autoloaders in the 90s when I was working out in Dallas County) followed by 6 more digits

 

[glenwolde]

I got my Texas DL in 1978 and it has 8 digits. But there's a leading 0 which might have been eliminated? I believe they are sequential numbers. Given what mine is and the time frames the number would make sense as a DL if they just omitted the leading 0.

 

[Model19man]

Looks like someone etched a driver's license number into the crane. Many police departments offered free electro pencils for such use. The DL number helped the cops to catch crooks. People would etch their driver's license number into car parts, radios, tape players and of course guns.

 

[Draw4u]

Seems like the consensus is that it is definitely a drivers license number from the 1970s. Makes sense to me. Hate that it’s been etched but still a very clean and great Gun to be added to the group of other revolvers!
Seems like the consensus is that it is definitely a drivers license number from the 1970s. Makes sense to me. Hate that it’s been etched but still a very clean and great gun to be added to the group of other revolvers!

 

[mdf9183]

When I got my DL in 1969 it was seven numbers and later on they added a 0 to the front of the number.

 

[Draw4u]

If it is a drivers license number, and I assume it is, I wish there was a way to figure out who that was actually tied to, just to have the history on it. Would be cool to figure that out and if the person is still alive, then reach out to them About it.

 

[jmiles1960]

Does the box label specify Target Hammer (TH) and Target Trigger (TT)? Just curious.

 

[Draw4u]

Does the box label specify Target Hammer (TH) and Target Trigger (TT)? Just curious.

Here is a pic