An early Highway Patrolman 4"

[The Gila Bender]

It's been awhile guys, but I thought you would enjoy seeing something kinda neat, a five-screw HP.

Highway Patrolman, s/n S114081, 4", numbers matching at the frame, shroud, cylinder, ejector star, and diamond magnas. Screws unbuggered. Little spot of oxidation behind the shield on the left side, couple pin spots on the right side. "D. Wood 1954" carved on left grip panel. Hardly any wear on this one, the lightest bit on the muzzle. Locks up tight and breaks like a modern custom trigger job.

It came with three boxes of Western Super-X Lubaloy. One box, marked Olin-Mathieson Chemical Corporation Lot 77RG02, appears to have all of it's original cartridges. The other two boxes are marked Western Cartridge Company and have a mix of brass and nickel cases. One box is missing an end flap. Also, 26 loose brass-cased rounds were included. Would anyone have an idea of collector value of the boxes and the ammo?

I'm kinda jazzed. Enjoy!

 

[moosedog]

Nice catch Gila. Very early gun, care to tell us how you snagged this one?
That ammo goes for anywhere from $35-$50 or more around these parts.

 

[DCWilson]

Both thumbs way up on that one. Definitely first year manufacture. The four inch barrel is cool, and the contemporary ammo is a spectacular accessory.

I have a six-inch HP that just misses first-year status by a month. I love it, but I think I would love this one more. Congratulations!

Moosedog is right. We definitely need to hear the story behind this one.

 

[bamabiker]

Very nice looking old HP.

 

[Art Doc]

More like first month production.

I would be wary of the ammo being reloads.

 

[j38]

Way to go, Tom! Beautiful, early HP... with period ammo. That's the kind of gun I keep my eyes open for.

Thanks,

Jerry

 

[Allen-frame]

Kinda jazzed is right. Of course ,depending on the deal.
With the early ammo ,condition of the boxes dictates price and collectability.
I'm guessing $20.-$30. with the best box bringing the premium price.
Pre war ammo is the priciest.

Way to go Tom ,don't stay away so long next time.

Regards , Allen Frame

 

[borntoraisehogs]

That is really fine . I have to get out there and find a 28, 27, 19 , or 57 . That one makes me feel sorry for myself , I need to give myself a treat .

 

[Big Lou]

Gila

I got your cousin. My 6" HP is S1135XX. That ammo is outstanding! Congrats!

 

[boykinlp]

I was wondering where my gun went! Signed "D. Wood". Nice piece and cool extras.

 

[Ga Johnny]

Aren't ya glad D Wood had sense enough to put his mark on the back of one of the grip panels.........and not the side plate like some I know we've all seen.

Nice looking score, I'd love to hear the story also

 

[The Gila Bender]

More pics of the HP...and the rest of the story

The story isn't as interesting as the item, I'm afraid.

Last February a friend of mine told me that a friend of his was in a financial jam and was considering selling his first series Kimber Classic Stainless LE. We met and hit it off, I got the Kimber Classic Stainless LE and that was that. Last week he contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in looking at an old revolver he bought many years ago from an older gent. He described it over the phone and it sounded interesting enough to merit a FTF. I did a little homework with the SCS&W3E and on TS&WF to determine what to look for and to determine a price bracket.

I figured I was looking at a 1954 or '55 example in excellent condition with a few points off for minor finish issues. Original parts and grips, untouched screws, tight, and smooth action. The carved grip added character and charm, but value? Sorta, maybe. Nevertheless, this one is collectible. The box is correct with chalked serial number, but in rough shape. The ammo boxes with ammo would be of interest to a collector, but not to me. We discussed the good and the not so good, recent sales, and what he'd have to go though to sell it to an out-of-state collector or dealer. We settled on a price fair to us both, and that was that.

When I got home I put it side by side with my 1967 Model 28-2 (S304xxx). The '54 has a deeper blue, perhaps because it exhibits less wear and use. Question for those who know: Is 1954 steel different from 1967 steel?

And, who has nice period civilian leather for this early Highway Patrolman?

Cheers all, this is way fun!

 

[IamLegend]

very nice find

 

[ElToro]

maybe D. wood or his descendents are still around ? mayeb your buddy can remember about where he boughtit from if it was the original owner?

cool pice. 4 inch n frame is so nice.

 

[The Gila Bender]

El Toro - The previous owner told me that he bought it many years ago from an older gent he knew at one of "The Firing Line" ranges in California, It was not "D. Wood" however.

 

[Jack Flash]

Tom:
It's nice to see one in basically original condition right down to the stocks, which are often replaced with rubber and sold separately (or held for ransom when the seller "finds" them after the sale). We would all love to stumble across one like that.

As for the ammo:
Just because it's mixed brass doesn't mean it's reloads. As years go by, people often "consolidate" partial boxes into one box, regardless of brand, bullet weight, etc. The thing is, you just don't know. I would be very cautious about shooting any of it. Even the box that looks all original, as some handloaders can easily produce factory look-alikes. Odds are it's factory ammo, but I am not a big risk taker. So I would either break it down for components or sell it to a collector.

The complete box that looks all original should fetch $30 to $50. You may be able to get the high end here on the Forum Classifieds. (People like period ammo to include in their photo shoots.)

Thanks for the great thread and the sharp pictures.

 

[H P Bushrod]

Nice Highyway Patrolman. Thanks for sharing the pics.

 

[ENGINE18]

Very nice HP. I guess it would be a grand daddy of the rest of them!

 

[Hammerdown]

Hello The Gila Bender
That is a very Nice Pre-28 Highway Patrolman. Here is one I Picked up that shipped the second month of production being June 1954. It had some Honest wear so I swapped it off and am still Looking for one in a Little Better condition...

 

[The Gila Bender]

That's a fine looking HP, Hammerdown. Did you notice if the action was more smooth and crisp than later production HP's, or N-frames in general?

I hope you find another early HP soon. I was just lucky. Blind squirrel and such, right?