Recent content by Dave T

It saddens me to see so many casually say, sure shoot those smokeless cowboy loads in a 146 year old gun designed to contain the pressure of 28g of black powder. No one knows what that gun has been through in all those years. Maybe a previous owner was a fan of Elmer's and tried to make it a 44...

1776, Technically you are correct but I bet you'd have to search long and hard to find a SWAT team or other "high risk unit" that actually carries one of these things. I suspect their use by law enforcement is part of a S&W marketing fantasy. Haven't you heard, the mighty 9mm is King of all...

For two years I looked for a 4" 325 PD and finally found one. Fired a couple Moonclips through it the first time out and realized it had the heaviest DA trigger pull I've ever seen on a S&W revolver in 47 years of shooting them. Took it to my gunsmith, who knows his way around a S&W, and he too...

I have two HDs, one a pre-War 5" and the other an early '50s 4". Neither looks close to as nice as the ones being pictured here, so I have shot them regularly. I've done a bit of research (best as I can being computer illiterate) and found S&W claimed the newly introduced Heavy Duty revolver...

There's something I don't understand here. I had a M57 I bought new in 1974, and I already owned a much earlier M58 I had bought used. A no dash gun has to be earlier than '80 doesn't it? Dave

YkcorCal, There's a screw missing on your 625's side-plate. Just sayin', Dave

I trained the 400 armed personel of my department for 6 years. After retiring I trained civilians for 10 years. In the case of both groups of people the majority had a much higher opinion of their ability than proved to be the case when under tight time limits and center hits were required. As...

Your 158g RNL probably has less "stopping power" than target wadcutters. The full wadcutter has several advantages. It is accurate and easy to shoot, even in an air-weight. They cut full caliber holes rather than poking a smaller hole like the RNL. And finally, they penetrate all out of...

Art, I've owned three HDs from this era and still have one. All of them had very smooth actions, despite generally heavy trigger pulls (original springs). I don't think you gun was "slicked" up. I think S&W was just better at putting together revolvers in that time period. I consider the...

My first N-frame was a M 28-2, purchased in August of 1973, shortly after I entered the academy. The Sheriff's Dept did not issue firearms in those far off days, we had to buy our own. I carried it almost to the end of my probation. I practiced weekly shooting Magnum hand loads and after 7-8...

I'm curious. The M-28 and the earlier "Highway Patrolman" were duty guns. Meant to be carried on the mean streets and highways by peace officers. They were tools with very special qualities that made them just right for the job. If you polish it to a nice shine (no matter how you get there) you...

I love the weathered look of that gun. It helps of course that I like HDs. Even if it was once nickeled it still has character. Given a chance and the right price I'd buy it just 'cause it's cool. (smile) Dave

Old Corp, that load (12.5g 2400) is about a grain too heavy from all the research and testing I've done. I've fired my 11.5g loads (same bullet weight of 158g) through two different 5" HDs and three different 4" HDs. My chronograph results have run from ~1130 fps in the 4" guns to 1141 fps in...

The 38/44 in the Heavy Duty or the more elegant Outdoorsman is handgun history in your hand. The original 1930 load of a 158g lead bullet at 1125 fps was the forerunner, the parent cartridge, to the 357 Magnum which would follow along 5 years later (1935). The OP owes it to himself to...

Good luck when the frames start cracking. I have two. the 325 cracked all the way through under the barrel. I have a 386 NG that I will never shoot 357 Magnums through again and the 38s I may shoot won't be +Ps...or I'm gonna just sell it. Dave