RM -vs- OD

[Dan M]

Last night I was sitting pondering the differences of the two. Any comments appreciated to help this Newbie learn

Personally I like the OD better

Dan

 

[Dan M]

Last night I was sitting pondering the differences of the two. Any comments appreciated to help this Newbie learn

Personally I like the OD better

Dan

 

[cgt4570]

I'll use the car annalogy again. It helps me get my simple mind around such things anyway. Look at the classic muscle cars with high performance badges versus their nearly identical plain-jane counterparts. The non-'sporty' version could be had with a large motor and for most people was more than enough car. It just didn't have the 'bragging rights' of the same car with high-performance badges. It also doesn't have quite the collector status today. It was the name you were paying for in many cases, not an extreme difference in performance or function. Terms like GT and SS in the later years were mostly marketing gimics.

A RM is a high performance small block. An OD is a huge big block without all the hype.
Both are very good at accomplishing the end result.

Just my take on things.
Chris

 

[bettis1]

Dan,

The guns themselves are essentially the same. The Outdoorsman was the target sighted version of the Heavy Duty which was a .38 caliber version of the large frame .44 Special. (Note: The first .44 Cal Hand Ejector on the large frame was the Triple Lock and all N frame guns since can be traced back to that beginning.)

The HD and OD were designed to fire the .38/44 Super Police, a high performance version of the .38 Special (a black powder round). The Registered Magnum was basically the same gun chambered for a slightly longer, higher pressure version of the Special known as the .357 Magnum. There are certainly differences in the two guns but they are primarily those of hand workmanship. If you will look at the hammers, the rib and the top strap I think that you will see the differences. The differences were enough to warrant a significant increase in the advertised retail price of the two. If I recall correctly, the Outdoorsman was selling for about $45-48 when the Registered Magnum was introduced at $60. In 1935 that was a huge price differential. Of course, part of that difference was to take care of the Registration process and to add to the "exclusivity" or the RM. The factory didn't anticipate just how popular the RM would become and consequently had to discontinue the Registration process. The Registered guns and the non-Registered guns at the end of production (at the beginning of WWII) were the same gun, but without the Reg. # on the frame.

Bob

 

[Guest]

The factory didn't anticipate just how popular the RM would become and consequently had to discontinue the Registration process.

Bob; I must agree with most of what you said but I think "what" became 'Popular' wasn't so much the Revolver but the new "Magnum" cartridge that it fired. Not everyone had access to the .38/44 Super Police cartridges and when the .357 Magnum was introduced it was available to "Everyone" and not limited to Police. Although, many of the early .357 guns - including the RMs - went to Police Agencies or Individual Officers.

I'm not old enough to remember the introduction of the RM but I do remember the days of the "Police ONLY" .38 Special +P+ loadings being 'sold' on the "Civilian Black Market". Any Officer with a good supply could make a good "Profit" selling these to Civilians; especially since most of them were getting them at no cost(read stealing them) from their Departments. The very same thing occurred when the Winchester "Black Talon"(aka: Black Felon) ammo was banned from sale to Civilians. Lots of Dealers stocked up on the ammo before the new boxes with - For LE ONLY - hit the Market and some of them Doubled or even Tripled the Price because of the "ban".

Mike

 

[cxm]

I think another factor was the fact quite a few departments considered the .357 Mag TOO powerful for police work and would not allow officers to carry the Magnum.

The HD and Outdoorsman on the other hand were "clearly marked .38 Special" and thus did not come under the magnum bans... yet allowing a cartridge not much less powerful than the .357 Mag.

The Magnum ban lasted well into the 1980s in some departments... NYC PD being one that comes to mind...

FWIW

Chuck

Originally posted by KKG:

The factory didn't anticipate just how popular the RM would become and consequently had to discontinue the Registration process.

Bob; I must agree with most of what you said but I think "what" became 'Popular' wasn't so much the Revolver but the new "Magnum" cartridge that it fired. Not everyone had access to the .38/44 Super Police cartridges and when the .357 Magnum was introduced it was available to "Everyone" and not limited to Police. Although, many of the early .357 guns - including the RMs - went to Police Agencies or Individual Officers.

I'm not old enough to remember the introduction of the RM but I do remember the days of the "Police ONLY" .38 Special +P+ loadings being 'sold' on the "Civilian Black Market". Any Officer with a good supply could make a good "Profit" selling these to Civilians; especially since most of them were getting them at no cost(read stealing them) from their Departments. The very same thing occurred when the Winchester "Black Talon"(aka: Black Felon) ammo was banned from sale to Civilians. Lots of Dealers stocked up on the ammo before the new boxes with - For LE ONLY - hit the Market and some of them Doubled or even Tripled the Price because of the "ban".

Mike

 

[Guest]

Originally posted by cxm:
I think another factor was the fact quite a few departments considered the .357 Mag TOO powerful for police work and would not allow officers to carry the Magnum.

The HD and Outdoorsman on the other hand were "clearly marked .38 Special" and thus did not come under the magnum bans... yet allowing a cartridge not much less powerful than the .357 Mag.

The Magnum ban lasted well into the 1980s in some departments... NYC PD being one that comes to mind...

FWIW

Chuck

Yes, the "<span class="ev_code_RED">No Magnums and No Hollow Points</span>" Policy was still around into the '70s and '80s! I once attended a County Council meeting on this "<span class="ev_code_RED">No Magnums AND No Hollow Points</span>" Policy and the Explanation that went 'on the record' came from the District Attorney and the State Attorney General who indicated the these 'Bullets" were too <span class="ev_code_RED">Deadly</span> to be used by Police Officers and Deputy Sheriffs!!! At this same time the State Patrol was issuing a .38 Special +P+ 110 grain Hollow Point which it seems was OKay for them to use. A number of Years later this round was finally dropped after a "Chase" that involved four of their Officers and several Deputies since the perp managed to out run them going into two different Counties. The Patrol Officers had fired many rounds from their moving vehicle in an attempt to stop this guy and failed. Finally, one of the Deputies ran him off the Freeway and a gun battle continued. The Troopers were doing most of the shooting and found their bullets were simply breaking up on the outside of the car! A couple of rounds from a Deputies .357 ended things. Of course, it might be noted that the fleeing vehicle was a 'stock' VW Beetle!

Those were the Days(Daze)!

Mike

 

[DHENRY]

I shoot both, and can best relate my preferences as follows:
The 38/44 Outdoorsman's revolver is probably the finest old target gun I ever shot. Lots of frame and cylinder heft, and a light, easy-to-point barrel. Virtually no recoil, and over-engineered in every aspect.
The Registered Magnum appeals to my sense of detail, with the fantastic hand-finishing that just isn't seen anymore. All the added 'punch' of the .357 cartridge kind of 'makes a statement' in an older revolver.
Which is better?
Can't say...After all, posthole diggers and power drills both do an excellent job when used properly!
Don