Dirty Harry's S&W mod.29
- Thread starter packrat2
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
Yup, just got it today. Some good looking photos of the gun.
junglefighter
US Veteran
I like the holster.Order the holster,find and buy the 29 and watch all the DVD 's and wait for winter to wear a heavy coat.
Cleandean
Member
You get your mail,quicker in Utah..& Ca..than we do in Pa.
Can't wait to get the new mag,
As I loaded some 180 grainers and finished up the 2400 powder,with 240g. Hornady. Xtp. Knowing darned. well I'll shoot them right after I read the articles.
Can't wait to get the new mag,
As I loaded some 180 grainers and finished up the 2400 powder,with 240g. Hornady. Xtp. Knowing darned. well I'll shoot them right after I read the articles.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2005
- Messages
- 8,005
- Reaction score
- 7,074
Perhaps if we can get everyone to read it, we can put a stop to some of the persistent misinformation about the movie gun.
mkk41
US Veteran
Not a chance! If the word from movie director John Milius didn't kill all the stories of how a Mod.57 or 25 was used , nothing will!
Arisin Wind
Member
Not a chance! If the word from movie director John Milius didn't kill all the stories of how a Mod.57 or 25 was used , nothing will!
Well, seeing how the director was Don Siegel I guess the misinformation continues.
John Milius was the writer.
rdcl
Member
Just got my copy in the mail today. 
Russ
Russ
tenmikemike
Member
Same here. Good article. To this day I am fascinated by the 29-2. I have two, a 4" and the prize of my collection, the 6-1/2" Holy Grail .44
Read the article.
Appears as if the author rehashed the "S-Frame" misinformation from the "Gun Stories" TV show.
Appears as if the author rehashed the "S-Frame" misinformation from the "Gun Stories" TV show.
Overall, a decent article, but with some incorrect information about the 44 Magnum in general [S-frame, serial number range beginning at 131700 (should be S130700)].
Jim Supica, Director of the National Firearms Museum, brought this Model 29 to Tulsa and quite a few of us had our photo taken with it. Neat gun with a great history.
Bill
Jim Supica, Director of the National Firearms Museum, brought this Model 29 to Tulsa and quite a few of us had our photo taken with it. Neat gun with a great history.
Bill
Last edited:
cobretti
Member
Regarding holster...
So I check out Wild Guns Leather after reading the article to see that the same guy still owns the company (formally Lawman Leather). Does this mean that the same problems still exist or can you now order the holster and actually get one? Does anybody know?
So I check out Wild Guns Leather after reading the article to see that the same guy still owns the company (formally Lawman Leather). Does this mean that the same problems still exist or can you now order the holster and actually get one? Does anybody know?
Will Carry
Member
I quote off IMBD from Magnum Force.
Officer Phil Sweet: What kind of a load do you use in that .44?
Harry Callahan: It's a light Special. This size gun it gives you better control and less recoil than a .357 Magnum with wadcutters.
Officer Phil Sweet: What kind of a load do you use in that .44?
Harry Callahan: It's a light Special. This size gun it gives you better control and less recoil than a .357 Magnum with wadcutters.
cobretti
Member
BTW, it's very annoying that the real story STILL is in question. Here we go again with the 8 3/8" barrel! If you're going to write an article about this, can't somebody just ask Clint Eastwood? Aren't there records, especially in California, of the serial numbers of the guns used in films, or the prop houses that own them or if it was the writer's personal gun or whatever?
Then, the article states that Warner Brothers gave Milius a Model 29 (the one pictured in the magazine) after Magnum Force which proves the gun was a .44 Magnum and not a .41 Magnum or .45 Colt. Fine, but is it the same gun used in the movie or in which movie? No one ever verifies that. I'm sure it's all done on purpose to keep us at our computers writing on this forum...
Then, the article states that Warner Brothers gave Milius a Model 29 (the one pictured in the magazine) after Magnum Force which proves the gun was a .44 Magnum and not a .41 Magnum or .45 Colt. Fine, but is it the same gun used in the movie or in which movie? No one ever verifies that. I'm sure it's all done on purpose to keep us at our computers writing on this forum...
SgtLumpy
Member
To tell you the truth, in all the excitement, I've kind of lost track myself...
Sgt Lumpy
The revolver or revolvers used in Magnum Force was a Model 29 with a 4-screw frame (the one in the article most likely). I have a Lobby Card set from Magnum Force and one of the cards clearly shows the 44 Magnum used by Clint Eastwood has a 4-screw frame.
The revolvers used in Dirty Harry were late S serial numbered or early N serial numbered revolvers with a 6 1/2-inch barrel (or, so I have been told) and were made in S&W's tool room since this Model was not in production at the time the guns were needed. They would have been a Model 29-2 with a 3-screw frame.
