Dirty Harry Collectors thread

[Az. revolver fan]

No holster yet, but here's a 6.5" 29-2 with movie accoutrements...

Roe

This is the only photo in this thread with the correct ammunition for the 1970 time period. Semi-Jacketed Soft Point. It was the original Remington-Peters Semi-Jacketed Soft Point load that Elmer Keith made his famous "two hits out of 4 shots on a wounded mule deer at 600 yds." with a 6 1/2" pre-model 29 S&W .44 mag at Paul Kriley's Ranch near Clear Creek in Idaho (the buck had been wounded by Kriley with a .300 mag rifle and Elmer finished it). Also, an amusing fact that I personally recall about this time period. After the original Dirty Harry movie debut, the price on model 29's went through the roof. Stories of Gun dealers charging double and even triple suggested retail went on for several years (and they were selling quickly, faster than the factory could keep up). When the mania resided, the gun stores were inundated with used model 29's that had only been fired 5 or 6 times and put away as fans found out that the way Harry Callahan made it look in the movie with .44 specials and blanks was way different than actually popping off a cylinder full of full-house .44 magnum rounds with no instruction on how to deal with the recoil. (You can bet most tried to "fight" it). The people who decided they actually enjoyed shooting this fine, accurate weapon were trading in for or just buying the newer 629 models and the more expensive AMT Automag in .44 automag.

 

[500 Magnum Nut]

Ah, the cartridges in the first picture are hornady bullets that I shoot on and off depending were I'm at in the reloading bench.
I do have the exact bullet currently and proper speedloaders coming so I will do it right this time.

I'm going to load up 6 (without powder & primers) and place them in Harrys hand, as if he's going into his jacket with a speed loader.

The gun in the holster is a wood prop gun I made with real factory grips. I didn't want to leave a real gun in there, as someone could smash out a window and steal the real gun.

In the 2ND movie "Magnum Force", during the shooting range scene, the bad dudes asked Harry what load in his gun? He responded a light special which was a blooper, I believe he was supposed to say a light magnum, the cut stayed in the movie nevertheless.

I don't know if Elmer was involved in the original movie or not, that would be neat if he was.

 

[S.B.]

Sorry 500 magnum nut for all this amateur cretiquing.
Steve

 

[500 Magnum Nut]

Sorry 500 magnum nut for all this amateur cretiquing.
Steve

For what? I enjoy the hobby and collect Harry stuff. If you have knowledge I want to get it right too!

 

[S.B.]

Good attitude, bro.
Steve

 

[Az. revolver fan]

.500 mag, I know who directed the original film and the final two films but who directed Magnum Force and The Enforcer?

 

[500 Magnum Nut]

.500 mag, I know who directed the original film and the final two films but who directed Magnum Force and The Enforcer?

Magnum Force was directed by Ted Post (screen play/story by John Milius)

The Enforcer was directed by James Fargo

 

[Wheelgunner840]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this entire thread and looking at the pictures. Thanks all!

While I have only the 29-3, which is a great gun and shoots great, I am always on the lookout for a more correct DH gun. So, Is the 29-2 the closest I will be able to get without spending $10,000?

Second question. I have also always wanted a DH shoulder holster. I am a big guy at 6'2" and 250 lbs. Every shoulder holster I have ever tried on feels like it was made for a child, and puts the gun way up under my armpit. Do the DH holsters pictured adjust enough for a guy my size?

Thanks.


WG840

 

[Az. revolver fan]

Fun thread! Thank you all.

 

[MAG-NUM]

Here is a little artistic contribution to DH collection. I was playing around with the photo shop tonight and came up with this. I know the gun isn't PC but I thought it looked cool enough. Bob

 

[Arisin Wind]

 

[GF]

Fun thread! Thank you all.

What he said. I hope this thread stays up a long time.

And... you know when your eat-up with 44 mags when you have to buy 'em three at a time!

(the Dirty Harry one's in the middle.)

GF

 

[PhilOhio]

To add a little perspective, I have to post a picture of my Model 29 "no dash", purchased long before a movie made them cool. I've owned it for all of its 50 years.

As a college sophomore in mid-December 1960, I saw and handled my first then-rare Model 29, a 4"er owned by big time Luger collector Robert Bretherton in Toledo, Ohio. I had to have one, as in right now, but they were not in gun stores.

Our stocking dealer was Gross Photo Mart, long out of business like Toledo in general. Augie ordered my 6.5" blued 29 no dash, noting on the receipt "will wire factory today", which is how it was done then.

It came a couple weeks later, in time for Christmas. Full retail price was $140. I bought a Lyman 310 reloading set and a $19 Pacific single stage press at the same time, according to my receipt.

A few days later, testing it at the New York Central Sportsmen's Club range with a couple friends, I learned that you never ever shoot one of these without ear protection. After less than 10 rounds, I was deaf in one ear and could hardly hear in the other. It really slowed me down in Russian language class. That lasted about a week.

I have a lot of guns and a bunch of Smiths, but this one is special. It will be with me as long as I am around. And the idea of a 4" 29 has tickled my fancy, even if I may have to pay more than $140 this time.

