On Feb. 1, 1966 McNairy County, Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser responded to the Shamrock Motel on Hwy 45 near the Tennessee Mississippi state line. He was answering a complaint from an Illinois couple who claimed they had been robbed the previous night. When Pusser and his deputies arrived Louise Hathcock owner of the motel ask to see Pusser in her private living quarters in room 1 of the motel. Once in the room Hathcock drew a .38 S&W airweight revolver and fired at the sheriff. The first shot missed and went out the window as Pusser fell on the bed. Hathcock got on top of him and fired a second time point blank but the gun only snapped. Pusser then knocked her off of him and fired 3 shots killing her. I have enclosed a photo of the evidence tag that was placed on Hathcock`s revolver. It states that the serial number was 44206. I have never seen the gun that was used only this evidence tag. With this little of information can anyone tell me or give me their opinion of exactly what type of Smith and Wesson this actually was. Some seem to think it was one of the alloy cylinder guns from 1953 and may explain why her second shot snapped instead of firing. I don`t know but I hope someone does.

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I don't know what happened in this case, but it sounds like she tried to fire an empty chamber, a fired cartridge, or a dud.

Her pistol had 5 rounds in it. Her first shot went out the window and the second shot snapped.

I don't see how the alloy cylinder would affect firing. The concern with them was strength under considerable use. My guess would be bad ammo. Had an uncle who was sheriff of Jackson County,Alabama in that period, and he knew Sheriff Pusser well. He gave him an autographed copy of his book. My uncle was largely responsible for my interest in handguns and gave me my first one. Two fine gentlemen who are no longer with us.

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PTLAPTA!

Isn't there a museum of Pusser articles in Adamsville?? Do they have the gun?

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PTLAPTA!

I tend to agree with you about the alloy cylinder not affecting the firing. This is just an opinion of some but not necessarily mine. Keep in mind I am not even sure her gun was one of the alloy cylinder guns. All I know is that it was a .38 S&W airweight. I am hoping with the serial number I provided from the evidence tag it will help sort fact from fiction.

No the gun is not in the museum in Adamsville,TN.

Was in the first movie Walking Tall. Played an extra. If you ever saw a movie being made then you know what I mean by carnival people. Pusser's daughter Dwana fell and broke her hip last week on the ice. She has been battling cancer. Like the song says he was a true two-fisted racket busting cop. Even saw him wrestle once. RIP Buford.

the sheriffs office might still have the evidence logs from that far back. would be interesting to know the disposition of the revolver. let us know what you find. lee

What do you mean "the second shot snapped"?

Probably bad reloads. Second bullet may have stuck in the barrel with the rest filling in behind. I saw one barrel that a gunsmith cut open that had at least 6 bullets stacked in the tube. God was with that lawman that day!!!

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James Redfield
LM #497

"With this little of information can anyone tell me or give me their opinion of exactly what type of Smith and Wesson this actually was."

The discussion has strayed far afield from the original question. My opinion based upon the information presented is that the Hathcock revolver was very likely to have been a .38 Special Chiefs Special Airweight (pre-Model 37), with steel cylinder, shipped in early 1954.

Saw the remains of Pusser's wrecked car after his death. Appears he was carrying a Diamondback at the time...Now I'll wonder if in fact that is what the Sheriff used in that shooting??

There have been at least 100 threads on this forum regarding Buford Pusser. Do we really need any more discussion as everything possible concerning him and his guns has already been discussed many times?

Aren't we forgetting the *T* ?
As in: Buford T. Pusser

Roscoe Coletrain just isn't the same without the *P* in between...

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Be Well

I have two of the Chief Special airweights with aluminum cylinders serials 29011 and 27663. I feel sure 44206 would be a steel cylinder gun.

The round didn`t fire.

[QUOTE=TenTea;138402352]Aren't we forgetting the *T* ?
As in: Buford T. Pusser

I am not forgetting anything. I do not know who Buford T. Pusser is. I was referring to Buford Hayse Pusser who served as McNairy County, Tennessee Sheriff from 1964 to 1970. Please see attached photo.

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It was not my intent to offend you with my thread. I am simply looking for any info I can gather on Hathcock`s .38 Smith and Wesson serial no. 44206. At last check there have been over 800 views of this thread so there is some interest.

Have you looked at my #12? No offense toward you intended, as you asked the original question, and deserve an answer. No one was even attempting to answer your original question - just many extraneous unrelated postings.

That would be interesting.

Way back in the day, once a case was closed and the weapon was no longer needed for evidence, and assuming the person was convicted, officers in many police departments were able to apply to the court to be given a weapon they had seized. A lot of those weapons that were suitable, ended up as duty weapons and back up guns.

