AUSTIN PD MOD 20-2 HEAVY DUTY ARRIVES IN TEXAS

1Aspenhill · May 27, 2007

I JUST RECEIVED AUSTIN PD MODEL 20-2 38/44 HEAVY DUTY SERIAL NUMBER S255737 FROM DAVID CARROLL-THANKS DAVID!. IT WAS SHIPPED ON 28 DECEMBER 1964 IN A GROUP OF 50 FOR AUSTIN TEXAS PD. THIS IS MARKED AUSTIN PD 246 ON THE BACKSTRAP. THEY ARE 3 SCREW, 4 INCH NICKEL GUNS. THIS ONE WENT BACK TO THE FACTORY ON DEC 1970 AND DEC 1973. I WELCOME ANY OTHERS WHO HAVE ONE OF THESE TO POST THEIR ALSO!
ENJOY!
BILL

1Aspenhill · May 27, 2007

I JUST RECEIVED AUSTIN PD MODEL 20-2 38/44 HEAVY DUTY SERIAL NUMBER S255737 FROM DAVID CARROLL-THANKS DAVID!. IT WAS SHIPPED ON 28 DECEMBER 1964 IN A GROUP OF 50 FOR AUSTIN TEXAS PD. THIS IS MARKED AUSTIN PD 246 ON THE BACKSTRAP. THEY ARE 3 SCREW, 4 INCH NICKEL GUNS. THIS ONE WENT BACK TO THE FACTORY ON DEC 1970 AND DEC 1973. I WELCOME ANY OTHERS WHO HAVE ONE OF THESE TO POST THEIR ALSO!
ENJOY!
BILL

Nframe · May 27, 2007

Bill,

Wow! That is nice. It was good talking with you earlier, its good to see you have some daylight to take pictures. (Rain stop yet?)

The nickel looks fantastic on those HD's !

Chris
(oh, watch your mail! thanks!)

arfmel · May 27, 2007

A jim dandy gun, indeed.

ewayte · May 27, 2007

Oh, if this beauty could only talk!

Penquin · May 27, 2007

Wow!! What a fine firearm. That's why I like this forum so much, because you never know what you might see. Thanks for sharing.

Joe W · May 27, 2007

Oh, if this beauty could only talk

I don't think it would have a whole lot to say. This gun is so pretty I would bet the owner was a Detective or plainclothes officer that carried a undercover and not this revolver. Or maybe a Chief or other desk bound ranking officer. Sure is one fine looking revolver.

JayCeeNC · May 27, 2007

That's another beauty, Bill!
Thanks for sharing.

six · May 27, 2007

YOU SHOULD SO PROUD. I KNOW I WOULD BE!

SIX-FIVE MORE THAN YOU SHOULD NEED

1Aspenhill · May 28, 2007

Thanks to all-it doesn't appear to have been used very much even though it has been factory refinished. We think that there were only these 50 Mod 20-2 marked guns made, so it is a great find for my HD collection. So, there are more out there to be found!
Bill

10-12 · May 28, 2007

I had one like that years ago but let it get away. Had it been police marked like yours I would probably still have it. I love a gun with a history, even if I have to make it up in my imagination.

You have a beauty.

Bill

handejector · May 28, 2007

Very nice, Bill. I am glad it found its current foster parent. Do you rock it to sleep at night?

Any chance of finding out who it was issued to? Did "Ranger Ray" have a HD when he went up the tower to get the Austin sniper, or did he use something else? Come to think of it, when was the Tower shooting? This gun may have been shipped after that. To quote John Prine: "The days just flow by like a broken-down dam".

DHENRY · May 28, 2007

Lee,
Yes, 'Ranger Ray' Martinez was carrying a .38/44.
I have corresponded with him about 'the tower' and the guns, and even sent him a couple photos of my 'A.P.D. # 19', .38/44 HD
He doesn't remember the duty number of his .38/44, and he left A.P.D. about a year after the Texas Tower incident.
Heck of a nice guy.
Lives in New Braunfels, TX, since retirement from the Texas Rangers.
If you haven't read his book, 'They Call Me Ranger Ray', do so.
I believe you'll like it.
Bill, that's a beautiful (rare) gun.
Glad you have it!

gizamo · May 28, 2007

DHenry:

There was a Reynel Martinez that was a 101st LRRP/Ranger in VietNam. Not one in the same is it?

Giz

DHENRY · May 28, 2007

Giz,
Ramiro Martinez, born 1937, in Kent County, Texas.
He was a L.E.O. throughout the 1960's and 1970's, while 'Nam was going on.
A real straight-arrow of a lawman, too!

handejector · May 28, 2007

DH,
Thanks. So, did Ray kill him with a HD?
When was the Tower? 61? 62?

JayCeeNC · May 28, 2007

Originally posted by handejector:
DH,
Thanks. So, did Ray kill him with a HD?
When was the Tower? 61? 62?

Lee, the tower shooting was August 1, 1966.
Texas Tower shooting--Wikipedia

"Police officers Conner and Shoquist remained inside the University to cover the windows on the southeast and northeast sides of the reception area. Meanwhile three other officers, Ramiro Martinez, Houston McCoy, and Jerry Day took hastily deputized citizen Allen Crum up towards the observation deck.

Martinez and McCoy went out on the observation deck, with a .38 revolver and a shotgun respectively, and proceeded to the north-east corner of the deck and spotted Whitman seated on the floor of the north-west corner watching the south-west corner for any signs of police.

Which of the officers actually killed Whitman has been disputed; both claimed responsibility. McCoy fired his shotgun twice, and Martinez fired six rounds from his revolver before taking the shotgun and approaching the limp Whitman and firing again point-blank. They then took the green towel that Whitman had brought with him, and waved it to those below, indicating that the sniper had been killed."

bettis1 · May 28, 2007

Bill,

An exceptionally nice gun! These "Austin Guns" just sing out that they are mid 20th Century Texas Lawman don't they.

Ray Martinez is often at the Dallas Market Hall show and I have let him examine my Austin P.D. #145 (shipped December 10, 1956) and his face just lit up as he handled it. Unfortunately, as others have said, the Department didn't keep records of which revolver was carried by what officer and Ray has no idea which one was his. So until someone finds a previously unrevealed record, all of us who have those guns which shipped before "The Tower" can just hold ours and wonder... Even if our specific gun wasn't the one carried by Ray, it was on duty with some other Austin Officer that day. How close to history is that!
Bob

DHENRY · May 28, 2007

Lee and John,
There are many differences in the Wikipedia version and Ray Ramirez' account of the Texas Tower events, starting with the number of officers/personnel approaching the tower, taking the elevator to the 27th floor, and the events inside the tower.
Officer Houston McCoy had the shotgun, the 'deputized' civilian with the rifle covered the door out to the observation platform, and Ramirez had his .38.
Ramirez fired at (and hit) the sniper in his left side; the sniper spun around and Ramirez, in a crouching position, emptied his revolver at the sniper.
Ramirez dropped his empty .38/44 and yelled to McCoy, then behind him, to shotgun the sniper, which he did.
As the sniper was going down, Ramirez grabbed the shotgun from McCoy and fired at the sniper, hitting him (again) before he went down.
That's the way Ranger Ray tells the story.
I'll bring the book to Richmond, and anyone who would like to look it over is most welcome to do so.
Just those few pages take your breath away!

JayCeeNC · May 28, 2007

DHENRY, I look forward to seeing that book at Richmond.

AUSTIN PD MOD 20-2 HEAVY DUTY ARRIVES IN TEXAS

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