Sgt. Joe Friday Dragnet Revolver

[dsf]

I am a boomer, as are many of my fellow SWCA Members. Here is a vintage photo of Jack Webb and LAPD Police Chief Parker. Chief Parker is handing a LAPD Badge and a snub nose Smith Revolver
and Detective's holster to the star of Dragnet.

Looking at that photo - Jack Webb has gone from being the old grown up on TV to a kid. How the hell did that happen ....

 

[usmc2427765]

It is my understanding that LAPD officers openly wept when word of his death reached the rank and file.

 

[Ameshawki]

Odd. Chief Parker was a known Colt aficionado.

 

[Absalom]

Odd. Chief Parker was a known Colt aficionado.

Yet, just as he became chief in 1950 the department started standardizing on the S&W K-38 Combat Masterpiece which remained regular issue all through his tenure and beyond.

 

[elm_creek_smith]

Sure glad they don't make holsters with exposed triggers anymore. They're really good for shooting yourself in the butt.

Yeah, right.

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

 

[loknload]

Just watched a movie circa 1948 called He Walks at Night. The movie is very early. type version of Dragnet. LA police officers were involved.
Richard Basehart played a very young bad guy and a young looking Jack Webb played a police lab technician.
This is where Webb struck up a conversation and friendship with one of the police advisers which lead to the Dragnet radio and television series.
Funny thing though I don't remember how the movie ended because I fell asleep!

 

[Richochet]

Just watched a movie circa 1948 called He Walks at Night. The movie is very early. type version of Dragnet. LA police officers were involved.
Richard Basehart played a very young bad guy and a young looking Jack Webb played a police lab technician.
This is where Webb struck up a conversation and friendship with one of the police advisers which lead to the Dragnet radio and television series.
Funny thing though I don't remember how the movie ended because I fell asleep!

Just finished watching He Walks at Night on Youtube. What a great movie! I can see where Jack Webb got alot of his ideas about the format for what became Dragnet. Thanks for mentioning this on my thread!

 

[Art Doc]

Just watched the episode where Friday shot the crook in the laundromat. At the hearing they identified the revolver as a S&W with a 6 digit serial and no prefix. I think 175804 or close to that. I assume just random numbers the writer made up.

 

[SG-688]

1755806 is the serial number of Friday's S&W in 1967 "Shooting Board."

The S&W pictures are from 357magster. Previous discussions have concluded the revolver is a mix-master & the serial number didn't fit.

Colt and Clark in the 1950's.

 

[Richochet]

I still get a chill listening to this !

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx5GwULPU90[/ame]

 

[crazyphil]

Here is my model 10-5 with 2" barrel & square butt, along with a few of
those scary exposed trigger holsters. Left to Right:

Ken Null's RSS (Revolver Super Speed) Grasshorn stocks and Puma Prince.

Lawrence 34V Special Agent pigskin outer & smooth cowhide inner.

Lewis snap-on, Culver belt.

Bianchi 5BH, Haugen belt, Puma knife.

Unmarked floral carved gift from my friend -db- with Sparks gunbelt
and Benchmade knife.

 

[MicaValley]

Jack Webb was also presented with one of the earliest pre-29 44 Magnums, S130714 with the 714 part of the serial number coinciding with his 714 badge number. This revolver was shipped to Webb on 2/29/1956 along with an early Model 39 also with the 714 in the serial number. Webb chose the number 714 to commemorate the 714 home runs Babe Ruth, Webb's boyhood baseball hero hit in his baseball career. I believe both the 44 Magnum and the Model 39 are still on display in the LA Police Academy, but I'm not certain of that. They were as late as 2012.
After a little research, here are Webb's personal guns as on exhibit in 2009 at the LAPD Police Academy,
Enjoy

I hate reviving an older post, but... I'm trying to find information on the guns that Jack Webb owned. I have a customer, whose father was a police officer in the LA area and apparently a friend of Mr. Webb. She has a Smith and Wesson, Model 12-2 that she claims was given to her father by Mr. Webb. I know, sounds too good to be true, but she's been completely reliable with other firearms that I've worked on disposing for her. I haven't contacted S&W to see if they have any documentation, but was thinking to start there. Any other places to check?

 

[Ruger 13]

I think both Jack Webb and Harry Morgan were anti gun!

 

[murphydog]

I hate reviving an older post, but... I'm trying to find information on the guns that Jack Webb owned. I have a customer, whose father was a police officer in the LA area and apparently a friend of Mr. Webb. She has a Smith and Wesson, Model 12-2 that she claims was given to her father by Mr. Webb. I know, sounds too good to be true, but she's been completely reliable with other firearms that I've worked on disposing for her. I haven't contacted S&W to see if they have any documentation, but was thinking to start there. Any other places to check?

Welcome!

Probably the only way to get any information about a specific gun is through the SWHF. See this page, it is the first of the two request forms:

Letter Process – Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation

It is possible (but unlikely) that if the gun in question was a special presentation that there is further documentation. Good luck in your search.

 

[PALADIN85020]

As many of you know, I'm very much a traditionalist. Seeing the police guns of the 50s and 60s as portrayed in "Dragnet" allows a wave of nostalgia to sweep over me. Along the way in my many years, I secured a couple of guns that mirror the police firearms of that era in time. I'm proud of them, and know that they could still provide a great measure of self-protection today.

John

 

[Absalom]

I have a customer, whose father was a police officer in the LA area and apparently a friend of Mr. Webb. She has a Smith and Wesson, Model 12-2 that she claims was given to her father by Mr. Webb.

I love this kind of detective work, but you're taking on a tough case

If there are no indications on the gun of anything special, chances are that the S&W history letter Alan pointed you toward will take you no farther than a distributor or possibly retailer where the factory shipped it. Whether there is any chance to trace it from there (if the place still exists) is highly questionable since you are not law enforcement.

Taking your customer's story at face value, Mr. Webb may have bought the gun, or he may have received it from someone else and passed it on to his friend the cop because he didn't need it.

I'm sure you want to get the lady the best price for her gun, but it's hard to envision that you can gather enough actual evidence that would ethically allow you to try to sell and price this gun based on its Jack Webb association.

 

[shocker]

Dragnet? Here's a spoof on the acting style... only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.
The Sopranos 3.09 - "My pizza never hurt nobody" - YouTube

 

[Baltimoreed11754]

Haven't seen Dragnet in forever. Always liked the crossdraw. Makes a lot of sense when riding in a vehicle. Liked Harry Morgan too.

 

[Buford57]

Watched two episodes from 1950 or 53 last night. Friday was shooting a 2" M&P and Frank Smith had a 5 or 6" Heavy Duty (or 1926 - I assumed a .38).

As an aside, back before facsimile machines were in every office I used an office supply store ($5 for the first page, $1 per additional page) whose cover page had a cartoon Joe Friday saying "Just the fax, Ma'am".

 

[sigp220.45]

Here's what he really wanted to carry.