Photos of George Patton wearing Registered Magnum

David LaPell

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I was wondering if there are any photos out there of George Patton actually wearing his Registered Magnum. I see alot with his Colt SAA, one even of him wearing a Colt .22, but so far none with the Smith & Wesson.
 
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Yes, there are. I don't have any handy but you see them now and then. I don't recall ever seeing one of him wearing just the .357. Normally, the photos show him wearing both the Colt and the RM.

The Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor has the most complete collection of Signal Corps photos of General Patton that I know of, which used to be at Fort Knox. The last time I was there, they had 13 binders of photos, and one could make copies if he had his own equipment with him. I made it through 6 or 7 of the binders in the time I had, and I always intended to go back and finish the job, but haven't made it yet.

The museum had both the Colt and the S&W on display when I was there, but I thought I heard recently that some of his guns had been "given" to West Point. The web still says the Colt is at Fort Knox, so possibly the family has given ownership of the guns to West Point, but they still are located at Fort Knox... ?

I am not even sure the museum (as I saw it) is still at Fort Knox, as I recall reading that it was being moved (possibly to Georgia - ?). But if it is still there, and you want to see the material, you have to write ahead for an appointment/permission. The net still shows the museum as being at Fort Knox, so I am a bit confused. In any case, a phone call would straighten that out. When I called, more than a few years ago now, the curator was very cordial and seemed happy to provide access to the photos, some of which were excellent, probably the result of a photographer that really knew his way around a Speed Graphic.
 
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The only photos I've found are Gen. Patton with his Colt revolver and .380 pistol. Still searching...
 
Can’t find pictures of him wearing the .357. Here is a picture of Patton’s .357, and the original order form.

Pattons357.jpg


Orderform.jpg
 
The only images I've found are of actor George C. Scott in "Patton" wearing a S&W Model 27.

800px-Patton-saa1.jpg
(During the big speech)

800px-Patton_44.jpg
(Model 27 on left, SA Colt on right)
 
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I am certain that in the past I have seen pictures of him wearing it.
I still have a liveing uncle that said he was assigned a few times to drive General Patton. Uncle art spoke fluent german, dad says they didnt learn english untill they went to school. He was a MP and a dog man. Probley might have been assigned because of that. I know he went through the bulge. Art is about 93 now and lives in wisconsin. I belive I heard he was like the 2nd person drafted in our county or state when the draft came out.
 
I am certain that in the past I have seen pictures of him wearing it.
I still have a liveing uncle that said he was assigned a few times to drive General Patton. Uncle art spoke fluent german, dad says they didnt learn english untill they went to school. He was a MP and a dog man. Probley might have been assigned because of that. I know he went through the bulge. Art is about 93 now and lives in wisconsin. I belive I heard he was like the 2nd person drafted in our county or state when the draft came out.

Cool ---
When I was growing up my next door neighbor was a tanker under Patton. He'd seen him a couple of times, but mostly NOT.

I was in BCT at Knox when Patton made general - We even cleaned the gravel in our Co area - One rock at a time :eek:
Then we got all dressed up and stood in formation as General Patton rode by.
If you ever saw the Mash episode where MacArthur rides by without even looking up you saw exactly what we saw of Patton.
I've always wondered if one of the writers on Mash wasn't there that day :confused:

They had a big to do at his dad's museum, but I wasn't invited :(
 
The photos crtainly exist, and I've also seen him wearing a Colt DS and a Remington M-51 .380, also a Colt .380 with stars on the dark wood grips.

I think there's a scene in, "Patton", where Scott, playing Patton, hid a Colt .380 under his coat before buckling on his larger revolvers. I can readily see the real general doing that.

It is interesting that some generals, like Eisenhower and Montgomery, seem not to have worn guns openly. Patton, Field Marshal Alexander, and others did. I think some US generals don't wear them now because they want an executive look, as if pistols are for more common people. And the modern Army seems effete in its view of handguns, almost anti-gun.

I read, "Soldier", the autobiography of Gen. Tommy Franks. He admitted to his wife that he was wearing three concealed guns during a reception at a Muslim leader's palace. But he seems not to have worn openly. Maybe they figure that they shouldn't wear a gun, lest it look like they might need one. ??

Has anyone seen a photo of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel wearing a gun? I haven't.
 
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Maybe 10 years ago we had a Patton day at our National Gun Day show in Louisville. Somehow they managed to borrow his hand guns and a tank, along with a good number of photos. The first day you couldn't get near the displays but by Sunday it was easy. We got to see the RM, the Colt and some other, lesser guns. Lots of photos as I remember.

As usual, I was more interested in the guns for sale. Or the ones I was trying to sell.
 
In the book "Fired in Anger" the author quotes Patton as saying the .357 was his "killing gun" though there is no evidence he ever fired it at anybody. The Colt 380 was the "official" issue to general officers in WWII. Patton wore his Colt SAA on his right, if he ever wore the .357 it would have been on his left. There is a picture of patton in his tanker's uniform with a Colt Woodsman in his holster. Patton was a "character", probably should have lived during the Civil War, and yes, Today's Army is a rather effete organization, the firearms enthusiast is seen as a "nut".
 
I visited the West Point museum in June; didn't see any Patton guns, and I think I would have noticed them if they had been there. Did see a pistol once the property of Adolf Hitler, and a S&W M&P that Goering was wearing when he surrendered. Also saw a rather nondescript airborne jump suit, with 82d insignia on the arm, with the name tape "Gavin", given by General Gavin.
 
I am currently reading a book on George S. Patton and I do believe in it there is a photo of him wearing this Revolver. The photo is B&W and not particularly good quality, so it would not be worth scanning. There are descent photos around - do a Google search.

By the way, the book is very long but is very well written. I never realized he was so closely associated with Black Jack Pershing. Guess it did not hurt him rising through the ranks.

Amazon.com: General Patton: A Soldier's Life (9780060009830): Stanley Hirshson: Books

Chief38
 
SORRY FELLA'S..............

I just looked at the book photo again and it is the Colt SAA revolver he is wearing. There is another photo in the same book, but the guns stocks are hidden under his arm so I do not know if it is a Colt SAA or the S&W R/M.

Best bet is a Google search.

Chief38
 
Here's the whole rig NOT on him. The left holster is longer than his 3 1/2" S&W. In fact it really looks identical to the right holster.

patton.jpg
 
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