Border Patrol

[five 0]

Was there a pre model 10 considered by the Border Patrol before they adopted the 357 Combat Magnum?

 

[gunbarrel]

See posts #7 & #12. There may be more about the USBP. HTH.

List of Service Revolvers by Department - The Firing Line Forums

 

[five 0]

THE U.S. IMMIGRATION BORDER PATROL .38 SPECIAL COLT NEW SERVICE REVOLVER. - Free Online Library
While researching a pre model 10 I have read in the above that the Border Patrol. In the mid-1950s reportedly an order was placed for heavy barrel S&W M&P revolvers. A friend has what he was told was one of the Heavy barrel M&P revolver. Does anyone have any info on these revolvers?

 

[Smithjj]

Attempted to do some searches on S&W Border Patrol revolvers but have not seen much information. I remember (don't bet on my memory) Pre Model 10, 4" heavy barrel, blue finish, C prefix serial #s. It would be interesting to know production, markings, if any others still exist?

 

[five 0]

The friend bought the M&P in 1957 from a LGS owner who said he was ordering 3 guns from S&W that were for the Border Patrol. The gun S/N is C387726 on the butt and under the extractor, which I am guessing is late 55 or early 56. The heavy barrel has partridge front sight integral to the barrel instead of the normal ramped front sight. No other markings on the gun other than factory marks and it is a 4 screw bright blue gun. Friend is wanting to know what it is worth.

 

[gunbarrel]

Friend is wanting to know what it is worth.

If it was me, the fiirst thing I would do was to spend a hundred bucs and get a Letter of Authenticity from the SWCA and go from there. Someone willing to pay a premium price for it wants to buy the gun; not the story. Good luck!

 

[DARE]

Wikipedia says... up until 1995 the Border Patrol issued it's patrol agents .357 Magnum revolvers as their duty firearms, S&W or Ruger large frame, six-shot revolvers. Agents could purchase weapons from the list of approved weapons for duty carry. This list included Glock 17 & 19 in 9mm, Sig-Sauer P220 in .45 ACP, the Colt Python .357 Magnum and the S&W 19/66 .357 Magnum.
Pretty sure Bill Jordan carried the .357 Combat Magnum after they came out in 1956. Before that my guess would be the .357 Magnum N frame. He started in 1941 I think. Here is my early production .357 Combat Magnum that shipped in August 1956.

 

[DHernandez]

Wikipedia says... up until 1995 the Border Patrol issued it's patrol agents .357 Magnum revolvers as their duty firearms, S&W or Ruger large frame, six-shot revolvers. Agents could purchase weapons from the list of approved weapons for duty carry. This list included Glock 17 & 19 in 9mm, Sig-Sauer P220 in .45 ACP, the Colt Python .357 Magnum and the S&W 19/66 .357 Magnum.
Pretty sure Bill Jordan carried the .357 Combat Magnum after they came out in 1956. Before that my guess would be the .357 Magnum N frame. He started in 1941 I think. Here is a picture of my first year .357 Combat Magnum that shipped in August 1956.

I was issued a Ruger GP100 in 1994.

 

[USBP SW]

I drew the short straw and was issued a Ruger Security Six in 1986. A couple of years later the 686 became the issue revolver. The oldest revolver I ever saw was a Colt "Border Patrol", they also had model 19 Smith and Wessons. For training purposes we had about a half dozen model 18's. When you work on the southern border, I guess you have to expect things to go south and they certainly did when they transitioned to the Beretta 96D. The pistol was huge, wore holes in the vehicle seats and only held eleven rounds of .40 in the magazine, many compact pistols held more ammo. I liked the timeframe referenced by DARE, when we had a choice of what we carried.

 

[five 0]

Can anyone give me a shipping date on C387726, closer that 54-56?

 

[walkin' trails]

I came on the Patrol in 1990 and was issued a 686 with Pachmeyer Grippers. It was round butt and marked BP-1 in the crane area. I was assigned to a line station in San Diego Sector. Other issued revolvers I saw carried by agents included the Ruger Security Six and the S&W 66 Combat Magnum. The GP100s started being issued to classes in approximately 1993 after a hiring freeze. There were a few who carried their own revolvers, including an actual commemerative 686, and one 20 year veteran who still had his issue Model 19. The bluing on that gun was remarkable considering the rough terrain along the San Diego border. He pointed out a nick on the crown from the time he was assigned to the San Diego Police Department's first bandit team back in the mid 70s. By the time I came along, the 66s were showing their age. The Patrol had, at least from what I was lead to believe at the academy, switched to 110 grain .357 Magnum from the 110 grain .38 Special Treasury Loads. We were required to qualify with duty ammo every quarter, and the 66s took a beating. I saw quite a few at the range that were out of time but agents wouldn't turn them in for repairs as they believed they likely wouldn't get the gun back. I left before San Diego started the Beretta transition. The Wikipedia article is fairly spot-on about the handguns, including the authorized personally owned. I saw a couple of Highway Patrolmans, an occasional Colt Python, but most agents taking advantage of the personal handgun approval carried Glock 17s,19s, Sig P225 and 226, and the P220 in .45ACP. The Walther P7M13 was also authorized, but I only saw one of them. My sector seemed to adhere to the firearms policy in the strictest sense. I'd talked to agents from other sectors who indicated things in other places were a bit more liberal. I carrying a handgun off duty was important as well as staying in policy, the Glock 19 was likely the best option and most popular as I recall.