Cool story and gun. Be sure to stay from the 210 gr JSPs at 1300 fps this time around.
Why do you recommend staying away from 210gr JSP?
Ultimate police revolver ( Mod 58 )
- Thread starter lowriderfxr
- Start date
Why do you recommend staying away from 210gr JSP?
The 1300fps load was for hunting. Shooting those with PC magna grips that came on the gun was just plain nasty.
It's a good cartridge if you change the grips or shoot them in a Model 57 with appropriate grips.
I used the 210 JHP with Elmer's load and got along just fine.
I dug this one out of the radio in the dash of a 78 Ford Bronco and made a tie tack out of it.
It's a good cartridge if you change the grips or shoot them in a Model 57 with appropriate grips.
I used the 210 JHP with Elmer's load and got along just fine.
I dug this one out of the radio in the dash of a 78 Ford Bronco and made a tie tack out of it.
shotgun693
Member
I started my career in '77. One of our Officers carried a 58 but with Police loads, he wasn't a great shot but the gun served him well.
That Officer was in a shooting in about '78. No one was hit but, when the bad guy was in Booking they noticed his shirt was torn. They opened his shirt and across the bad guys chest was a straight line, the skin was just marked with just the slightest bruise along that line. You don't get closer than that.
That Officer was in a shooting in about '78. No one was hit but, when the bad guy was in Booking they noticed his shirt was torn. They opened his shirt and across the bad guys chest was a straight line, the skin was just marked with just the slightest bruise along that line. You don't get closer than that.
Frank V
Member
loriderfxr
Nice grab. What you experienced is probably one of the things that doomed the 58 for Police?
For a time I carried a S&W 4" 29, till we were mandated a .357, but I sure didn't carry full house .44 Mag loads.
Nice grab. What you experienced is probably one of the things that doomed the 58 for Police?
For a time I carried a S&W 4" 29, till we were mandated a .357, but I sure didn't carry full house .44 Mag loads.
03clyde
Member
I bought an "S" version from my dad back in 1968 and thought it would be the perfect duty carry. My old agency allowed the caliber but the cost for 3-4 visits per year to the range with 3 practice PPC courses and one final PPC for the record each visit put a deep hole in this, then young, Trooper's bank account. I sold it less than two years later.
BigBill
Absent Comrade
It's practice, practice, practice and more practice. My problem in the beginning was I brought too many handguns at one-time to shoot I really never mastered one till I focused on shooting one handgun at a time till I became accurate with it. I hammered the 357 python first. The 44mag was next. Soon after I could shoot accurately with any handgun. But I can run a 25lb / 100cc chainsaw all day, pick up 400lb parts on the machine. I ccw a 44mag over three decades+++. I'm a different breed. I like the s&w m58 it's well balanced and has the power.
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SuperMan
Member
Shortly after I stated at NW Patrol in Dallas in 1977 the guy who had the locker next to mine shot a robber with his 58. It was loaded with his handloads which was a JHP bullet, probably Hornady, and a moderate amount of powder. They were between two brick building and the bullet passed through the guy and took a large chip out of one of the bricks...
The officer later went on to the Secret Service....
Bob
The officer later went on to the Secret Service....
Bob
My model 58 war story...
Spring of 1973 I was riding a patrol unit in the SE side of
town in a major Texas city.
There was an "Oldhead" copper (I was 20) that rode the beat next to
mine. A quite guy at roll-call, rode by himself, liked
by the brass.. solid lawman.
The Dirty Harry craze was in full swing and we had to order
our 29's by departmental letterhead. As I was turning in my letter
he asked if I was gonna spend that kind of dough ($289.00 IIRC)
on the 44mag.
Then I answered I was. He simply said..."Save your money and
get one of these."
Not being very gun-wise I asked what he was packin and
he said a 41 magnum. Told him never heard of it and I will go
with the 44mag..model 29.
Fast forward three weeks.
Hijackin drops in a neighborhood Mom & Pop grocery in my
beat. I arrive and enter.
Met with gunfire instantly.
I return fire with one round and the hijacker retreats about
halfway down the food aisle. I'm crouched behind a checkout
counter(where the bagger would be) with a civilian clerk
directly in front of me still behind the cash register.
He snaps off two more rounds as I hear a very loud gunshot.
The Oldhead as showed and entered the front door.
The hijacker was very tall plus had an afro the size of
a garbage can lid. Old copper could see his head above the
shelving lined him up and fired.
Three cans of creamed corn (Green Giant) then four boxes
of saltine crackers on the flipside....then the shooter.
