Just for fun...

[Art Doc]

Nothing wrong with a Model 10 or similar. IMO plenty wrong with 38 Special ammo circa 1958. If all I had was 158 round nose ammo I would not choose a 38 for duty.

The 1917 is often mentioned and it would certainly work. Not sure I would want a 5.5" barrel and if a cop couldn't afford a new gun could he afford gunsmithing to cut a barrel down?

 

[snowman.45]

I'd probably go with what I started out with in 1977, a 4" M28. I gotta say, though, that I would not be opposed to a 3.5" to 4" 1917 or a .44 Special in the 4" flavor.

 

[BUFF]

I am not sure how many cops were aware of just what an abysmal stopper the .38 Special round nose lead cartridge was in 1958. It was what everybody carried except for what the very few .357 or .38-44 owners packed. Most looked down their noses at the .45 Auto then, except for war veterans who had seen it used in combat, and even a lot of them looked down their noses at it. My WWII veteran uncles did.

There were no high performance factory handgun rounds available in 1958, if jacketed or lead hollowpoints are included in the definition. High velocity made the .357 Magnum effective, with SWC bullets, but to get hollowpoints then, you needed to handload, and maybe cast your own bullets besides.

That being so, velocity, caliber and bullet weight determined effectiveness, assuming equivalent hits.

If limited to factory ammo, I would have hunted down a Colt New Service in .45 Colt and endured the derisive laughter of my coworkers.

If I couldn't find that, a Model 28, or maybe a S&W 1917. A .44 Special S&W was a pretty scarce thing in 1958.

 

[alwslate]

Assuming that I knew what I know now and that I could use handloads
I would choose a 4" 1950 model .44 spl, fixed or adjustable sights,
either one. If I couldn't get one of those I would get a 3 1/2" 27 or a
4" 28 .357 magnum.

 

[ki5mc]

When I started out in Law Enforcement we had to provide our own weapon and we were required to carry it in a full flap holster. It could be a Colt or Smith & Wesson in any caliber from .38 to .45 caliber, revolver or semi-auto. I carried a .357 magnum 4" blue Model 19 in a custom made (Stelzigs) flap holster. It wasn't too many years later that I picked up a blue Colt Combat Commander in .45 and carried that for quite a while. So I would probably carry the same or similar in the scenario you proposed.

As a side note, it gets very hot here in Texas, and trust me, in the summer time without AC you don't spend a lot of time inside the mobile oven!

 

[Iggy]

Knowing what I know now, back in 1958 I would have chosen a 38/44 HD and ammo made specifically for them. I saw them, on lawmen's belts, but I didn't know what I was looking at.

 

[Art Doc]

I have a 4" HD shipped 1960 to a police supply dealer in Texas. If actual 38/44 ammo was carried (158 SWC) it would have been fairly decent for police use.

Any caliber with a round nose bullet sucks. I saw a 140 pound guy take 4 rounds of 230 ball from a 1911 through the torso and he only fell after he ran 200 feet and bled out. No "stopping power" was observed.

 

[Joe Kent]

Iggy nailed it about having the knowledge. Early on, how many of us were the "gun guys" we have later become? For my early time as a police officer I was lucky enough to have an older officer advise and help me in picking out a Model 19 4in. blued to carry. He also helped me in choosing a Model 42 for a backup. Ammo used was the early Supervel and as it became available, Remington Golden Saber. For the snub we carried handloaded 148 grain hollow based wad cutters loaded upside down over a stiff dose of powder{I do not remember which as at the time I was not a reloader}. had I not had an advisor I probably would have used a Model 10 as that was what most of the other guys carried. The large number of WW11 and Korean War vets , tho, had no shortage of serious firepower when needed as most had war bring backs that magically appeared out of lockers and cases when needed. Different times for sure!

 

[Ed Fowler]

A little later, 1963, $350 a month, furnished my own car and hardware.
A 4" Combat Masterpiece on my belt, Remington .41 rim fire short double barreled derringer in my hip pocket. A sawed off double barrel shot gun in the trunk. I was ready for anything! Night stick and sap & 3 pair of handcuffs got used the most.

Good times!!! The start of every shift was just like opening day of hunting season.

 

[Jack Flash]

... Any caliber with a round nose bullet sucks. I saw a 140 pound guy take 4 rounds of 230 ball from a 1911 through the torso and he only fell after he ran 200 feet and bled out. No "stopping power" was observed.

We can find those type of "bullet sponge" stories involving every caliber / bullet configuration up to and including the .44 Mag with hollow points. Anecdotal evidence can be used to prove anything.

