S&W Model 28-2, “Highway Patrolman,” 4 inch. Classic “N” frame, .357 magnum, unpolished blued, used by local and state police. In production 1954-1986. Stocks by Ahrends. Extreme duty fixed U-notch rear and front sight by Cylinder & Slide.
S&W Model 66-2. Classic “K” frame, .357 magnum, 2.5 inch stainless, introduced in 1982. In service with the Department of Treasury, including U. S. Secret Service, Customs Service, and ATF. Stocks by Ahrends.
Now own, and carried two just like that in the 1980s as a LEO !
Except – I only wish the C&S sight had been available back then.
Steven
Reminds me of my S&W Model 15. I have the same Ahrends Grips on it as your Model 27. The Model 15 was my first issue revolver in both the Air Force and my current department. Neither of them had the action that mine does now however.
The Model 15 is pure one hole accuracy! IRS-CID carried them before they went to Sig. (Now they carry Glock in .40).
So if we carried a .45 Colt S&W 25-5 4″ for a lot of years as a duty gun (The Hebrew Hammer), we are now filed as “retro” or “classic”. If the gray goatee wasn’t bad enough, I really feel old now. I love big bore revolvers and did a lot of bad guy interaction with them. I also liked that even the crooks understood. We would get gang-bangers out from L.A. who always commented on our “N” frame guns compared the med frame .38/.357’s found in Los Angeles. We always added to this when they asked if they were “Forty-fours” and we said “No, they’re bigger”. Combined with triple speed-loader cases that looked like they had tomato paste cans in them added to the allure of these guns. The “Hebrew Hammer” and my Sap were two pieces of very effective crook stopping stuff that I missed as we “modernized”. These were times when we actually had Flash-Bang Grenades as opposed to Noise/Flash Distraction devices……ahhh, the good old days.
Darryl, what’s amazing to me is that for the most part we are talking about 30-40 year old revolvers which served well back in the day, can still be bought in pristine condition (ouch on the prices), have held up extraordinarily well with the passage of time, and they remain formidable carry guns and fun shooters (maybe with a little bit of clean up and spring replacement). Hat tip to Smith & Wesson. Now, that 25-5 is quite something, bet you wish you still had it (if you don’t).
I had sold it to a police cadet to take through the academy with the caveat that he had to sell it back to me if he ever wanted to sell it. Just before I left California, I got a call from a police Lt. from a large SoCal city. He heard I retired and was moving out of state and sold it back to me……..with the caveat that he gets it back if I ever want to get rid of it. It has seen a lot of service as a “first duty gun”.
Outstanding wheelguns! I started LE in my early ’30s just after my department went from 6-in. Ruger Service Six to P85 9mms, but several carried long-barreled N-frames in .357s for jump outs when I went to Narcotics in ’95.
Those hoglegs caught the attention and imagination of our target audience. We had an unwritten “no .44 Magnum” policy, so I made do with an 870, which also brought compliance.
Sometimes carry my no-dash 4-in. M57 off duty,and fixing to get state carry permit so I can pack my 23-year-old 629 Mountain Gun and other exotics on my time.
BTW, Mr. Henckel, bet you were thrilled as me to be issued M-15 w 130-grain ball to fend off folks who might be toting AKs! I wasn’t AP, but they always loaded a case of M-15s into the tanker for us for ORIs or deployments at temporary DETs.
Dan
130gr. Ball didn’t give me warm fuzzies, but an M-16 or an M-60 helped…….
My first gun was a Model 28. 24 years later I still regret selling it.