Bill
The revolvers used in Dirty Harry were late S serial numbered or early N serial numbered revolvers with a 6 1/2-inch barrel (or, so I have been told) and were made in S&W's tool room since this Model was not in production at the time the guns were needed. They would have been a Model 29-2 with a 3-screw frame.
Bill
Last edited:
Read the Rifleman yesterday, found the article quite interesting from a gun buyer’s perspective and also S&W history.
In the mid 70s I purchased 2 29s and like it said they were scarce and most dealers added a serious premium to the price. We had one dealer that actually doubled the price on 29s (also 60s as they were in super demand), he always had a couple 29s/60s in the display case do to his prices. But if you wanted one and had to have it today, you could.
It took me about a year but I first got my 8 3/8 blue in wood box at MSRP do to the fact I was a good customer (Not at the goniff dealer I mentioned above), but the dealer made me promise I would not tell the price. Dealer is now out of business and in fact died so releasing this now I do not fell I violated a promise.
I got my second 29 about 16 months later (4”Nickle in wood box.) Back in that era dealers got the “better guns” from Smith based on the volume of S&W they had sold and for that reason did not know what would be coming in. I was at the LGS(another where I did a lot of business) buying a rifle/scope and a bunch of general reloading supplies when the delivery came and saw them take the 29 out of the delivery box. I immediately said I WILL TAKE IT. The dealer told me my position in line had moved to #4 on the list, but as long as I was here he would let me have it.
Yes folks that little time in history was rather interesting. I still have both 29s and both have taken deer in the past.
In the mid 70s I purchased 2 29s and like it said they were scarce and most dealers added a serious premium to the price. We had one dealer that actually doubled the price on 29s (also 60s as they were in super demand), he always had a couple 29s/60s in the display case do to his prices. But if you wanted one and had to have it today, you could.
It took me about a year but I first got my 8 3/8 blue in wood box at MSRP do to the fact I was a good customer (Not at the goniff dealer I mentioned above), but the dealer made me promise I would not tell the price. Dealer is now out of business and in fact died so releasing this now I do not fell I violated a promise.
I got my second 29 about 16 months later (4”Nickle in wood box.) Back in that era dealers got the “better guns” from Smith based on the volume of S&W they had sold and for that reason did not know what would be coming in. I was at the LGS(another where I did a lot of business) buying a rifle/scope and a bunch of general reloading supplies when the delivery came and saw them take the 29 out of the delivery box. I immediately said I WILL TAKE IT. The dealer told me my position in line had moved to #4 on the list, but as long as I was here he would let me have it.
Yes folks that little time in history was rather interesting. I still have both 29s and both have taken deer in the past.
mkk41
US Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2005
- Messages
- 8,005
- Reaction score
- 7,074
Bill is, of course, correct. The movie guns were Model 29-2s with 6.5 inch barrels.
An 8 3/8 inch was used only for the movie poster for one of the movies, The Dead Pool, if memory serves. The 8 3/8 inch revolver did not appear in the film. Nor did Model 25s, 57s, 19s or any of the other models frequently mentioned.
Archie Dubia, a long time S&W employee is credited with actually building the 29-2 used in Dirty Harry in S&W's tool room as the model was not in production at the time they needed it for the film (no, it was not temporarily discontinued - they just don't make all models at all times).
In an effort to explain the short supply of Model 29s at the time, Skeeter Skelton, I think, in an article about the Model 29 which appeared in Shooting Times in the early to mid-70s said that one reason the 29s were in short supply (I waited a year for mine at the time), was that N Frames were used for other popular S&W Models at the time including the Models 27, 28, 57, 58 and even the Models 209, 210, 276 and 277 (not a misprint).
And, for clarification, "S" is a serial number range for post-war N frames, not a separate frame size.
An 8 3/8 inch was used only for the movie poster for one of the movies, The Dead Pool, if memory serves. The 8 3/8 inch revolver did not appear in the film. Nor did Model 25s, 57s, 19s or any of the other models frequently mentioned.
Archie Dubia, a long time S&W employee is credited with actually building the 29-2 used in Dirty Harry in S&W's tool room as the model was not in production at the time they needed it for the film (no, it was not temporarily discontinued - they just don't make all models at all times).
In an effort to explain the short supply of Model 29s at the time, Skeeter Skelton, I think, in an article about the Model 29 which appeared in Shooting Times in the early to mid-70s said that one reason the 29s were in short supply (I waited a year for mine at the time), was that N Frames were used for other popular S&W Models at the time including the Models 27, 28, 57, 58 and even the Models 209, 210, 276 and 277 (not a misprint).
And, for clarification, "S" is a serial number range for post-war N frames, not a separate frame size.
Last edited:
mkk41
US Veteran
I've read several articles where long time gun writers have called the N-frame an S-frame. Even claiming the factory used that designation.
FWIW , look for a fairly recent American Rifleman (within the last 12mos) last page article on the S&W 1917 and you'll see.
