Sgt. Joe Friday Dragnet Revolver
- Thread starter Richochet
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Retro cool!
Looks like a 2” round butt .38 Special M&P revolver in a Lewis Police Special holster. Still well armed with that today!
“Just the facts....”
Looks like a 2” round butt .38 Special M&P revolver in a Lewis Police Special holster. Still well armed with that today!
“Just the facts....”
GF
Member
I'm a big fan of those Lewis Police holsters.
And your right s&wchad, still would be a good CCW.
And your right s&wchad, still would be a good CCW.
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Awesome photo. Jack Webb would have turned 100 last week.
THE PILGRIM
Member
Watching a B+W Dragnet on Youtube right now!
Hard to investigate and solve a crime in 30 minutes minus commercials.
I couldn’t do it!
Takes me longer than that just to go to lunch!
Hard to investigate and solve a crime in 30 minutes minus commercials.
I couldn’t do it!
Takes me longer than that just to go to lunch!
An absolute classic....
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKGtb1t9iVw"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKGtb1t9iVw[/ame]
Or...
Is it the Chiefs Special S&W gave Sgt. Friday?
"Just the facts, ma'am. Nothing but the facts."
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Absalom
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
As some wit commented, “Just the facts, Ma’am” became a meme decades before anybody knew what a meme was
By the way, those guys’ bjg hands make the gun look relatively small, but I think it’s a K-frame by the apparent visibility of the S&W logo on the sideplate. I believe the Chiefs Special had the small logo on the left from the start, didn’t it?
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The photo has been posted here before; I think someone stated they were sure it was either a 2" model 10 or 12 but I am not as sure. 
Correct about the location of the Chiefs Special trademark. I suppose we could be seeing an LAPD badge insignia on the sideplate, but it sure looks like a K frame grip to me.
Texas Star
US Veteran
As well, iit should!
There's a tale about Sam Colt, an industrial innovator as well as a revolver inventor.
One of his workers asked to take a half hour lunch and go home a half hour earlier.
Colt said, "No, a gentleman never wolfs his food, and I hire only gentlemen."
May even be true!
Besides, you may need that lunch hour for other urgent needs. When I worked in downtown Dallas, I bought a few guns at Buckhorn Trading Post on my lunch hour.
Any of you remember Buckhorn's? They sold everything from basic service revolvers to Purdey shotguns.
I think the first NEW S&W I bought was a M-36, which I purchased there.
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Texas Star
US Veteran
It's def. a K-frame, and I think a Model 12 Airweight. I read an article many years ago on Webb's personal guns, and I think one was a M-12. I think it was a gift from S&W, as was a Model 39 9mm. I read that his guns were/are on display at the LAPD Academy. The gun in this Lewis holster may not be his M-12. It is, however, a round butt K-frame.
Raymond Burr (Perry Mason) was also presented with an S&W, a Model 29 with 6.5 inch barrel. I doubt that he ever fired it.
William Holden did fire his M-29. There's a photo of him, John Wayne, and an actress on a movie set, shooting the gun during a break. I think they were filming, The Horse Soldiers.
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Jack Webbs Chiefs Special..
I too am among the fans of Dragnet and the Copper Clapper w/Carson.
Re: SCSW 4th has a mention under the Model 36 pages notes that "serial number 38185 attributed to Jack Webb.... shipped with nickel cylinder and rosewood grips June 4, 1954...sold at auction in 2000 for $6,000.."
So....shipped before Model numbers, but doesn't mean anything because the whole article defines the Chief's Special prior to Model numbers, and although the cylinder is not shown in the above photo we don't know if it is nickel or not, and the grips appear to be standard diamond magnas, but could they be the rosewood ones?
Could the gun in the OP photo be s/n 38185? Just some food for thought (while having not much to do this morning during the rain storm passing over).
I too am among the fans of Dragnet and the Copper Clapper w/Carson.
Re: SCSW 4th has a mention under the Model 36 pages notes that "serial number 38185 attributed to Jack Webb.... shipped with nickel cylinder and rosewood grips June 4, 1954...sold at auction in 2000 for $6,000.."
So....shipped before Model numbers, but doesn't mean anything because the whole article defines the Chief's Special prior to Model numbers, and although the cylinder is not shown in the above photo we don't know if it is nickel or not, and the grips appear to be standard diamond magnas, but could they be the rosewood ones?
Could the gun in the OP photo be s/n 38185? Just some food for thought (while having not much to do this morning during the rain storm passing over).
Jack Webb was also presented with one of the earliest pre-29 44 Magnums, S130714 with the 714 part of the serial number coinciding with his 714 badge number. This revolver was shipped to Webb on 2/29/1956 along with an early Model 39 also with the 714 in the serial number. Webb chose the number 714 to commemorate the 714 home runs Babe Ruth, Webb's boyhood baseball hero hit in his baseball career. I believe both the 44 Magnum and the Model 39 are still on display in the LA Police Academy, but I'm not certain of that. They were as late as 2012.
After a little research, here are Webb's personal guns as on exhibit in 2009 at the LAPD Police Academy,
Enjoy
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In late 1990s at auction in Carrollton, Ohio I saw to Jack Webb guns sold.
Both were in wooden presentation cases with documents proving they were JWs. One was a m36 with Gold inlayed badge 714 in side plate. The other was a Browning Hi power that had badge in box with it. Had some engraving but don’t remember what. I do remember they didn’t go for very much and often thought it was mistake not buying them.
Both were in wooden presentation cases with documents proving they were JWs. One was a m36 with Gold inlayed badge 714 in side plate. The other was a Browning Hi power that had badge in box with it. Had some engraving but don’t remember what. I do remember they didn’t go for very much and often thought it was mistake not buying them.
Absalom
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
Whatever S&W guns Jack Webb (as a real person) actually owned, it should be mentioned for the historical record that during the first decade or so of “Dragnet” Sgt. Friday and most others on the show carried a Colt Detective Special, which reflected the reality of the LAPD in the 1950s
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