I recall one program where Joe removed his holster & weapon directly from his cross-draw position without undoing his belt. His holster was secured by a metal clip on the back of the holster. I had one of those holsters for my J frame 60, and it was made by Bucheimer (Clark). Don't know if the TV program holster was this brand or something else....The clip held the holster very stable.
Joe Friday's S&W Snubbie
- Thread starter Deacon KC
- Start date
"Guys, I love it.
You fellas get down TO it, good investigatory work.
Those old holsters, do they have spring steel sandwiched between the layers to retain the weapon?
I ask, because I make quite a few holsters, but have never got to eyeball one of these."
Yes, a piece of spring steel runs around the holster in the sewn pocket.
I would be happy to send you one to examine if you'd like. PM me if you want to examine one.
regards,
turnerriver
You fellas get down TO it, good investigatory work.
Those old holsters, do they have spring steel sandwiched between the layers to retain the weapon?
I ask, because I make quite a few holsters, but have never got to eyeball one of these."
Yes, a piece of spring steel runs around the holster in the sewn pocket.
I would be happy to send you one to examine if you'd like. PM me if you want to examine one.
regards,
turnerriver
29aholic
Member
OIF2
Member
5" k-frame in a Lewis Leather left-handed cross-draw:
Texas Star
US Veteran
I was about eight when Dragnet aired, but had a Joe Friday cap gun that had silver plastic grips with his Badge 714 in them. The gun was an obvious copy of either a Model 36/37 or a M-12 Airweight as it had the flat cylinder release. It had a ramp front sight.
I read here and there that Jack Webb was presented by S&W with both an M-12 snub and an M-39 9mm auto, maybe others. Actor Raymond Burr got a M-29, but I have no idea why, as he wasn't asociated with guns much in his roles. They did appear as evidence on his, "Perry Mason" show, of course.
If the cap gun was really patterned after the gun from the show, it was a flat latch M&P Airweight or a Chief. The cap gun was just a bit larger than a Chief's Special.
I agree that the gun seen in the link above is a K-frame snub .38. LAPD did issue the Ithaca M-37 shotgun, so it was a logical item on the show.
I read here and there that Jack Webb was presented by S&W with both an M-12 snub and an M-39 9mm auto, maybe others. Actor Raymond Burr got a M-29, but I have no idea why, as he wasn't asociated with guns much in his roles. They did appear as evidence on his, "Perry Mason" show, of course.
If the cap gun was really patterned after the gun from the show, it was a flat latch M&P Airweight or a Chief. The cap gun was just a bit larger than a Chief's Special.
I agree that the gun seen in the link above is a K-frame snub .38. LAPD did issue the Ithaca M-37 shotgun, so it was a logical item on the show.
There was a Dragnet in the first series in which Friday had to go under a house to chase some plague-infected mice. I remember him shooting one off the top of a water pipe (I hope it wasn't a gas pipe!), and there was a closeup of his snubnose revolver. Does anyone recall that episode and if he was using a S&W at that time? For some reason I think he had a Colt in the black and white years, maybe a Cobra.
I only saw this one once and may not recall it that well. Mid- to late '50s, I think.
I only saw this one once and may not recall it that well. Mid- to late '50s, I think.
Dragnet guns in movies:
Dragnet (1967) - imfdb :. guns in movies :. movie guns :. the internet movie firearms database
Dragnet (1967) - imfdb :. guns in movies :. movie guns :. the internet movie firearms database
DWalt
Member
Inspired by all this chat, I went on Netflix and played some of the early 50s Dragnet episodes. I was immediately impressed by how low the production cost must have been. No action sequences, no fancy sets, and mostly dialogue taking place in an interrogation room, office, living room, etc. along with simple plots. A young Lee Marvin was in the S1E1 as a murderer. Otherwise, I did not recognize any of the supporting cast actors.
There was some gun and ballistics lore in a couple of episodes I saw - one featuring a M1911 used in a wife's suicide (which looked like a murder), in which the husband was cleared by the appearance and location of the fired casing (and some other evidence). Another was a murder made to look like a suicide, in which a Winchester M94 .30-30 was used. The bullet trajectory made suicide impossible and the murderer was caught.
Anyway, there was enough of interest in the gun sense that I may watch a few more episodes if I get bored.
