Hi, i am new here and joined to seek help. I need some hard evidence that s&w 29 (the Dirty Harry model) was actually a police service gun ie it was allowed or registered as a service gun at least for some police units in the US.
I live in Europe and need to prove the revolver in order to get a permission from my authorities to have the revolver registered for my collection permit. I know this sounds unusual to US residents but European gun controls are very different.
Can anybody direct me to any manual or official recommendation, at either state or federal level, naming the 29 as a revolver allowed for use by any police units or other state agency in the US please?

You may get some information by reviewing this forum thread. Welcome to the forum from Mississippi.

Model 29's issued to police departments?

The SCSW mentions that .44 Magnums with 4 screws and within serial range S130000 to S167500 (approximate manufacture 1955-1956) are classified as Curios and Relics. Would your regulations permit ownership on that basis? If you can find one of those, it won't be cheap.

Welcome to the Forum.

I worked with several police officers who carried Model 29s. My city department was very liberal with its firearms policy.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

The department I was with allowed them.

We had to purchase our own sidearms.

A good friend of mine carried one.

It was bigger than him.

As far as 'proving' it that was a long time ago and the department supplies all firearms and ammunition for each officer today.

bdGreen

Show your officials "Dirty Harry". Most Americans, and all Europeans, seem to think that stuff is real...

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Pisgah

In the 1970s & early 80s, the department my father worked for allowed you to carry any handgun you qualified with. I believe minimum caliber was .38/9mm. My dad qualified with his 6 inch Model 29, and his .44 Automag pistol. He said the night shoot was very fun with those two.

IIRC, I believe a PD in Kentucky or Louisiana carried them. I seem to remember a 4” Model 29-2 with police markings that came up on a GB auction many years ago.

You could ask Doc44, he is the resident expert on all things 44....

I would be that he has a letter or two for 44 Magnums that shipped to law enforcement agencies.


....maybe he will chime in here on your thread?

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On the Oak Savannah

Might be hard to come up with written proof. But back in the day, many departments allowed officers to carry anything they could qualify with.
I had a good friend who was a retired cop. He carried a 6" Model 29 daily.

During the mid-1980s the Fremont County Wyoming County Attorney's office issued 629s to their prosecuting attorneys. They might be able to confirm that. I recall them as being 3" and mostly carried in horizontal shoulder holsters. Funny the memories a post like this can evoke,

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I need ammo, not a ride.

A friend who makes the gun show circuits with me carried a 4" nickel 29-2 on duty when he worked for Houston PD...They are rather strict about what can or cannot be carried on duty...He still has the gun, and I recently found a presentation case for him to house it in......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

I carried a 4" 629 for a couple of years. Absolute beast to qualify with when using full power loads. I carried Federal 185 grain jacketed hollowpoints in mine.

When my brother started police work in the 1970’s, like a lot of small American. Departments, his agency did not issue handguns. Most ( like my brothers) only mandated either a certain type or minimum caliber. In my brothers case, they didn’t specify auto or revolver just that it hold at least 6 shots and be a minimum of a 380 or 38 special. They had about 70 officers, and duty guns for the patrol officers and detectives ran the gamut from walther PPK 380’s in the case of a couple of the detectives, to every imaginable auto or revolver available at the time. My brother chose to carry a 4” 29 for most of his career. At various times he also carried a couple other S&W revolvers a S&W 39 for quite awhile and even a colt combat commander cocked and locked. By the early 1990’s the mix got so out of hand ( the agency supplying training and duty ammo for a dozen calibers ) they finally standardized on issued glocks.
He still has that very beat up 29, which was his primary gun for over half his 30+ year career.

When his department did go to glocks, a lot of officers sold older personally owed duty guns cheap - at the time I picked up a model 19 ( pinned and recessed) with gun belt holster speed loader pouches two speedloaders and the typical one box of 38’s and one box of 357 each with 6 rounds missing all for $175. Those were the days!

A gun I have been searching for is the
Louisville KY PD M29 in 4"

Not sure this would help but the S&W Model 29 bears a NATO Stock Number of 1005-00-853-7087. Perhaps it could be licensed as a US military-type firearm?

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RM Vivas
SWCA#1482L, SWHF#837

I know that SFPD and I think San Antonio PD issued 41 mags, but I have never heard of a department issuing model 29s. Maybe in Alaska, Dept of Conservation? Good luck..

