One-Adam-12, One-Adam 12, see the man...

I've been watching the Dragnet & Adam 12 reruns lately when I can. All I've seen so far on the Adam 12 is the clamshell holsters. What released them- a button at the trigger guard? I never notice a shotgun when there's a close-up of Reed & Malloy in the car, but whenever one is deployed it's in Reed's hands as he steps up out of the front seat.
Too hard for me to determine what model guns they're carrying. I'd figure Friday & Gannon would be carrying Chief Specials or Dick Specials but everyone seems to say they're k-frames.
 
I thought the same, but was surprised to find out that I was incorrect. Sgt. Friday carried a Model 10 2" round butt and Officer Gannon carried a Model 15 4". Gannon used a cross draw holster, which makes sense.

There is a long thread here on the subject that is replete with good information on LAPD firearms of the period. There is also a website called Internet Movie Firearm Database which has a lot of information on Adam 12, all of the iterations of Dragnet, and lots of other TV shows and movies. Personally, if there is a conflict between that website and what is posted here, I'll go with what's posted here. There are a lot of LAPD veterans and S&W fans who post on the topic and are incredibly knowledgeable.

hotrod150 said:
I've been watching the Dragnet & Adam 12 reruns lately when I can. All I've seen so far on the Adam 12 is the clamshell holsters. What released them- a button at the trigger guard? I never notice a shotgun when there's a close-up of Reed & Malloy in the car, but whenever one is deployed it's in Reed's hands as he steps up out of the front seat.
Too hard for me to determine what model guns they're carrying. I'd figure Friday & Gannon would be carrying Chief Specials or Dick Specials but everyone seems to say they're k-frames.
Click to expand...
 
Funny clamshell story.

One of the small cities near where I grew up in California had a pretty good PD ("strack" is the term we would have used in the 70's). But one officer was known to not care for department policies. A new captain called for a formation one day and he was inspecting sidearms. When he came to this officer and he asked to inspect his weapon, the clamshell would not open. It had rusted shut! Clamshells were ordered replaced within a month.

BTW, this officer also had stopped his wife for a violation and had issued her a citation.
 
I find it surprising that a big outfit like LAPD would issue clamshells, to me they look like a "gimmick holster". Seems like it'd be tough to beat the Bill Jordan syle border patrol rig for uniformed LEO's. I kind of remember CHP and/or LA Sheriffs officers wearing something like that back in the Adam 12 era.
 
hotrod150 said:
I find it surprising that a big outfit like LAPD would issue clamshells, to me they look like a "gimmick holster". Seems like it'd be tough to beat the Bill Jordan syle border patrol rig for uniformed LEO's. I kind of remember CHP and/or LA Sheriffs officers wearing something like that back in the Adam 12 era.
Click to expand...

I'll try to post a pic later, but I still have most of my dad's Safety Speed leather gear from his days with the LA County Sheriff's Office late '60s / early '70s...his holster for a 4-inch Model 15 was indeed a Jordan-esque rig with a swivel.
 
Safety Speed Clamshell Holster

Here are a couple pics of my mid - late 50's era basket weave Safety Speed clamshell holster for a S&W K frame 6" barrel. I'm pretty sure the L.A.P.D. didn't use basket weave leather but this gives you an idea of how it looks with a K38 Target Masterpiece that the L.A.P.D. did use.



 
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Back then, the Jordan style holster was the hot set up. In fact, a swivel version is what the LAPD left when they went to clam shell holsters. The handwriting was on the wall for open top (even with a thumb strap) style holsters. Hand gun retention was the big issue and a number of incidents where offenders were able to remove an officers weapon and use it against him, sealed the deal.

I'd guess that the clam shell was an early attempt at a retention style holsters. Today there are three levels of retention holster and a number of different styles.

I'd find it hard to imagine that any law enforcement agency doesn't require uniformed officers, at the least to use a Level III retention holster. Of course someone will point one out to me, but I'd have to wonder about that agencies officer safety process.

hotrod150 said:
I find it surprising that a big outfit like LAPD would issue clamshells, to me they look like a "gimmick holster". Seems like it'd be tough to beat the Bill Jordan syle border patrol rig for uniformed LEO's. I kind of remember CHP and/or LA Sheriffs officers wearing something like that back in the Adam 12 era.
Click to expand...
 
