Working Guns

[kraigwy]

My grandfather, (long gone now) was kind of a rowdy kid, his mother couldnt handle him, so at 12 he was sent to work the ranches. His father, my great grandfather gave him this Smith Model 3 in 44 Russian.

He worked on ranches until he moved to prospecting, from Canada (where my father & uncle were born) to Central America ( where two of my aunts were born). He carried this revolver on his ventures until he got laid up with a stroke in the early 60s. Sometime in the past he wacked off the barrel a bit saying it wasn't too handy for a saddle gun.

The revolver was passed to my father until he passed on in '86. Another wild fellow that never was impressed that his son (me) ended up in LE. ( I think he told people I played piano in a whore house or something).

Anyway I got the revolver now and it will go to my oldest, and then his oldest son.

This one dosnt have the history the 44 Russian does, but it has a start, I was issued this Model 28 when I hired on APD in Mar '74. When I retired in '94 the Dept let me keep the revolver. It shows some holster wear from the Hoyt Holster, but its still sound. Heck of a shooter, even with the heaviest loads. Like most cops I wasnt involved in many shoot outs but this heavy pistol loaded with 357 LSWCs was handy dispatching several moose after Vehicle - Moose disputes.

Hope my boys keep it in the family a while after I cross over.

 

[seattleM29]

oh my goodness--wonder what the car looked like after tangling with that moose. It's always a little unnerving driving in certain parts of WA and OR because of the Elk that sometimes jump out on the highways.

 

[rimfired]

K38 Masterpiece shipped 4/50. Barrel cut to 3 1/2". Dads gun he got from a Fed. agent.

 

[snw19_357]

My favorite Model 19. Dinged, pitted, scratched, and worn but still (almost) as tight as the day it left S&W.

 

[David LaPell]

Here is my old M & P .32-20 wearing a Wondersight. The aim of this gun is to take a ruffed grouse (already got a coyote last year).

My Smith 29-2, the ultimate backwoods carry gun. The picture makes the finish actually look a little better than it really is.

My latest is this old M & P that so far is one of the most accurate revolvers I have ever shot. I picked this up specifically for a NY Police & Fire Games service revolver match. (Has to be 4-inch and capable of shooting .38 Special). THe action was a bit tight and I found out the mainspring was nearly warped the wrong way. But this old timer, made in the late 1940's, absolutely just loves 158 grain SWC's and is now as smooth as silk internally. I took the old grips off (they are on that .32-20), these are a set of Audad's made by Grashorn Gunworks. They actually give me a little grip than the elk stags. Great for fast shooting with sweaty hands.

 

[rimfired]

How about a 1952 K-22 Combat Masterpiece? It works!

 

[Nedroe]

Working RM

This 5" RM started duty with the Evansville, IN., Board of Works & Public Safety in 1939. Originally a 4", it's been back to the factory 3 times between 1942 - 1952, once for a barrel. I've owned it the last 15 or so years. An outstanding shooter, smooth as glass.

 

[phenson]

This 1st Model 44 HE shipped to Simmons Hardware in July 1917. It may have been produced as far back as 1912 according to the serial number, however. Wish it could talk, looks like its done a little work in its time.

 

[LSP 972]

No, sorry, Roy Jinks, Smith & Wesson Historian.

Okay. I asked because Roy Guilfoyle is a retired LSP lieutenant who works for Dallas PD these days; thought you might have run across him.

I ran the LSP FTU for many years. I also know the fellow who actually started the "official" FTU in the late 60s. To the best of our knowledge, the state didn't purchase ANY handguns until 1978, which was the first year that the State Police began issuing duty sidearms. I was in that first-issue cadet class, and I still have the four inch and 2.5" M-66s that each of us were issued; I bought them when I retired. I'd post pics here if I knew how. Come to think of it, a pal in Texas has posted pics of those two 66s in another thread here, some time back

That said... there was a mechanism in place where a trooper could buy a handgun THROUGH the state, via a payroll deduction plan. The state fronted the cash and acquired the pistol, the trooper took delivery, and then paid it off bi-weekly. This was to help ease the burden of making the guys buy their own gear, but remember that general issue of firearms to US police didn't really catch on until the 70s.

This system was still in place when I hired on. Some guys would buy another pistol as soon as they paid off the current one, and kept a running tab, so to speak. Like most good things, it eventually went away.

Anyway... I doubt that your revolver will letter to LSP, except possibly through the payroll deduction plan mentioned earlier. If you do end up with the letter info, and it points to Louisiana State Police, let me know. I still work here, at the Crime Lab, and therefore can do some digging without a lot of hassle. There is a possibility that the records of who bought what still exist here.

.

 

[keith44spl]

Favorite Workin' Revolvers

These get their share of packin' & pointin' - .22s are king of the cowboys...

Su Amigo,
Dave

 

[TxShooter]

LSP972's Pair of LSP-issued M66s

 

[Smith357]

These old working guns hold my interest more than the pristine safe queens. If only they could talk what stories could they tell?

I just picked up an old working gun and though I have not put much wear on it myself I plan on using it as my regular hiking companion. There are no real dangerous predators in Ohio but there are a few snakes and the occasional feral dog.

