Highway Patrolman Questions

[HKurlan]

I rescued this neglected Highway Patrolman from a friend..Serial Number 1334xx. My research shows it was made about 1956.

I have some questions and I was hoping you guys may have some answers for me.

1) All of the markings are very very light and I don't know if that is due to it being struck lightly or because of wear. The trademark and lettering are much lighter than any other gun I have seen. Please pardon my newbie pictures.

2) One of the 2 pins under the star is missing. Is it OK to shoot this way or is there somewhere I can get a replacement for it?

3) There is a hole in the base of the grips that goes through to the frame and the frame portion is threaded. Was this a factory lanyard ring and can one be found for purchase?

4) Is there any collector value to this gun or should I make it a "project" gun?

 

[HKurlan]

I rescued this neglected Highway Patrolman from a friend..Serial Number 1334xx. My research shows it was made about 1956.

I have some questions and I was hoping you guys may have some answers for me.

1) All of the markings are very very light and I don't know if that is due to it being struck lightly or because of wear. The trademark and lettering are much lighter than any other gun I have seen. Please pardon my newbie pictures.

2) One of the 2 pins under the star is missing. Is it OK to shoot this way or is there somewhere I can get a replacement for it?

3) There is a hole in the base of the grips that goes through to the frame and the frame portion is threaded. Was this a factory lanyard ring and can one be found for purchase?

4) Is there any collector value to this gun or should I make it a "project" gun?

 

[john traveler]

Your pre-M28 Highway Patrolman looks like a decent shooting condition example, and out of the collectible catagory due to finish wear.

There is the possibility that your gun was refinished in it's past. However, my guess is that it is original, light roll engravings and all. Please rememeber that the HP was a less finely finished and less costly alternative to the deluxe M27. Therefore, the attention to finishing details was not likely as great as on the more expensive guns.

Some police departments installed thru-the-stocks lanyard studs and swivels. If the thread holes are not national fine (NF) gun thread size, my guess is that it is not S&W factory work. That alone takes your gun out of the collectible catagory. It is still a very nice shooter as is.

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

I'd bet good money that the reason the markings are "light" is because someone tried to polish it themselves or had someone do it for them. 28's came with a dull almost bead-blasted look. Yours definately looks more "shiny" like a polish and re-blue job.

 

[VM]

Was this a factory lanyard ring and can one be found for purchase?

Not factory and will be hard to find as Factory lanyard rings had a solid shaft and held with a pin.
Hopefully, the location of this threaded hole in the butt is not thru the serial number.

I agree with others that it has been refinished.

 

[big50_1]

The pins under the extractor star are extractor pins. They are used to position the extractor when the "star" goes back into battery. I ran into this issue myself. First, you can get new pins. Ask S&W for the correct ones as there are different sizes of pins. Second, when the gun is empty the pins help the hand/ejector star correctly turn the cylinder to lockup. But when you have brass cases in the cylinder, the brass kinda' takes over helping the hand/ejector star turn the cylinder. I have a 28-2 that needs one of the pins. Without both pins, cylinder operation is sloppy as the cylinder hand turns the cylinder through the extractor star using only one pin. But with filled cylinders, the brass takes up the job of the pins. Ergo, the gun can still operate and operate well. Make sense?

 

[deanodog]

Be sure the serial number is o k . Nice shooter model 28. Enjoy it for years to come.

 

[s&wchad]

If you're looking for opinions, I'll be glad to share mine. The gun has been refinished and the stocks have been thinned, shortened and refinished. It's pretty obvious by the trademark and barrel markings that the metal has been taken down. The serial number (on the butt) should start with an "S" and you should find the same numbers (without the prefix) on the back of the cylinder and in the shroud under the barrel. Remove the stocks and take a photo of the butt and the left side of the grip frame. S&W used various refinish marks over the years and maybe someone will spot something. The threaded hole may have been done by a police department or other orginization, but S&W didn't thread the hole to attach a butt swivel. If it's mechanically sound after you replace the extractor pins, it should make a great shooter.

 

[st regis]

I still have my very first handgun from 1983- a model 28. You will love that gun! I have a sort of ugly set of N frame target stocks with the speedloader cut out. They are take offs from another gun.. but are not sanded and shortened...e-mail me an address and I will send them to you fer a late Christmas present.....and Happy New Year there, deanodog!

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I am very biased in favor of the Model 28 as an excellent shooter. Fix it and enjoy it. They are not YET very collectable, but in 20 years who knows? They are strongly built and will last a long, long time.

 

[VM]

They are not YET very collectable,

I will respectively disagree. I, and many others find them very collectible and have for years.

 

[HKurlan]

Thanks for the replies and great info.
s&wchad...I took some more pics, please tell me what you think.

 

[VM]

Excellent - [RB] = <span class="ev_code_BLUE">reblued</span> from factory.
Also the lanyard hole is not going thru Serial number.

Enjoy your 357 Magnum - It will last a lifetime!

 

[VM]

The work was done Sept 1970 (some service work or the reblueing)

 

[mulehide9]

Kurlan..If you can't live without the lanyard ring, Numrich Arms sells them for about $17.00. You will have to fit it to set in the hole. They were not threaded. There is a notch on the shaft and once you slip it in the hole, a pin holds it in. You will have to drill through the grip frame to accept a pin. It's easy enough to do. I doubt if it will fit with those grips you have on it. The lanyard ring is made to fit snug up to the frame.