I have a level II retention holster for my Glock, and I know quite a few police departments around here that carry a level II holster. I know that most of the security companies I worked for (from 2003-2007) required nothing more then a level I retention holster with a thumb break, which is what the law required armed officers carry for both Illinois & Missouri. That may have changed though since I became disabled, as a couple years ago, there was a case for a armed security officer, who was working for one of the companies I worked for a little while, got shot & killed while on duty as a suspect he went to arrest, gained control of the officer's weapon and shot & killed the officer.
 
bikerlbf406 said:
..... One thing I'm curious of is was Reed & Malloy actual LAPD officers, or just actors playing officers? .....
Click to expand...

Although I enjoy the show, just the fact ("just the facts, ma'am" ;) ) that someone asked that question says a lot about their acting abilities, eh?
 
The actor you played Jim reed. Served as a reserve police officer with the Los Angeles school district. He retired as a reserve lieutenant if memory serves me


Wheel guns are still real guns too. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Holsters

The first year Adam-12 used a "finger tip release" design by Arvo Ojala that was also made by Safety Speed.

Then a Safariland swivel with the switch to Velcro, and then the clamshells with the model 15's.

In 1971, JAT Industries advertised having the contract for LAPD leather.

clamshelljatindad21971s.jpg
 
dscampbell said:
The actor you played Jim reed. Served as a reserve police officer with the Los Angeles school district. He retired as a reserve lieutenant if memory serves me.....
Click to expand...

As I recall, Martin Milner ("Pete Malloy") starred in Route 66 prior to Adam 12. I don't remember him in anything tospeak of after that. The only thing I recall seeing Kent McCord ("Jim Reed") in other than Adam 12 was a sort of cameo role as a supervisory police officer years later in some movie or TV show.
 
Blue arrow-Steel hook that goes behind the trigger.
Green Arrow-Leather covered button. Depressing it moves a hinged lever that releases the "hook" on the front of the holster, red arrow.
The oustide of the clamshell has a steel loop that the hook catches to keep things closed.

There is a full length hinge and springs on the back side that force it to "pop" open when released.
 

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hotrod150 said:
As I recall, Martin Milner ("Pete Malloy") starred in Route 66 prior to Adam 12.
Click to expand...

You are correct Hotrod. I had forgotten that. The topid of Route 66 could start another long-running thread for us older troops.

Oh, oh, oh. I better include some S&W content in this post. I wonder how many police departments were represented in Route 66? And how many shows depicted the equipment and guns they carried back in the 50's?

You younger guys are probably wondering "what the heck is a Route 66?" Nothing less than the greatest Corvette commercial ever.
 
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I started on the LAPD in '84; the cool rig then was a Hoyt breakfront highly spit-shined, carrying your revolver, which had Farrant or Hurst stocks. Both could be purchased in the Academy store. I liked Pachmayrs and bought mine in the old Pachmayr store on Grand St, downtown. My 1st watch was a footbeat in skid row, around 7th and Broadway. Bumper Morgan would have been proud. Good times.
Bob



 
Martin Milner and Kent McCord...

They starred together in a show called "Nashville Beat". Their characters were ex cop partners, but not Reed and Malloy.

Kent McCord was on a few "Jag" episodes as a Navy ofc.


Sgt Lumpy
 
hotrod150 said:
As I recall, Martin Milner ("Pete Malloy") starred in Route 66 prior to Adam 12. I don't remember him in anything tospeak of after that. The only thing I recall seeing Kent McCord ("Jim Reed") in other than Adam 12 was a sort of cameo role as a supervisory police officer years later in some movie or TV show.
Click to expand...

How could you forget Martin Milner's break out role as Ensign Caldwell in "Operation Pacific"? :)

Or Kent McCord's many appearances as "rookie cop" on Dragnet?
 
After Adam-12, I watched Martin Milner as "Karl Robinson" in the 1976 "Swiss Family Robinson" TV series.
 
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