Last minute Tulsa buy.

[Kansasgunner]

As we were packing up during the last few minutes of the Tulsa show last month I see a fellow toting what I thought was a stainless four inch N frame and carrying a for sale sign. Of course I asked to see it and once in hand I realized it wasn’t stainless, but a hard chromed 38/44 Heavy Duty. As I opened the cylinder I see Model 20 stamped on the frame. So after my initial shock that a very rare gun had been forever defiled I did the only rational thing and made a deal to take it home with me.
I decided to letter the old guy because you just don’t see model marked Model 20s very often. The last model marked Model 20 I had seen was several years before at a Charlotte Symposium and one of my friends now owns that one.
This Model 20 is one of a sixteen gun order for the Fort Smith PD and shipped in January 1964. Oh and the one my friend in Alabama bought at that Symposium several years ago turns out to also be from this same order.
The old boy is a fun shooter!

 

[stansdds]

During the time when these were not considered collectible, a person who had one and used it as a carry piece would have been inclined to have it hard chromed to cover a very worn and rusting blued finish. It was a tool, a fine tool, but a tool none the less.

 

[22hipower]

Nice one Tim, I too would have grabbed it in a heartbeat.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[SSGRock]

It was hard chromed and not reamed to .357 Magnum?

 

[gdogs]

Did it have the Spegels on it when you picked it up as well? If so, it would have been difficult for me to pass up.

 

[Kansasgunner]

Not reamed for .357 magnum and I had the Spegel boot grips in my wood box.