Not a M29, but I did carry a 5 1/2" Ruger Redhawk as a duty sidearm for a couple of months. Lord, that thing was heavy!

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Hi again, many thanks for all replies and hints! I am aware that M29s were occasionally used by police units but unfortunately, this argument is just not good enough for my authorities. I am after written proof (an official recommendation or authorization) that this model was intended for police use.

I already have a 29 which, I am not going to lie here, I bought because of the movie. I have it registered for sport (well, in my country you need to need a valid purpose eg for sport or collection, to get a gun permit) but the revolver is just too pretty so I rarely shot it. I bought its modern brother for actual shooting. However, there is a restriction on the number of guns one can own for sport so I have been trying to move the 29 to my collection. Here I got stuck with the requirement to prove that the 29 was actually a service weapon. The Dirty Harry or occasional factual use is not good enough.
I read that in principle in the 70-ties police officers were allowed to carry whatever guns they wanted as long as they met minimum criteria imposed by local departments.

Does anybody have any idea where I can find any document from whatever police or other state/federal US agency naming M29 as a model its officers are permitted to carry? I tried to google them but at least so far to no success.

Many thanks. It is a good hint to follow up on. Anything with a Nato number is definitely intended for the military.

Is this the same model your friend was carrying?

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The Louisville, Kentucky police department may be your best possibility for finding official documentation. However, since it was 40 + years ago finding someone there who might confirm this for you may be difficult. A polite inquiry to this agency in writing may get you the information you need. Good luck!

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

For those who wonder what it would be like shooting a .44 magnum in low light or no light. This photo taken in about 1983 in almost complete darkness with the camera shutter held open. There goes your ability to see in the darkness for a bit. Perhaps another reason the mighty .44 was never a popular sidearm for police officers

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If the bullet doesn't get 'em, the flash will set 'em on fire! I think for most agencies, the 44 Magnum would have presented issues of too much recoil and too much penetration. For an agency that patrolled grizzly bear country, it might have been good idea.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

I have known two leos and one security officer that have carried the Model 29 4” barrel 44 Magnum.

Wichita, Kansas Police Department had a liberal policy until the early 1980’s that you could carry whatever caliber you wanted as long as you provided your own ammunition for qualifications.

I knew one WPD that carried a 4” 29 and extra ammunition in loops on his duty belt.

The Security Officer was a friend that carried a 4” nickel 29 but used handloaded .44 Special ammunition. He lost his faith in the stopping power of the 44 Special after he shot a burglar one night.

The other Officer was a Sheriff Deputy. He had quite a war story with his Model 29, also a 4” barrel. He was stopped at a stoplight next to a pickup. He received a radio call and happened to be looking at the pickup truck driver when he reached for the mic to acknowledge the call. The pickup driver suddenly pointed a shotgun at him and shot out his windshield. A lengthy chase followed with them ending up in field in a remote part of the county. A shootout resulted and the Officer told me he was down to his last round before help finally arrived.

P.S. It turned out that the driver had a kidnapped young girl in the truck and thought the Officer had recognized him. The Officer never knew there was a girl in the truck until after the shootout ended and driver was arrested.

WPD ended it’s carry policy sometime in the 1980’s probably because there were not many Officers carrying .41’s and .44’s. They mandated 4” barrel .38 and .357” revolver for both PD and Security Officers. My friend said he had more faith in the .357 than he did with his .44 Special.

Dirty Harry carried .44 Specials. (per storyline)

The Remington 44 Magnum Mid-Range a 240 grain LSWC at 950 fps was popular 40+ years ago. Remington also had a similar for LEOs carrying the M57 or M58. 210 grain LSWC instead of a 210 JHP or 210 JSP which really were hunting bullets.

^^^what he said. The .44Mag medium load arrived in the early 1980s. In addition to R-P, W-W and CCI Blazer produced this load. The CCI and W-W loads were true SWCs, the R-P had a wide flatpoint. All rated at 950fps. Regretted when the mfgrs discontinued this load: they were a sensible choice in the M29.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

I think by now you can tell you won't find any U.S. police department "officially" issuing the M29, nor any S&W advertising or promotional documentation stating it was purpose-built for police issue.
A lot of small-town PDs functioning like a wild west theme show does not an official, government agency procurement record make.
By the early 1980s police departments were being forced to operated within proscribed policies and procedures, as well as standardized weapons training to include issuance and authorized ammunition.