I don't know what .45 ACP ammunition was available in '58, but I imagine there were some soft points / hollow points. The neat thing about an M1917 is that there would be no jamming or cycling problems due to bullet configuration.

Even if you were stuck with FMJ, the M1911 made quite a name for itself using such throughout two World Wars.

 

[old bear]

Not as easy as it sounded.

What would you select? Reasoning?

I THINK this would be easy. If I could locate one my first choice would be Model 19 with the standard 4" barrel, or Model 15 with the 4" barrel.
Both would be light enough to carry all day, and either would accept a wide selection of ammo, which should be easy to find locally.

 

[tops]

It's 1958 and you just hired on as a deputy for a sheriff's office in a semi rural county.






What would you select? Reasoning?

In 1958 nobody knew what they know now so they would have probably used what the majority of law carried and around here that was a .38 Special. I just looked in a Gun Digest from 1962 and a .44 Spec. used a .246 gr. round nose bullet at 755 fps and it would penetrate 4 pine boards. Back then if you didn't reload the .44 Special was nothing. Larry

 

[jebstuart]

The 1917 is often mentioned and it would certainly work. Not sure I would want a 5.5" barrel and if a cop couldn't afford a new gun could he afford gunsmithing to cut a barrel down?

In 1958 a new S&W 357 mag. was approx. $100. A Good surplus 1917 was approx. $29 & a top notch gunsmith, $4 per hour. That math works for me.

 

[Old TexMex]

4" Combat magnum. But I'm not from a wealthy family, so I'd probably been stuck with a second hand model 10.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

No walking a beat so weight not a factor. No real advantage to K frame over N frame when riding in a car all day.

Parameters of the game included blued finish.

For you, perhaps not. And the beefier N frame has a lot of advantages. However, some folks have hands that fit a K frame a LOT better than a square-butt N frame. That's a BIG advantage.

If the N frame were roundbutted, that might be a closer call, or might go for the N frame.

 

[Art Doc]

My comment ONLY addressed the fact that the revolver wasn't physically carried around on foot all day. Of course realistic considerations must be made with regards to handling.

Numerous mentions of whether we are in 1958 with our current info or we are simply living in 1958. Yes, makes a big difference. It's just a game so lets assume you know what you know now but are limited to what was available in 1958.

On stopping power, anecdotal is about all we have until someone OKs live testing on POWs. But I am not the only one to observe failures with 45 ACP RN ammo. No less a champion of the 1911 than Jeff Cooper wrote that even 45 RN was a poor stopper. Fact is no handgun is all that great. That's why if you KNOW you going into a fight you take a rifle.

 

[TIMETRIPPER]

Being on a tight budget back in 1958 was a whole different thing than today. Credit was hard to get or non existent. I may have opted for an old 1917 and tricked it out to suite my needs. Maybe something like this:



It's the very first S&W revolver I've owned and was picked up at an estate sale about a half dozen years ago. I'm fairly certain it was once owned by a LEO possibly a Pa state trooper but have lost the chance to verify it. There was also a police style holster rig with several 45 AR rounds in the loops up for bid at the sale but I had stepped out when it came up.
Anyway the owner certainly tweaked it to suit his fancy. It's a good shooter and the modifications to the sights are an improvement over the original setup. 45 ACP has always been available and inexpensive and the moon clips are a fast reload. Certainly an effective and affordable option at the time.

John

 

[Old TexMex]

Numerous mentions of whether we are in 1958 with our current info or we are simply living in 1958. Yes, makes a big difference. It's just a game so lets assume you know what you know now but are limited to what was available in 1958.

Fact is no handgun is all that great. That's why if you KNOW you going into a fight you take a rifle.

In that case, I'll have a RM in 4", and 100% with you regarding a rifle. I'll take the Winchester 94 in 30-30.

 

[lawandorder]

I agree with Iggy...........

......this 38-44 HD would have worked just fine for me during the circumstances described.
Plus there were quite a few fellows wearing big round hats around these parts carrying the same thing.

 

[trooper2899]

Not good for an agency to be armed with an assortment of different firearms (training and sharing weapons and ammo require uniformity) No one rides around all day in a car except maybe a guy with stars and bars oak leaf clusters etc. most are frequently in and out if responding to calls and writing yellow birds to the public - I carried a 28 and couldn't get rid of it fast enough its like a Boat Anchor to carry...enter Gaston Glock to the rescue (1st 5000 plus agency to go to Glock) If U fire the PPC course with a 28 prone kneeling etc from 7 to 50 yds plus weak hand shooting BIG workout.

