Prison Guns

lawandorder

lawandorder

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For a time the Arkansas State Penitentiary system purchased and issued .44 Specials, both 2nd model HEs and 3rd model HEs.

There are still a few floating around. Here is one of the second models that is so worn even the grip medallions are worn smooth.

During the period these were in use Arkansas used a trusty system. Inmates were elevated to guard status and could earn an early release if they shot an escaping convict. Many interesting stories from this time, one of these fellows even made a scene in Clint Eastwood's film "Escape from Alcatraz".

The scene where an Inmate chops his fingers off was taken from real life. An Arkansas Inmate, who had shot and killed several escaping convicts during his revolving door time in the Arkansas System, found him self in the Federal System. The inhabitants there did not take kindly to someone who had shot other prisoners.

He was transferred from Atlanta to the Rock in hopes he would be safe. He figured out he wasn't and chopped his fingers off to get off the Island.

Then there is the story of the escaping female inmate who was shot and killed and had a .44 special stuck down in her bra. Who knows?, maybe it was this one

MVC-547L.JPG
 
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Very nice, guns from the prison systems or corrections never come on the market very often. Here in NY, you can never tell Corrections guns for sure because they were also ex-NYPD guns but the DOC never puts any markings on theirs so on the secondary market they all just look like NYPD guns. Very nice gun and a great story.
 
On the subject of prison guns- A buddy of mine used to work at the Federal Penitentiary at Lewisburg, PA. When he started, they issued S&W 4 inch double action 38's, M-1 carbines, and pre-64 Winchester model 70's in 30-06 with Weaver scopes for the towers. The armory also held a number of Winchester 52 .22 training rifles.

Somewhere in the early 1990's they went to Ruger P85 9mm's, and M-16 rifles.

Now the sad part - ALL the old weapons were cut up with a cutting torch, and disposed of....:(

Larry
 
I used to have a 38/44 Outdoorsman .38 Special that was marked "W.C.C." and a number. I understand this stood for "Washington Correction Center" (I bought it from a local LEO gunshop who also disposes of a lot of police guns).

In the first pic, it is the 6.5" blue gun and you can jut make out the "W.C.C.". In the second pic, the box is not the correct one for the gun. And of course it is wearing the wrong stocks in both pics.

38-44family.jpg

38-44out-test.jpg


Rob
 
I picked this up as a curiosity a few years back. The medallion on the side is marked DC0161 and the gun is stamped "667', NYS DCS". The condition is fairly high so I suspect non issued or in someones desk.
DW
19-3%20.357%20NYS%20DCS.jpg
 
This is purely conjecture on my part, but I would think shooting the .44 special inside of cinder block walls would be a little safer than say a .357 magnum. Did the thunder crack of the .357 ever play into what was worn inside?
 
I worked corrections at Kilby Prison, Montgomery, Alabama, in 1978. The guard towers had a motley collection of weapons. I remember an early Remington 760 in .30-06, a double barrel Stevens 12 gauge, an M1 carbine, a Remington 870 12 gauge, and a bunch of M10s of recent manufacture. The M10s were issued to guards that transported prisoners to court, the hospital, etc. The handguns were lowered down out of the tower, with a holster, in a bucket on a rope.

Being a gun buff, I checked the function (dry fire ONLY) of all of the weapons. I found one M10 that wouldn't always fire in DA, binding badly. I notified my superiors. The next time I worked that tower, the M10 was still not working and checking the log, discovered another guard had used it during a transport. :(

I tagged it as nonworking and got permission from the assistant warden to bring my tools to work to repair it. I wound up swapping trigger and hammer between it and another M10 to get both of them working.
 
I've got a Win M-97 from the Kansas State Pen. Marked "KSP" behind the hammer and had a number punched into the trigger guard.

22" barrel started out life as something longer I imagine as it is marked Mod.

I use it for SASS and my home protection shotgun.

I like the old prison stuff, should have bought more of it when it was available.
 
Several years ago a LGS had a Winchester 37 marked OSP, allegedly for Ohio State Penitentiary. The interesting thing was that it was fitted for a M1917 Remington bayonet. The story was that the Pen acquired several of these during WW2 when nothing else was available then sold them off when WW2 surplus was available in the 50's.
 
Bobby the Audley did not come with it, I think it would not have lasted very long down there. Like MG said don't think any of these folks took very good care of their weaponry.

Moondawg made me think of the song "Plastic Jesus" from "Cool Hand Luke".

By the way here is the story of the girl who died with .44 in her bra..........


http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=5376
 
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If you ever saw how bored prison guards played with their guns you would not be in such a hurry to own one.

I should know. I spent 23 years in corrections.
 
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