I went through my state police academy class in 1981 with a 6 inch Model 66, but my sentimental favorite gun at the time was a 5 inch, blue Model 27-2 I'd bought a few years before. I had done a rudimentary action smoothing to it and added a wide, smooth "combat" trigger and a pair of gorgeous smooth Presentation Goncala Alves grips, but thought it was too pretty to get banged up using it as a holster gun. Just because it was so pretty, I wore it instead of my 66 at the class graduation ceremony. My mother-in-law noticed it and nudged my wife and asked her in a whisper, "Why is his gun so much bigger than everybody elses?" The wife laughed out loud but Myrna just looked puzzled.
President Reagan came to Salt Lake City to speak once in his first term and as he was speaking in a county facility, my office drew the local security role. I wore the M-27 to the event and ended up backstage with some of the Secret Service guys. One of them noticed it and told me, "Nice Magnum, deputy."
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