LAPD 1949-1956 Gun Question
- Thread starter luis
- Start date
OIF2
Member
6" K38 or Colt Officer's Model Match, Officer's choice (in the Academy). Most Officers preferred the S&W. Flap holsters were popular then, as were cross-draw holsters. Ammunition was 158 grain lead round-nose "high-speed". LAPD Officers qualified monthly. Most Detectives still carried their 6" revolvers in plain-clothes, in a cross-draw Lewis Leather holster purchased in the Lewis shop on Sunset Blvd. Qualification and shooting at the Elysian Park Academy (across from Chavez Ravine, now Dodger Stadium) was one-handed; 50 yard slow-fire was done on the roof of the Academy range, with 25 yard fire on the first floor. This was once the location of the pistol phase of the 1932 Olympics. LAPD still shoots the "bonus shoot" on this range.
Bob
Bob
Last edited:
Thank you for the information. I know a lot of east coast departments but not much out west. Is there a good book of LAPD history?
Art Doc
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
The 6" D'back was a regular production item. Just not as popular (hence not as common now) as the 4" length.
Uniformed cops routinely packed the Target model revolvers? I knew some did, but the comments make it sound like they all did.
Uniformed cops routinely packed the Target model revolvers? I knew some did, but the comments make it sound like they all did.
OFT II
US Veteran
Gene Roddenberry would have had some sort of ray gun in my opinion.
ordnanceguy
SWCA Member
Can't say what was being carried in 1949, but in 1942 someone in the LAPD was carrying a pre-Victory. I have a 4 inch, .38 Special parkerized pre-Victory in my Victory Model collection that letters to the LAPD having shipped on 5/14/42. I suspect that it was still with the Department in 1949.
Texas Star
US Veteran
When did Fuzzy Farrant and John (?) Hurst begin selling their grips to LAPD officers?
Was it about 1969-1970 that four-inch barrels were adopted? I think the six-inch guns were grandfathered in, so that older men could continue to carry them if they wanted.
Was the leather gear smooth or basketweave? I really like basketweave, but not floral carved holsters. (Yes, I know that few, if any, major departments have ever approved floral-carved leather.)
At which point were DA-only guns mandated? I think it was sometime in the '7o's or early '80's, after some cop shot a man accidentally when his cocked .38 discharged when he shouldn't have fired.
Was it about 1969-1970 that four-inch barrels were adopted? I think the six-inch guns were grandfathered in, so that older men could continue to carry them if they wanted.
Was the leather gear smooth or basketweave? I really like basketweave, but not floral carved holsters. (Yes, I know that few, if any, major departments have ever approved floral-carved leather.)
At which point were DA-only guns mandated? I think it was sometime in the '7o's or early '80's, after some cop shot a man accidentally when his cocked .38 discharged when he shouldn't have fired.
Last edited:
OIF2
Member
I've seen some Victory model Smiths that were used by war-time LAPD guys. The traditional LAPD-issued revolver, though, was always the 6", until the late '60's, when the 4" M15 was adopted. Older, 6" K38s were cut down and re-issued to some recruits. Old-timers were allowed to either have their revolvers cut (contracted out in Alhambra, I think) or keep their 6" K38s unmolested. Adjustable sights were required on all issued revolvers. The firearms staff stressed accuracy and used bullseye targets for qualification "back in the day". Also, the LAPD "bonus shoot" was an alternate qual course, using very fast timing, bullseye targets with scoring rings and one-handed shooting. Extra pay was given if the Officer qualified at a higher level (distinguished expert was $64.00 a month, a lot of money in, say, 1950). Officers zeroing revolvers at the Academy between recruit classes or qualifcation runs were common and encouraged.
Fuzzy Farrant, John Hurst, Walter Stark and Guy Hogue (all LAPD Firearms Instructors) didn't start the custom grip thing until sometime in the early 60's. I may be wrong on this, but I never heard of anyone getting stocks made before then. DAO-mandated revolvers were required in 1971. The hammer spur was left on so that the officer could ease back the hammer slightly and GENTLY rotate the cylinder, checking for high primers. I was taught this in the Academy when loading a revolver; still do it out of habit now. Until just a few years ago hammerless revolvers weren't allowed because of the high-primer thing. The firearms staff realized awhile back that high primers were a non-issue.
Bob
Fuzzy Farrant, John Hurst, Walter Stark and Guy Hogue (all LAPD Firearms Instructors) didn't start the custom grip thing until sometime in the early 60's. I may be wrong on this, but I never heard of anyone getting stocks made before then. DAO-mandated revolvers were required in 1971. The hammer spur was left on so that the officer could ease back the hammer slightly and GENTLY rotate the cylinder, checking for high primers. I was taught this in the Academy when loading a revolver; still do it out of habit now. Until just a few years ago hammerless revolvers weren't allowed because of the high-primer thing. The firearms staff realized awhile back that high primers were a non-issue.
Bob
Last edited:
dnater
Member
I know that Alhambra PD's 6" K-38’s were cut down by the local gunsmith "Wayne" who had a shop at New & Valley. He remounted the factory Patridge sight. I had one issued to me as a Reserve in '78 or '79. It was a great shooter and I hated to turn it in when I was hired full time and got a Model 15.
From the Summer 1958, Guns & Ammo (issue #2) - a Lewis style crossdraw with a 6 inch revolver... a Colt, I think.
We can only speculate on those grips.
Also new to me - the putative newly designed Ojala holster for the LAPD, as reported by Charles M. Heard in 1960.
We can only speculate on those grips.
Also new to me - the putative newly designed Ojala holster for the LAPD, as reported by Charles M. Heard in 1960.
Last edited:
OIF2
Member
Awesome photos of "the old days"...the stocks on the Lewis Leather cross-draw look like Walter Stark's handi-work. Hard to say after all this time, though. Thanks for the photos!
Bob
Bob
Looks like a lot of clamshells in those days...