There was some gun and ballistics lore in a couple of episodes I saw - one featuring a M1911 used in a wife's suicide (which looked like a murder), in which the husband was cleared by the appearance and location of the fired casing (and some other evidence). Another was a murder made to look like a suicide, in which a Winchester M94 .30-30 was used. The bullet trajectory made suicide impossible and the murderer was caught.
Anyway, there was enough of interest in the gun sense that I may watch a few more episodes if I get bored.
OP
Deacon KC
Member
Guys, this has been a great read. How little I expected so much interest in this post. Thanks again!
Jack Flash
SWCA Member
IIRC, Dragnet was originally a radio program. Then there was a tv series in the 1950s which was revived in the 1960s. I don't know about the radio show, but Jack Webb starred in both of the tv series.
In the show mentioned in the OP (The Shooting Board), Friday states that during his career he had to fire his revolver twice in the line of duty (not including manditory firing range qualifications of course). I thought that sounded like a real low-ball number, especially if you included the shootouts he was in in the 1950s shows.
gkitch
SWCA Member
We had a good conversation about Jack Webb's early 44 Magnum on this forum. It turned out that one of the forum members found it and his Model 39 on display at the Police Academy in LA. I'll find the thread and bump it up...
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There is a later color episode of "Dragnet" in which Sgt. Friday shows his revolver to a robbery victim to help her ID the type of handgun carried by the suspects. I remember that close up as being of a S&W Model 12 with a flat latch and "fish hook" hammer. I recall the front sight on that pistol as being of the half round variety, not the later ramp. I could be wrong on that though. Don't know the name of the episode...
In Adam-12 , I noticed that Malloy also has a "fish hook" hammer on his K-38 and his later Model 15. His revolvers also have "Fuzzy Farrant" stocks.
Adam-12's Officer Reed starts out with magna stocks on his S&W, but later adopts a set of Farrant stocks. In the later part of the series the hammer and trigger of his Model 15 appears to have been polished or plated.
Great shows... Jack Webb was a class act!
In Adam-12 , I noticed that Malloy also has a "fish hook" hammer on his K-38 and his later Model 15. His revolvers also have "Fuzzy Farrant" stocks.
Adam-12's Officer Reed starts out with magna stocks on his S&W, but later adopts a set of Farrant stocks. In the later part of the series the hammer and trigger of his Model 15 appears to have been polished or plated.
Great shows... Jack Webb was a class act!
I'll confirm 1755806 as the serial number in "Shooting Board."
As I recall, the names used for the command staff officers on the shooting board were the actual names of LAPD officers - notably Pierce Brooks who wrote a book on police procedures and was later police chief in another city.
Edited to add: Doh! Forgot about him being the lead detective in the Onion Field case.
I'm old enough to have watched the first Dragnet but young enough that my memories are vague. A "before they were famous" article in a late 60's TV Guide showed then famous actors appearing in the 1950's Dragnet - like the suspect on the right in this pic.
As I recall, the names used for the command staff officers on the shooting board were the actual names of LAPD officers - notably Pierce Brooks who wrote a book on police procedures and was later police chief in another city.
Edited to add: Doh! Forgot about him being the lead detective in the Onion Field case.
I'm old enough to have watched the first Dragnet but young enough that my memories are vague. A "before they were famous" article in a late 60's TV Guide showed then famous actors appearing in the 1950's Dragnet - like the suspect on the right in this pic.
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Triggerman66
Member
While in the Air Force and stationed in New Jersey at Mcguire AFB in the mid 1960s one of our guys made use of his Joe Friday cap gun when traveling home to Brooklyn N.Y. The guy ( Joe "Bear" Osakoski ) would carry the cap gun in a sholder holster under his jacket and expose it slightly when he felt threatened while riding the subway. Seemed to work for him.
OIF2
Member
Jack Webb's .44 29 and 9mm 39 are in a display case at the LAPD Academy, in the hallway in front of the old PT Staff office. Used to look at them daily when walking up and down that hallway to the Captain's office or the Academy store.
Bob
Bob
I'm old enough to have watched the first Dragnet but young enough that my memories are vague. A "before they were famous" article in a late 60's TV Guide showed then famous actors appearing in the 1950's Dragnet - like the suspect on the right in this pic.
Fascinating.
"Ah, the renowned Tholian punctuality."
I guess Friday is a kind of proto-Tholian in his timeliness.
Texas Star
US Veteran
So, the crook in the striped shirt is Leonard Nimoy? It does resemble him a lot.
The same and no one else.