 

[Tom Kent]

I started later than that, 1972, and model 19s were issued to us. In keeping with this story line, (and it's a good one) I would go with a 4" model 28 loaded with 158gn SWCs which were the defensive loads of that time. Back then you could still buy partial boxes of ammunition so I would have a half box of those as my carry rounds.

 

[Jackcpat]

Just for fun

I would also have to go with the a 4 inch Combat Magnum, or a Highway Patrolman in the same barrel length. Loaded with .357 148 or 158 gr. (since a 1911 was not an option)

 

[BUFF]

"Not good for an agency to be armed with an assortment of different firearms (training and sharing weapons and ammo require uniformity)"

Documented cases of officers needing to exchange ammo in a gunfight are rare. I can't think of one off hand. I know that if I am in a shootout, and another officer has fired up all his ammo without solving the problem, I am sure not going to give him any of my small, on-body supply so he can piss it away too!

As for department logistics, it just depends on how much an administration values individual proficiency with the handgun. No single handgun fits everybody. People who have a choice in what they carry tend to shoot it better than a gun they were issued and may not like. The department I retired from had about 450 armed. We elected a sheriff who listened to his deputies about guns and went from a .38/.357 only agency to one that allows 9mm, .40 S&W, 10mm, 357 Sig, .45 ACP, and .380 and .38 Special for back-up and off-duty. A deputy can choose from several issue handguns or provide his own from a fairly long list.

It takes a range and armorer staff, backed by an administration dedicated to this to make it work, but if my department can make it work, I believe any department could. If a department needs 50,000 rounds a year, divided between duty and practice/training ammo, buying it on state bid, it doesn't cost much different if it is all 9mm or split up between 6 calibers.

At least, in our scenario here, in 1958, the choices were much more limited. We are a lot better off now.

 

[Art Doc]

NOW police departments are obsessed with uniformity. But back in the 1960s and earlier, especially in smaller jurisdictions and departments, you would see a wide variety of handguns in holsters.

 

[Muley Gil]

Here, here, Buff! My thoughts exactly.

My department had about 125 sworn officers. We were allowed to use ANY quality handgun that was .38, 9mm or LARGER. I usually carried a .44 Special, .45 Colt or .45 ACP-revolver or semi. Other officers had .357s, .40 S&W, .41 Magnums and .44 Magnums. One detective even carried a .380 on duty.

During qualifications, .38 special, 9mm Luger, .40 S&W and .45 ACP was provided. If you wanted to qual with anything else, you brought your own.

Never had a problem.

 

[Hand Cannon]

I was a Deputy Sheriff in Texas for 17 years. Given the guns available at the time I'd pick a .44 Special (with a 5" barrel if available). I carried a 44 Magnum model 629 with a Magnaported 4" barrel for 1 year. That's simply too much gun to be shooting where other people might be somewhere behind your target. After one round with no hearing protection all you'd hear was a ringing in you ears. The 44 Special was a lot like today's .45 Long Colt. Those big, 240 grain .429" bullets loaded down would do as much damage, and in most cases more, than the other handguns of the day. Plus, unlike the 44 Magnum, with practice you could get off a quick double tap into a bad guy. Handgun bullets only damage what they hit - there is not destroyed tissue from the temporary cavitation or hydrostatic shock you see from a high velocity rifle round.

 

[Lt JL]

No doubt here. I'd have a 6" Model 28, in a Bucheimer swivel holster. I'm surprised nobody mentioned swivel above. a 6" N frame,and a double dump pouch, and cuffs, without a taser, portable radio, OC spray, Asp, body cam, glove pouch, and second pair of cuffs, is still going to give me a lighter belt.

 

[Muley Gil]

"Plus, unlike the 44 Magnum, with practice you could get off a quick double tap into a bad guy."

Skeeter Skelton tried the .44 Magnum as a duty weapon and went back to the .44 Special.

"I'm surprised nobody mentioned swivel above."

I did back in post # 29.

 

[tommy F]

My top choice would be the M1917 w half moons followed by any 4" SW 38/357 loaded with full hand loaded wadcutters at 850-900fps as I was not fully educated on the 1911 45

 

[A10]

Four or six inch Highway Patrolman. If I buy my own ammo, 158 grain soft points. Magna grips and a T grip. If I wanna go fancy, jigged bone magnas. A paif of cuffs, a sap, two dump pouches, and a riot baton. A Model 12 Winchester n a scabbard in front of the seat.