He was down.
I worked Mexican Cantinas on Navigation Street and Telephone Road
as my extra jobs. Saved my rubles and bought a model 58 a few
months later.
Have not been without a 41 mag since.
Spring of 1973 I was riding a patrol unit in the SE side of
town in a major Texas city.
There was an "Oldhead" copper (I was 20) that rode the beat next to
mine. A quite guy at roll-call, rode by himself, liked
by the brass.. solid lawman.
The Dirty Harry craze was in full swing and we had to order
our 29's by departmental letterhead. As I was turning in my letter
he asked if I was gonna spend that kind of dough ($289.00 IIRC)
on the 44mag.
Then I answered I was. He simply said..."Save your money and
get one of these."
Not being very gun-wise I asked what he was packin and
he said a 41 magnum. Told him never heard of it and I will go
with the 44mag..model 29.
Fast forward three weeks.
Hijackin drops in a neighborhood Mom & Pop grocery in my
beat. I arrive and enter.
Met with gunfire instantly.
I return fire with one round and the hijacker retreats about
halfway down the food aisle. I'm crouched behind a checkout
counter(where the bagger would be) with a civilian clerk
directly in front of me still behind the cash register.
He snaps off two more rounds as I hear a very loud gunshot.
The Oldhead as showed and entered the front door.
The hijacker was very tall plus had an afro the size of
a garbage can lid. Old copper could see his head above the
shelving lined him up and fired.
Three cans of creamed corn (Green Giant) then four boxes
of saltine crackers on the flipside....then the shooter.
He was down.
I worked Mexican Cantinas on Navigation Street and Telephone Road
as my extra jobs. Saved my rubles and bought a model 58 a few
months later.
Have not been without a 41 mag since.
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Another facor that contributed to the demise of the 58 was that it came out in the era when departments were easing up on height requirements, and more women were applying for the Job. It was just too much gun for mini-cops to handle quickly.
flintsghost
Member
The problem with the 58 as a LEO revolver was that even the 210 lead at 900fps was too stout for most people and that was the supposed police load. If they had gotten it down to 820 fps or so, it would have been an ideal street holster gun. I have an old S series that I have had for years and love.
Doug M.
Member
It was an aficionado's gun. Most cops are not aficionados. While I find the 210 grain SWC to be pretty pleasant to shoot, that full bore hunting load is not, and it also sucks for LE use - not enough expansion. Quite often, the people who specify cop stuff don't know what they are doing, and specified the hunting load. Combine these three things, and the 58 had a lot going against it.
I carried it loaded with the Silvertips as a duty weapon, with 2 speedloaders more and a speedloader of the hunting load if things really went bad. I also qualified with the hunting load. I was not popular on the range that day - covered firing points made it boom. When I did my first LEOSA qual in late 2012, I did it with the Gold Dot hunting load. I made even more enemies, and it was no fun to shoot, either.
It was a great duty weapon, but only for dedicated cops who studied what they needed and could control what was loaded into it.
I carried it loaded with the Silvertips as a duty weapon, with 2 speedloaders more and a speedloader of the hunting load if things really went bad. I also qualified with the hunting load. I was not popular on the range that day - covered firing points made it boom. When I did my first LEOSA qual in late 2012, I did it with the Gold Dot hunting load. I made even more enemies, and it was no fun to shoot, either.
It was a great duty weapon, but only for dedicated cops who studied what they needed and could control what was loaded into it.
OP
This was a great story. I think the best part was that Howie felt obligated to tell us that the creamed corn was Green Giant brand. Hilarious!!!!
My 58 however my wife shoots it more than I do. The first time I was watching her out of the corner of my eye as she found the 158 grain lead semi wadcutter .38 specials wouldn't fit it undoubtedly thinking it was heavy barreled Model 10, being persistent she finally found the bullets that fit the cylinder loaded it up and enjoyed a couple cylinders full.
Gotta love her, she doesn't know what she doesn't know.
terry
Gotta love her, she doesn't know what she doesn't know.
terry
Frank V
Member
I am pretty fond of the .41 Mag. It really does deserve more popularity.
The M58 was built on the N frame. "S" prefix serial numbers started at the end of WW II. There were K frame .38 Military & Police revolvers with S prefixed serial numbers until March 1948.
All of the post WW II N frames (except for a few odd 1917s) had "S" prefixes up until 1969, when the N prefix came into being.
shadowscout10
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I think they are all awesome and experiences to boot.
jsfricks
Member
My model 58, still unfired by me. Grips are matching. Appears someone bought it and put it away.
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