22/32 Model of 1953 Kit Gun shipped in April 1954

 

[LSP 972]

Thanks, James.

The four-inch was carried every duty day and shot quite a bit for ten years, until we transitioned to semi-autos.

The "snubby" lived in my unit as a last-ditch weapon; I shot it for quals the first two years on the job, then quit bothering. I don't think it has had 500 rounds through it.

.

 

[TxShooter]

I picked these two up one different trips home from Australia. Found both of them while looking for a 4" 19 or 66. Maybe this time I'll have better luck finding a .357. I guess it's about time I took some better pictures of them.

The first is a 4" M15-3 Combat Masterpiece that shows quite a bit of holster wear. It has an odd mix of features for a duty gun. It has smooth football Targets, a pretty sharp target hammer, and the target trigger is just a shade wider than the guard. The hammer's just wide enough that several of my thumbbreak holsters won't snap over it. At some point I'll get around to replacing the trigger with a smooth "combat" or "Ranger" model. So much for the target features. The rear sight leaf has been rounded off and touched up with cold blue, like the one in Bill Jordan's "No Second Place Winner." The overtravel stop has been removed from the frame, which is understand was commonly done on service revolvers.

Up next is a Model of 1950 .38/44 Outdoorsman that someone chopped to 4" for holster use. It has its share of bluing wear and dings from carry. The original Patridge front sight was remounted (and needs to be redone again), though it was reshaped into a more of a ramp shape. It shoots fine, but begins to bind after 100 rounds or so. Hopefully it just needs a good internal cleaning. The timing needs to be corrected (stops just shy of full lockup if you cock it slowly) and the thumbpiece nut is missing. It isn't pretty and I wonder why somebody would go to that trouble when they could've just bought a 4" Combat Magnum, M&P, or Highway Patrolman, but I still find it interesting.

 

[Art Doc]

All of my guns are working guns. If not before I got them certainly after I got my grubby mitts on them.

But if I had to choose one to post on this topic, it would be this 357 Magnum that I acquired while living in Utah in the late 1990s. This is one weird pistol.

I lived in a small town up in the Utah mountains. There was a guy running a tiny gun shop set up in a 10x30 foot shed in the front yard of his rural home. I stopped by one day just for fun and he had about 40 Model 19s (4") in the glass display case. He had bought out all the revolvers the Carbon County Sheriffs Dept. sold as surplus after switching to Glocks. Way in the back of the four rows of 19s sat this N frame, sticking out like a sore thumb. He had all the guns tagged at $275, including the N frame.

I snatched it from his hand as quickly as I could.

No idea why the CCSO had it. Not a service weapon for them. The UHP carried 3.5" Magnums but not them. May have been confiscated and used for service. Don't know. Serial would suggest an early 1955 date but letter shows March of 1957. Also, the S138,000 serial should make it a 5 screw model but it has a 4 screw frame. Name and 1960 date written in pencil under one stock but he was not with the CCSO according to their records. No clue as to who he was.

Gun has been carried a lot. Much holster wear and original stocks show damage consistent with police carry (right stock all beat to Hell).

This gun has perhaps the smoothest action of any revolver I have ever tried. Feels like about an 8 pound DA pull that's like glass rollers on greased runners. Somebody who really knew what he was doing slicked up this gun.

I have shot it a lot and packed it many times. I could easily live with it as my only handgun if I had to choose one. I wish it could talk and tell me its story.

 

[Dave T]

Great gun and great story Saxon!

TxShooter,

If you are tired of that nasty ol' Outdoorsman I'd be intersted in taking it off your hands. I have a growing interest in cut down N-frames and that one appeals to my twisted new taste in revolvers.

Dave

 

[Muley Gil]

"That said... there was a mechanism in place where a trooper could buy a handgun THROUGH the state, via a payroll deduction plan. The state fronted the cash and acquired the pistol, the trooper took delivery, and then paid it off bi-weekly. This was to help ease the burden of making the guys buy their own gear, but remember that general issue of firearms to US police didn't really catch on until the 70s.

This system was still in place when I hired on. Some guys would buy another pistol as soon as they paid off the current one, and kept a running tab, so to speak. Like most good things, it eventually went away."

My city police department did the exact same thing. For awhile, they even did it without taxes. $10 a payday was a niceway to get guns.

I bought a M28, a M19, a M25-5, and a M24-3 thataway. Unfortunately, all were sold or given to ex-wives (the M19). Luckily, I managed to buy back the M25-5 in '07.

 

[TxShooter]

Great gun and great story Saxon!

TxShooter,

If you are tired of that nasty ol' Outdoorsman I'd be intersted in taking it off your hands. I have a growing interest in cut down N-frames and that one appeals to my twisted new taste in revolvers.

Dave

Dave, I'll keep that in mind. I don't have any solid plans on what to do with it. Technically I could qualify with it, not that I would. Our regs require at least a 6 shot .38 with a minimum 2 1/2" and maximum 6" barrel.

 

[rayb]

Two working heavy Duty models

Deputy Sheriff (Texas) HD ca 1955

Police revolver (Texas town), also 1955, different geographical use. Knives not related to revolver.

rayb

 

[roaddog28]

Hi,
Here is my M&P 4 inch production 1954. Classic working mans gun.

Thanks,
roaddog28