In the Michael Connelly book The Black Ice, the protagonist, Harry Bosch and another minor character refer to aSmith 44 that was given to Harry as being a right handed revolver. The author further stspates that Harry never used it because he had never taken it to a gunsmith to be converted to a left handed gun by moving the safety lever to the other side.

Never seen a converted right handed 44 or a safety lever on one; must be a rare Smith indeed!��

What "Safety Lever"???

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

Safety lever ?

I bet the author's favorite color is maroon.

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- Post No Bills -

I think Charter Arms may have had a LH 44 but seems they only have a 38 special now.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Nah, I have one of their bulldog 44s and they are right handed just like S&W and Colt (cylinder tips out to the left side of the frame).

Never seen a left-handed revolver (cylinder tips out to the right). Maybe it is a 44 auto-mag? They have a safety lever...

Well, that saves me from ever reading a book by Michael Connelly!

BTW, the French Mlle. 1892 8mm revolver opens to the right. I think it's the only revolver that does. No safety lever, though.

Most authors know very little about guns and make these errors frequently.

Charter had a left-handed .38 snub called the Southpaw. I kinda wanted one, but they go for around $400 which is in my mind a bit steep for a Charter.

Isn't that the truth. My faves are when the bad guy "cocks the hammer on his Glock," or "twists the silencer (ugh) onto the end of his revolver."


Perhaps a new thread about gun-savvy authors is in order.

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- Post No Bills -

Not sure why one would read fiction written by someone who freely writes about stuff he knows nothing about. I generally try not to even associate with such people.

Here is a left-handed revolver.



From

Custom Revolvers

How he do dat?

The Webley-Fosbery had a safety lever. Think of it as a 1911 before the 1911 came out. To have a good crisp trigger the gun was made in single action only and could not be carried with the hammer down. So the hammer would be cocked and the safety lever flicked to safe

Craig Johnson of "Longmire" fame, is quite accurate.

Sometimes it isn't the author, but the editor that screws it up.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

The way some writers churn out these TV programs and novels it doesn.t leave much time for research. Of course some of the mis-speaks in some to the TV series' could actually be the actors.

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I Cor. 10:13 "1611KJV"

Not so impressive when you see the picture turned around the right way...

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Been up since before breakfast

Michael Connelly is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller.

So fiction is supposed to be factual??

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Still Running Against the Wind

Stephen Hunter : Author of the Bob Lee Swagger books is well known for his authenticity with fire arms.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hunter

In the SCSW, which I don't have it here at home with me, it's in my office, I seem to remember a reference that Smith made a model 10 or 12 for the French police that had a safety on it. Something like the cylinder release, but on the right hand side of the frame??? Perhaps I am in error, but somehow that popped up. Not that it would excuse this author and his ignorance regarding firearms.

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

From IMDBF, the film firearms database:

The Model 12 was the Airweight version of the Smith & Wesson Model 10. It had an aluminum alloy frame with a steel cylinder and barrel. It was chambered for the .38 Special and was available with a 2 inch and 4 inch barrel. It was available with either a blued or nickel finish and round and squared butts.It was manufactured from 1952-1986.
Collectors Note: In 1966 the French Government placed a large order for over a thousand Model 12's with the 2 inch and 3 inch barrel, blued finish and round butts.The Model 12's were issued to the French police. The unusual thing about these specimens was a safety latch on the right side of the frame. When pushed forward the latch locks the hammer and trigger. It's estimated that between 12 - 18 of the French Model 12's remained in the United States since they were production overrun. The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson. 3rd Edition places a value of $4,200 (USD) on the U.S./French Model 12's. The models that were shipped to France were destroyed when the French police went to different models.

I don't know how accurate this info is, just throwing it out there. Seems that I may have remembered correctly though.

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

I only have a 3rd grade education but I always thought "fiction" was not true. It is a made up story. Since the story is a figment of the authors imagination why can't he imagine what kind of a gun he wants in his story? Larry

In the WEB Griffin series of books Blood and Honor the goof he makes is about the Argentine rifles and carbines as being in 7x57 caliber when they are actually 7.65x53 caliber. Sometimes you get into a series of books which for the most part are good enjoyable reading. Then along comes a goof like that and you have to say "what was he thinking?". Frank