What you might try is looking for official documentation of the M58 (and by extension the M57) being marketed by S&W for police use - because it was, and agencies adopting it for standard issue - because some did, and because it's impossible to tell a M57 4 inch from a M29 4 inch, though the M58 is obviously different.

Yep, that's pretty much it. Interesting story tied to his guns. he started out with either a 29-2 or -3. He was heavily into PPC and used that gun with full power loads in competition. The 2nd time he sent it back to S&W for an overhaul, they just replaced it with a 29-8.
He left me that gun upon his passing. I still have it.

In the early 80s I worked for my local Police Dept. ( Sulphur LA ). We carried whatever we bought as long as it was a quality gun. The Dirty Harry hype was going strong so I got a 629 4” and carried it in a duty rig. By the end of a 12 hour shift , my hip was sore. It didn’t last long. I got a model 66!

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S&WHF 483 , S&WCA 1699

Same deal here in the past, provide and carry what you like, but there is no documentation that will help with the OP's bureaucracy.
Frex, Deputy B1 carried said .44 Magnum but when semi-annual qualification rolled around, he borrowed a .38 to shoot.
Deputy R typically carried a 1911A1 and had occasion to shoot an assailant with it.
Deputy B2 was a member of the Gun A Month Club and might show up with anything. I recall a nickel plated .44 Special Single Action Army for which he had a uniform style basket weave holster custom made.

Then there was the period when you could pick from a short list, all automatics by then, but the city has now gone all Glock. I do not know the present county policy.

Back in the '70s, I knew an Alabama State Trooper who carried a 6 1/2" M29, teamed with a 14" 1897 Winchester shotgun.

__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Back in the 1970's Houston, Texas PD officers often carried M-29's with beautiful buttstock medallions, presumably replicas of their badge. All this was in the immediate post Dirty Harry craze. They were beautiful representations of police pride and authority, but ultimately proven to be too expensive and impractical as service weapons. I suspect that many were lower cost M-27's or M-28's, still fabulously showy with one of those medallions. Even a .357 M-19 would show well with a medallion and be just about as useful in a confrontation.

I carried one briefly as an officer in Texas in the early 1980's. I did not carry full throttle magnum loads as they were a bad idea for many reasons. I knew several officers who did carry 4" model 29's with magnum loads. As some of the above comments have noted, I knew a number of Houston PD officers who did carry them as well. Model 29 revolvers with full magnum loads are simply not a good idea. I switched to a 1911 pattern pistol fairly quickly for the bulk and remainder of my career. Movies and real life are sometimes in conflict.

I know for a fact that Boulder Police Department, Boulder, Colorado authorized at least one officer, Bob Wands, to carry a 6" model 29 on duty in uniform. I worked the same area for another department and I knew Bob personally. He qualified with it and he carried it.

I might be splitting hairs here on the words you're using. When you state "was intended for police use", what that appears to me to be saying that you're looking for written information that states that Smith & Wesson intended that model be used by police when they released it. That's different than saying any particular police agency allowed its use.

Am I misreading your intent?

The Model 58 S&W .41 Mag was introduced in 1964 as a police revolver...

Just a moment...

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I was Detroit PD in the early 70s. Privately purchased 29s were very common. 4 & 6 1/2”. Just no HPs. My uniform partner carried one.

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Metro Man

Surely someone has some documentation that King_dong needs to verify police usage of the Model 29. We need to help our European collector friends in their endeavors. Lets dig deep all you old LE guys and anyone with a factory letter showing police provenance.

Would this be an opportunity for a possible special request that could be made to Roy for a letter showing "shipped to" verification of a model 29 to a specific enforcement agency?
This may be a fun reverse research project for the historical wizards... and a fun way to expand our global friends collection. just an idea...

Check this thread post 80
44 mag. law enforcement

As long as he doesn't put it in an aluminum pie tin again to take more
pictures!

I thought it was going in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes.

Hey Ding........ No need to be embarrassed about WHY you bought it.....
An ENORMOUS amount of us bought a Model 29 after the movie came out!!

So many of us did that the factory couldn't keep up with production for years. Some of us even paid double the manufacturer's asking price....!
They still are some of the best revolvers that Smith and Wesson made.