I’ve been watching the episodes and noticed a not so good habit of the actors. Almost without fail their fingers are on the triggers and the guns are pointed at another person.
What guns are used in the show?

A different time without the internet to point out firearms handling no-noes..

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I’ve not seen that show since I was a kid ( less than 12) but my memory is Crawford used a snub nosed revolver. I’m not sure if it was a Colt or Smith.

I seem to recall liking the revolvers whose ejector rod isn’t just hanging out there like the early Colts so I suspect Crawfish used a Smith. I suspect it was an early bodyguard M38 or M49.

I don't pay as much attention to guns in films or TV as some do, but that show was bad the first time around. I doubt it has aged well in re-runs. Broderick Crawford was in some great movies, but he was past his best acting days when Highway Patrol came out.

What I remember about that show was the slop in the steering. Crawford would saw the steering wheel 4-6" each way to keep the car on the road.

Of course he was not really driving a car, just hollywood.

I started driving on a 1961 vehicle that had maybe an inch of free play each way. Used to do the "Broderick" at traffic lights when I was not moving, could not do it while car was moving.

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Tim
Quantum in me fuit

Crawford was only allowed to drive on private roads, since he had a long history of DUI.

I, too, remember Broderick Crawford with a snubby revolver. Got shot at from some ridiculous distance by a bad guy with a rifle, who missed. Crawford responded with his snubby, and hit. Too bad he couldn't have lived long enough to teach Jerry Miculek how to shoot.

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Formerly Model520Fan

I seem to recall most cars had slop in the steering in comparison with what we drive these days. Maybe it was just the mechanics of the systems in the '50s. I never drove anything with power steering until 1965, but don't recall slop with that setup.

The crimes all seem to occur a few miles from his office.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

A discussion on this forum from 2021 came to the conclusion that it was a model 10

From the web:

"What guns were used ?"

"The highway patrolmen packed Smith & Wesson Model 10 Military & Police revolver, with 6" barrel [thanks to Bill Cawthon for this information]. Mathews' gun was a Smith & Wesson Model 10, with 2" barrel (snub nose) 38 Special. It was holstered on his left hip for a right hand draw. The uniformed officers had snap away holsters on their right side. Both revolvers held 6 bullets, which sometimes the show took liberties by extending the amount to 8 or more! The accuracy range on Dan's gun is about 25' or so. However, Dan was a dead eye. He could hit suspects off roofs, from the helicopter and even hiding in the mountains using a one handed grip and no sight! He also had a keen ability to "call for the coroner" without even checking the suspect for vitals."

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Broderick was a terrible actor , saying his lines so fast you couldn't understand most of them

The OP made an observation about firearms handling and then queried us on guns used.

He mentioned nothing about acting critique.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

The series ran through four seasons from 1955 to 1959. So it is possible he may have used a Model 10 in the last two seasons. Whatever it was he used, he was a dead shot with it, always bringing down a BG 50 yards away and never needing to use the sights. I remember it, but was not a regular viewer.

Guilty here.

Known to CHP as 502.

The regular "patrolmen" in that show carried six inch Model 10's.
Crawford carried many snubs, usuallly Model 10's, 36, and Colt Detective Specials....sometimes in the same scene! (wink wink nudge nudge)

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The Last Standing Knight

Solving any major crime in 20 minutes or less.
They are so corny you just have to watch them

He was pretty fond of the lines "Set up a road block!" and "Put out an APB!" (lol) from what I remember about that corny show.

I stopped him for speeding when I was a town cop, about 1969 or so. He had ties to Central New York. He was sober and ,no, I did not ticket him! He had a fender bender in my town the year before, but I wasn't there for that.

I never saw that show, my folks didn't watch it.

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No baby we aint

The department I’m retired from has a restored 1951 Ford patrol car. I drove it once and I was surprised at how loose the steering was, nothing like the Chevys & Fords we were running at the time (1990’s).

My main memory and reference from the show is the "Broderick Crawford flip" as he flicked his wrist to cause the cylinder to return to battery on his snub nose. I still cringe when I see that move.

A bunch of the Highway Patrol episodes are on YouTube.
Saw one just the other day.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Initially that program had strong technical support from the CHP, though it portrayed a generic police agency in an unnamed state.
I recall Broderick Crawford with the mike in his hand saying "10-4".

Ben Franklin is quoted as saying, "Nothing in this world is certain, except death and taxes." If the internet was around back then, he would have included thread drift!

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"I also cook."

I heard he liked chocolate chip cookies!

...

Touché.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I recently started watching this on MeTV. For what it was, I think it's entertaining.

And 45 years after the fact I finally get that line from Smoky and the Bandit where the young trooper says to Jackie Gleason " I don't care if you're Broderick Crawford, there's no way..."

What I like most about this show are the Cars.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

A lot of the old time cop actors back in those days had their finger on the trigger.

Even Joe Friday, did it as well as Matt Dillon.

It was called,
Acting !!

One of the earliest tv shows I remember watching as a child. Only one Broderick Crawford.

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GOA
USA Shooting Supporter

I often close my email messages to friends and family members old enough to remember it by writing "2150 bye"

Check out this YouTube video, the guy was such a fan that he recreated the 1955 Buick from the series

I suspect the proponents of today's
"finger off the trigger" policy are
mostly attuned to autos and their
light trigger pulls.

Like it or not, handling a DAO revolver
with standard 10 to 12 pound trigger
weights is a lot different than just
about any auto in use today.

And it's been proven that under stress
many if not most who pull any handgun
also put their finger on the trigger. Or
so trainers have reported.

Anyone here ever heard of the NY1 and
NY2 triggers for Glocks?

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Ubi Est Mea

Good acting or bad, I enjoy watching shows such as HP, Dragnet, Perry Mason, etc. Heck, I even like the awful Svengoolie movies. No wokeness to them.

When I went through the academy we qualified with well worn models 64's with factory grips (magnas).

We were encouraged to have the revolver ready to fire quickly when drawn and aimed. I don't recall ever hearing "finger off the trigger." I guess with a ~12 pound trigger pull it wasn't a real concern. Going single action was strictly forbidden and could possibly get you fired.

However, when we transitioned to Glock's....Yep, FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER!" You would be ejected from the range if the instructor saw you finger the trigger before ready to fire or before you came to eye level. Ask me how I know. LOL

At least that's the way I remember it.


,

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Death? Smile back...

I also noticed that most of the TV cop shows of the era feature Colts(OPs, PPs, DSs) more than Smiths. Then came Adam 12, with those 6" K38s in the first few seasons!