MODEL 27-2 FBI DUTY GUN OR OVERRUN?

[m4user]

Recently at the range a fellow shooter showed me his Model 27-2 5" which he inherited. He felt it was a FBI issued revolver however I feel that may be a stretch. I'm betting it is a -2 which was rebarrelled with an overrun FBI 34-84 commemorative barrel. If my research is correct, the FBI commemorative was issued in the 27-3 series and the side plate was engraved with the FBI logo. Additionally, the serial number should be FBIxxxx. Photos attached. Any thoughts from the experts?
All that said, it shot nice and I do like the 5" barrel.

 

[toroflow1]

Your bet is correct. Your 27 has a 1970 serial #, and the barrel 1984.

 

[s&wchad]

It's a 27-2 from around 1969-70 and the commemorative barrel is dated 1984. The barrel was probably purchased from GPC or Brownell's and added sometime after 1984.

 

[DR505]

Also, the FBI did not issue 5" barrels to agents. I always wondered why the '84 commemorative didn't come in a 3.5" barrel as those were the issue type. Yes, I know S&W had stopped making them, but for such a commemorative they could have made a run.

I have the commemorative S&W 27-3, the Glock 22, and the Remington 870, all available through the FBI Special Agents Association when they were first introduced. All have serial numbers that start FBIxxxx.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Recently at the range a fellow shooter showed me his Model 27-2 5" which he inherited. He felt it was a FBI issued revolver however I feel that may be a stretch. I'm betting it is a -2 which was rebarrelled with an overrun FBI 34-84 commemorative barrel. If my research is correct, the FBI commemorative was issued in the 27-3 series and the side plate was engraved with the FBI logo. Additionally, the serial number should be FBIxxxx. Photos attached. Any thoughts from the experts?
All that said, it shot nice and I do like the 5" barrel.

The gun picture is the FBI commemorative, not an issue gun. The engraving on the sideplate and on the barrel is exactly like on the the commemorative. The FBI did not mark their revolvers with any special badges, engravings, or other property markings.

 

[sigp220.45]

As pointed out that is a regular Model 27 with the 5” barrel from the 1984 Commemorative added. The Commemoratives all had FBI in the serial number and a big ol’ FBI seal on the sideplate.

I shoot mine - I like the smooth extra-thick magnas.

Model 27s could be carried as POWs (Personally Owned Weapon) but they weren’t issued guns. And even then the max barrel length was 4 inches, so most of the POWs were 3 1/2”.

When I went into the Bu in 1991 Colts were off the POW list but some were still grandfathered in. I knew one old boy who got in under the wire with a 4” Trooper. The only time I saw it was at the range - he actually carried a Model 36 (“five-shot” in BuSpeak), and kept the Colt in his ride.