One reason I like the gun and cartridge so much is that it seems I can load it up or down, and with different bullet weights, and it shoots to about the same point of impact. I don't have to adjust the sights. And I wasn't expecting it to be such a tack driver. How I love this thing. I still remember how impressive it was to explode my first concrete block at 50 feet. No need for any more power than this, no matter what the S&W marketeers and gun writers suggest we may need.

Back then, the wood box came from Smith in this pasteboard outer box, which I still have, and which was numbered to the gun. Somebody bobbled one digit and corrected it. I'm betting very few of you have one of these, or even know about them. But alas, I didn't save the brown paper around the cardboard box.

 

[Wheelgunner840]

Now THAT is a keeper PhilOhio! It is great that you kept that outer wrapper too! I would gladly pay you three times what you paid for it!

Once again, what would be the most correct DH model? 6.5" bbl correct? Was there a 29-1?


WG840

 

[500 Magnum Nut]

Was there a 29-1?


WG840

Sure there was, but they were made in 60-61. The Dirty Harry films were in the 70s. So the only correct answer is a model 29-2 (1961-1979) with a 6 1/2" barrel. (That's his carry piece with a Lawman holster).

 

[Arisin Wind]

The Dirty Harry films were in the 70s. So the only correct answer is a model 29-2 (1961-1979) with a 6 1/2" barrel. (That's his carry piece with a Lawman holster).

Lawman Leather didn't exist until 1975. The holster used in the films is probably a Bucheimer-Clark holster. Lawman Leather bought them in the mid 70's.

The holster sold by Lawman Leather is a close copy of the one used in the movie. The movie holster did not have the wide "cobra head" belt strap but the narrow strap. The yoke was stitched to the holster instead of fastened with leather ties and it has a tension screw which the Lawman Leather holsters lack.

 

[S.B.]

Lawman Leather didn't exist until 1975. The holster used in the films is probably a Bucheimer-Clark holster. Lawman Leather bought them in the mid 70's.

The holster sold by Lawman Leather is a close copy of the one used in the movie. The movie holster did not have the wide "cobra head" belt strap but the narrow strap. The yoke was stitched to the holster instead of fastened with leather ties and it has a tension screw which the Lawman Leather holsters lack.

Nope, Cathey Leather made the original. Owned one and talked to the owner several times. He had military contracts before in business.
Steve
Steve

 

[29-1]

To add a little perspective, I have to post a picture of my Model 29 "no dash", purchased long before a movie made them cool. I've owned it for all of its 50 years.

As a college sophomore in mid-December 1960, I saw and handled my first then-rare Model 29, a 4"er owned by big time Luger collector Robert Bretherton in Toledo, Ohio. I had to have one, as in right now, but they were not in gun stores.

Our stocking dealer was Gross Photo Mart, long out of business like Toledo in general. Augie ordered my 6.5" blued 29 no dash, noting on the receipt "will wire factory today", which is how it was done then.

It came a couple weeks later, in time for Christmas. Full retail price was $140. I bought a Lyman 310 reloading set and a $19 Pacific single stage press at the same time, according to my receipt.

A few days later, testing it at the New York Central Sportsmen's Club range with a couple friends, I learned that you never ever shoot one of these without ear protection. After less than 10 rounds, I was deaf in one ear and could hardly hear in the other. It really slowed me down in Russian language class. That lasted about a week.

I have a lot of guns and a bunch of Smiths, but this one is special. It will be with me as long as I am around. And the idea of a 4" 29 has tickled my fancy, even if I may have to pay more than $140 this time.

One reason I like the gun and cartridge so much is that it seems I can load it up or down, and with different bullet weights, and it shoots to about the same point of impact. I don't have to adjust the sights. And I wasn't expecting it to be such a tack driver. How I love this thing. I still remember how impressive it was to explode my first concrete block at 50 feet. No need for any more power than this, no matter what the S&W marketeers and gun writers suggest we may need.

Back then, the wood box came from Smith in this pasteboard outer box, which I still have, and which was numbered to the gun. Somebody bobbled one digit and corrected it. I'm betting very few of you have one of these, or even know about them. But alas, I didn't save the brown paper around the cardboard box.

PhilOhio, nice!
Regards
Chuck

 

[500 Magnum Nut]

Lawman Leather didn't exist until 1975. The holster used in the films is probably a Bucheimer-Clark holster. Lawman Leather bought them in the mid 70's.

Jerry Ardolino claims this on his website.

Part of the read.....

Many people do not realize that of the group of Dirty Harry Holsters that were made for the Prop House that supplied the Production Company, a couple were for a 5" barrelled S&W "N" Frame (with an old-style tension screw that had long been eliminated due to functional problems); the holster used in the film was actually one of those 5" models, not the proper 6.5" models that were supplied. This can be seen in certain shots in the first film where the face of the cylinder sits midway in the cylinder cut-out. I acquired exclusive rights to the 6 ½” Model 29, proper Holster— with the tighter spring .........


www.LawmanLeatherGoods.com

 

[Arisin Wind]

Nope, Cathey Leather made the original. Owned one and talked to the owner several times. He had military contracts before in business.
Steve
Steve

That would make sense. I have a couple of Cathey holsters in the Dirty Harry style and they match the Bucheimer Clark holsters perfectly. The Cathey's have NSN's on them.