Joe Friday's S&W Snubbie
- Thread starter Deacon KC
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Jack Flash
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IIRC, Dragnet was originally a radio program. Then there was a tv series in the 1950s which was revived in the 1960s. I don't know about the radio show, but Jack Webb starred in both of the tv series.
In the show mentioned in the OP (The Shooting Board), Friday states that during his career he had to fire his revolver twice in the line of duty (not including manditory firing range qualifications of course). I thought that sounded like a real low-ball number, especially if you included the shootouts he was in in the 1950s shows.
gkitch
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We had a good conversation about Jack Webb's early 44 Magnum on this forum. It turned out that one of the forum members found it and his Model 39 on display at the Police Academy in LA. I'll find the thread and bump it up...
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There is a later color episode of "Dragnet" in which Sgt. Friday shows his revolver to a robbery victim to help her ID the type of handgun carried by the suspects. I remember that close up as being of a S&W Model 12 with a flat latch and "fish hook" hammer. I recall the front sight on that pistol as being of the half round variety, not the later ramp. I could be wrong on that though. Don't know the name of the episode...
In Adam-12 , I noticed that Malloy also has a "fish hook" hammer on his K-38 and his later Model 15. His revolvers also have "Fuzzy Farrant" stocks.
Adam-12's Officer Reed starts out with magna stocks on his S&W, but later adopts a set of Farrant stocks. In the later part of the series the hammer and trigger of his Model 15 appears to have been polished or plated.
Great shows... Jack Webb was a class act!
In Adam-12 , I noticed that Malloy also has a "fish hook" hammer on his K-38 and his later Model 15. His revolvers also have "Fuzzy Farrant" stocks.
Adam-12's Officer Reed starts out with magna stocks on his S&W, but later adopts a set of Farrant stocks. In the later part of the series the hammer and trigger of his Model 15 appears to have been polished or plated.
Great shows... Jack Webb was a class act!
I'll confirm 1755806 as the serial number in "Shooting Board."
As I recall, the names used for the command staff officers on the shooting board were the actual names of LAPD officers - notably Pierce Brooks who wrote a book on police procedures and was later police chief in another city.
Edited to add: Doh! Forgot about him being the lead detective in the Onion Field case.
I'm old enough to have watched the first Dragnet but young enough that my memories are vague. A "before they were famous" article in a late 60's TV Guide showed then famous actors appearing in the 1950's Dragnet - like the suspect on the right in this pic.
As I recall, the names used for the command staff officers on the shooting board were the actual names of LAPD officers - notably Pierce Brooks who wrote a book on police procedures and was later police chief in another city.
Edited to add: Doh! Forgot about him being the lead detective in the Onion Field case.
I'm old enough to have watched the first Dragnet but young enough that my memories are vague. A "before they were famous" article in a late 60's TV Guide showed then famous actors appearing in the 1950's Dragnet - like the suspect on the right in this pic.
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Triggerman66
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While in the Air Force and stationed in New Jersey at Mcguire AFB in the mid 1960s one of our guys made use of his Joe Friday cap gun when traveling home to Brooklyn N.Y. The guy ( Joe "Bear" Osakoski ) would carry the cap gun in a sholder holster under his jacket and expose it slightly when he felt threatened while riding the subway. Seemed to work for him.
OIF2
Member
Jack Webb's .44 29 and 9mm 39 are in a display case at the LAPD Academy, in the hallway in front of the old PT Staff office. Used to look at them daily when walking up and down that hallway to the Captain's office or the Academy store.
Bob
Bob
I'm old enough to have watched the first Dragnet but young enough that my memories are vague. A "before they were famous" article in a late 60's TV Guide showed then famous actors appearing in the 1950's Dragnet - like the suspect on the right in this pic.
Fascinating.
"Ah, the renowned Tholian punctuality."
I guess Friday is a kind of proto-Tholian in his timeliness.
Texas Star
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So, the crook in the striped shirt is Leonard Nimoy? It does resemble him a lot.
The same and no one else.