I'm not sure if that happens much anymore, given the political pressure to cut them up.

I worked in an executive position with the State of TN in the late 70's/early 80's and dealt a lot with the Dept of Corrections and the institutions. The warden of Ft. Pillow knew Sheriff Pusser very well and said a lot of the movie was fact and a lot of dramatization. I was 6'1' and 210 at the time and the warden said Sheriff Pusser made me look small and was very much the man the movie made him out to be. A gentleman and Marine I wished I could have met.

DWalt I appreciate you response. I just want to separate fact from fiction regarding this gun. I was just hoping with the serial number provided and knowing the gun was made prior to 1966 might help provide facts. I am not here to talk about Pusser or the gun misfiring. I have seen all 5 cartridges that were in her pistol and I am convinced it was a bad reload on the cartridge that misfired. The primer was indented but didn`t fire. I have heard many people say it was a Smith and Wesson .38 Chief`s Special Airweight with an alloy cylinder. Some say it was steel. Is there anyway of really knowing anything?

Allegedly, the highest known SN for an Airweight Chiefs Special having an alloy cylinder is 43926, which was shipped in January, 1954. Whether that SN is accurate, I do not know. As the SN you provided is a little beyond that, there is at least a good possibility it had a steel cylinder. I have to wonder why she was using reloads. Is it definitely known she was using reloads?

I can`t say 100% for sure they were reloads but here is why I believe they were. There were 5 rounds in her pistol. The shot she fired that went out the window was a Western .38 cartridge. The others had different manufacturers names stamped on them. In other words the ammo didn`t match. This is why I would suspect reloads.

Oh, to have been a fly on the wall in that room that day.

Wouldn't a factory letter from Roy answer all your questions? JMHO Bob

Finally proof that revolvers don't go bang everytime. If she would have had a Glock ...

There are numerous potential reasons for a misfire, and misfires are not limited to reloads. I have had factory load misfires. Also could be the result of excessive age, poor storage conditions, oil getting into the primer, no propellant, etc. Regarding mixed headstamps, you might read the Warren report about the ammunition in Lee Harvey Oswald's .38 Victory revolver. It's interesting and puzzling, and to my knowledge, the commission chose to ignore it rather than try to explain it. And it's reasonably certain Oswald was no reloader.

I've had more than my share of Pre-37's over the years, with both alloy and steel cylinders, and don't recall having one with an alloy cylinder numbered above the high 20,XXX range. In recent times we've had two in the 44,XXX range with steel cylinders and I'm familiar with a couple more like them. My money would be on Louise's gun having a steel cylinder, esp. with it being in that same s/n range.

As a (very) young deputy sheriff in North Alabama, I was privileged to meet and spend a couple hours with Buford Pusser in late-1973 as he was touring a number of Deep South PD's and SO's promoting the first movie and W.R. Morris' book about his life story, "The Twelfth of August". At 6'-6" and well-over 250-260 lbs, he was a 'big boy' to say the least. He was only 35-36 years old at the time, in the rearview mirror that now seems ever so young....

That was a great afternoon, one I will never forget.

DLC

DWalt as I said I am not 100% certain they were reloads but it was definitely mixed ammo. Thanks for your response.

As to the whereabouts of said Smith 38 you are all not taking into account where and when the said incident took place. It took place in McNairy county Tennessee with McNairy county law enforcement and McNairy county officials. That should explain in itself what happened to said weapon. You can bet that said weapon is safe and secure somewhere in McNairy county today.

"AT THIS POINT, WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE???"!!!

You might have been referring to Buford T. Justice.

Ha ha. I doubt if Buford Pusser came from his loins.

That's a given. What we want is the story. What officer talked the judge into letting him have it, who lost it to who later on in a poker game…etc, etc, etc.

50-tennessee: I stand corrected.
Thank you for posting that vintage photo!
In the mixed up mind of my youth, Joe Don Baker's character in Walking Tall along with the real Sheriff Pusser and Jackie Gleason as Buford T. Justice (thanks Warren Sear) are all intertwined.
Thanks for the review of facts and good luck solving your mystery.

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Be Well

Back as a kid, I can remember seeing a number of folks who would dump their unused rounds in a mason jar with a sealed lid. This was particularly true with .22 rim fire rounds. I recall my Grandmother keeping the ammo for her .32 in a mason jar and my Grandfather on the other side of the family would keep mixed calibers and store bought brands of rounds in a jar.

This is a remote possibility to explain this situation since it seemed to be a common practice particularly in the South where there is a lot of humidity. At the time there were few who had air conditioning.

Having been an LEO in Selmer, TN, there are TWO ways that your comment can be construed....

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