Jack Flash
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The picture sure looks like it is from the black and white '50s Dragnet. I don't think Friday ever wore a hat in the '60s revival of the series.
OFT II
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Yes, I believe that is the original series as that looks like Ben Alexander on the left with the hat on and his face partly hidden. He played Webb's partner long before Harry Morgan came along.
DWalt
Member
Back in the 50s, a lot of actors/actresses who are now well known started off doing bit parts in such TV series. "Twilight Zone" was full of them. As I earlier noted, Lee Marvin was in the very first Dragnet episode playing the part of a very talkative and hungry murderer.
Come on guys and help me out here! I'm old enough to have watched the show way back when; of course I was only a kid.
I (at about age 9) very vaguely remember a show where they had a guy holding up places and he was wearing some sort of a body armor and the cops regular .38s would not do the job.
Somehow Friday got his hands on a .357 and put an end to the perp's successes. Anyone else on here remember that show or can fill in more details!
I (at about age 9) very vaguely remember a show where they had a guy holding up places and he was wearing some sort of a body armor and the cops regular .38s would not do the job.
Somehow Friday got his hands on a .357 and put an end to the perp's successes. Anyone else on here remember that show or can fill in more details!
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DWalt
Member
Could be but it could take some research to find out. The IMDB website has plot summaries of some of the 1950s Dragnet episodes, but by no means all of them. I have seen a lot, but I don't remember that one.
flightsimmer
Member
I remember Joe was sitting at his desk and Frank, (Ben Alexander) his patner at the time came in and handed him a package and joe set it on his desk. Then Frank says "Aren't you going to open it" and Joe says "no". Then Frank gets real nosey and says "why not" and Joe says "because I know whats in it".
Then Frank says "Well what is it?" And Joe says it's a new Airweight 38 or something like that and Frank says "Well, lets see it" so finally Joe opens the package and Frank gets to see it.
That's as I remember it from several decades ago.
Somebody look it up and see if I didn't come pretty close.
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Texas Star
US Veteran
I recall a guy asking Friday if he knew what an "Army .45" looked like and he said yes. Some holdup man was using one.
I certainly recall the episode where the new Airweight .38 arrived and how Friday tantalized his partner by not wanting to open the box. It amused him to make the other guy wait. I think Friday had a mean streak.
As a cop, I liked Martin Milner better on, "Adam 12."
I agree with a post here that the Korean cop Cho on, "The Mentalist" reminds me a little of Friday's attitude. Not much humor or joy in living, but he probably got that cynical from dealing with the scum that he's had to. He was even right about that "ho" who went back on drugs after I hoped that she'd straighten out and they'd get together.
Of course, these days, they all carry autos.
But that reflects cop reality. Now that I think about it, Dick Tracy in the comics was the only cop with an auto, or a wrist radio, but some civilian good guys had autos, like Smilin' Jack. I may open a topic about that, in The Lounge.
I certainly recall the episode where the new Airweight .38 arrived and how Friday tantalized his partner by not wanting to open the box. It amused him to make the other guy wait. I think Friday had a mean streak.
As a cop, I liked Martin Milner better on, "Adam 12."
I agree with a post here that the Korean cop Cho on, "The Mentalist" reminds me a little of Friday's attitude. Not much humor or joy in living, but he probably got that cynical from dealing with the scum that he's had to. He was even right about that "ho" who went back on drugs after I hoped that she'd straighten out and they'd get together.
Of course, these days, they all carry autos.
But that reflects cop reality. Now that I think about it, Dick Tracy in the comics was the only cop with an auto, or a wrist radio, but some civilian good guys had autos, like Smilin' Jack. I may open a topic about that, in The Lounge.
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DWalt
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Remember "The Phantom?" I think he wore a pair of M1911s. At least that's what they looked like.
Texas Star
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Since the discussion of Dragnet has also turned into mention of Adam-12, here goes:
Dragnet (late 60s version):
Joe Friday, 2 inch Model 10
Bill Gannon, 4 inch Model 15 Combat Masterpiece
Adam-12 (early seasons):
Malloy and Reed, duty, 6 inch Model 14 K-38s
off-duty, Chief's Special 2 inch
Adam-12 (later seasons):
Malloy and Reed, duty, 4 inch Model 15 Combat Masterpiece,
off-duty, Chief's Special 2 inch.
Both series used then LAPD issue Ithaca Model 37 12 gauge shotguns.
When LAPD created SWAT Teams, there was an Adam-12 episode about SWAT in which the Colt M16 or AR15 rifles were used by the team along with a scoped bolt action rifle.
OFT II
US Veteran
Nah, that can't be Leonard Nimoy. The ears are all wrong.
"Captain Kirk, I can't believe my ears."
"Mister Spock, I can't believe your ears either."
More TV nostalgia
Making a tangential jump, the local cable is showing the 1950's Broderick Crawford "Highway Patrol" which is a show I also watched when I was in grade school.
I remembered the big Buicks but didn't remember the hardware.
The revolvers were all 6 inch Colt Official Police with a mix of service and factory full-checker target stocks.
The first couple of episodes I saw, the uniforms were carrying a non-descript swivel holster, then a few episodes showed a really high riding spring-post cross draw.
Then the surprise -- clam shells. Lots and lots of clam shells.
The actors could draw well, but reholstering was an awkward process for them, requiring both hands, holding the holster horizontal. They hadn't mastered the one-hand reholster.
Great fun.
Making a tangential jump, the local cable is showing the 1950's Broderick Crawford "Highway Patrol" which is a show I also watched when I was in grade school.
I remembered the big Buicks but didn't remember the hardware.
The revolvers were all 6 inch Colt Official Police with a mix of service and factory full-checker target stocks.
The first couple of episodes I saw, the uniforms were carrying a non-descript swivel holster, then a few episodes showed a really high riding spring-post cross draw.
Then the surprise -- clam shells. Lots and lots of clam shells.
The actors could draw well, but reholstering was an awkward process for them, requiring both hands, holding the holster horizontal. They hadn't mastered the one-hand reholster.
Great fun.
Back in the 1970s, I knew several officers with the Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Police Department. They also carried 6" Colt OPs.
Nimoy - Boyett - Highway Patrol - Dragnet - Adam 12
How's this for seredipity & tying a thread together?
Leonard Nimoy was on Highway Patrol today. IMDB puts this one at 1958.
William Boyett, of course, was on Jack Webb's Adam-12 -- along with Highway Patrol narrator Art Gilmore.
Boyett didn't even try to reholster in this sequence. The revolver in his belt is his own.
I've seen Broderick Crawford with a crossdraw holster, but in this one he just sticks his Colt DS in his pants.
"Highway Patrol" Blood Money (TV episode 1958) - IMDb
How's this for seredipity & tying a thread together?
Leonard Nimoy was on Highway Patrol today. IMDB puts this one at 1958.
William Boyett, of course, was on Jack Webb's Adam-12 -- along with Highway Patrol narrator Art Gilmore.
Boyett didn't even try to reholster in this sequence. The revolver in his belt is his own.
I've seen Broderick Crawford with a crossdraw holster, but in this one he just sticks his Colt DS in his pants.
"Highway Patrol" Blood Money (TV episode 1958) - IMDb
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Jack Flash
Member
What was the idea of the "book hinge" type holster William Boyett is wearing? I noticed that Reed and Malloy also wore those for a while in the Adam 12 series. What was the supposed advantage that floppy, awkward looking holster?
Texas Star
US Veteran
Those were called "clamshell" holsters, and they offered presumed added security. You have to reach inside the gun's trigger guard and press a release to open the holster.
Jack Flash
Member
Texas Star, thanks for the explanation.
Let me be sure I understand:
The officer puts his finger inside the trigger guard while drawing the revolver so that the clamshell pops open. Thus he has his finger on the trigger while the gun's muzzle is pointed in the direction of his leg / foot? All this in a possibly in a high stress situation?
... and someone thought that was a good idea?
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