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Cure for Shooting Boredom :)

I guess, like everything else, the price of revolvers has gone up. While in the Army I had a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 Mag. I sold it for a profit after having it less than two years rather than bring it back to Michigan when I got out in 1965. My brother and I went to a gun store in Garden City, Mich and he bought a S&W Highway Patrolman in .357 Mag. For $118.00 and I bought a Colt Python in blue finish and 6.5 inch barrel. He thought it was too damned expensive at $132.00 I gave it to our grandson a couple years ago after seeing one with a $3,000.00 price tag at Cabela’s. He sold his for a small profit after just a few years.
 
The M28 Highway Patrolman revolvers were the best. Like an M27 but without the target hammer and trigger and a lower grade finish. I actually prefer the combat trigger which is narrower and the smaller hammer spur of the M28. Likewise I prefer the sort of matte blue of the 28 over the high gloss. The first handgun I bought in the first week after I turned 21 was a Highway Patrolman.
 
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AccelR8 said:
The M28 Highway Patrolman revolvers were the best. Like an M27 but without the target hammer and trigger and a lower grade finish. I actually prefer the combat trigger which is narrower and the smaller hammer spur of the M28. Likewise I prefer the sort of matte blue of the 28 over the high gloss. The first handgun I bought in the first week after I turned 21 was a Highway Patrolman.
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I picked up several of these over the years with the intent of shooting them and got busy doing other things that seemed important at the moment. Now I hate to shoot them, that 28 from the early 70s is I think unfired and the only blemish is where the bottom of the left grip has rubbed on the box. I shoot the ones in the first picture but these things in the boxes are kinda like a $5 donut, to expensive to eat and not good for anything else....... John
 
Nice!

Compare jcm800's presentation case to the one I got with this new 29. The new one eliminates the box finger joints and uses miters. The new one has a piece of some kind of fabric just loosely laid over and tucked in around an insert. I haven't pulled it apart to look but through the fabric it feels like the insert might be routed wood. It has the cavities for the screwdriver, bore mop and cleaning rod. The fabric has a very cheap plastic feel to it, but I bet it was chosen for oil resistance.

Just noting the differences, not complaining really. I guess it's just the way we do things now as opposed to the past. "They don't make 'em like they used to."

This outfit also included a plastic case which is nicer than, upgraded from, the plastic cases they supplied with the revolvers 20 years ago, which is the last time I bought a S&W revolver.
 
farmerjohn said:
I picked up several of these over the years with the intent of shooting them and got busy doing other things that seemed important at the moment. Now I hate to shoot them, that 28 from the early 70s is I think unfired and the only blemish is where the bottom of the left grip has rubbed on the box. I shoot the ones in the first picture but these things in the boxes are kinda like a $5 donut, to expensive to eat and not good for anything else....... John
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Some people are paying big bucks for 28's these days.

When I got this 29 I bought it with the intention of using it but when I got it home and looked it over, I thought I should keep it unfired as a collector's piece/investment item. But that thought lasted about ten minutes. While I don't mistreat my guns I do use them. I don't worry too much about that. For example this one came to me with a drag line from the cylinder stop riding on the cylinder all the way around, 360 degrees, from being handled in the gun shop. I've known guys who would freak out at that and say it's been mis-handled but to me it's not even an issue. I mean, this gun isn't THAT special!

It's like, I don't know, a pretty cake maybe. Sure it's nice to look at, artistic and all that but it's purpose ultimately is to be eaten. If it's kept just to look at it is not fulfilling its ultimate purpose. Does that make sense?

edit to add; however today if I did have an unfired M28 I think I would probably keep it unfired :)
 
I appriciate the guys that save their safe queens for me to buy from their estate. Unless you have something ultra rare / valuable there is no harm in lightly useing them. Your spouse / kids will likely give them away anyways when your time comes....
 
AccelR8 said:
Some people are paying big bucks for 28's these days.

When I got this 29 I bought it with the intention of using it but when I got it home and looked it over, I thought I should keep it unfired as a collector's piece/investment item. But that thought lasted about ten minutes. While I don't mistreat my guns I do use them. I don't worry too much about that. For example this one came to me with a drag line from the cylinder stop riding on the cylinder all the way around, 360 degrees, from being handled in the gun shop. I've known guys who would freak out at that and say it's been mis-handled but to me it's not even an issue. I mean, this gun isn't THAT special!

It's like, I don't know, a pretty cake maybe. Sure it's nice to look at, artistic and all that but it's purpose ultimately is to be eaten. If it's kept just to look at it is not fulfilling its ultimate purpose. Does that make sense?

edit to add; however today if I did have an unfired M28 I think I would probably keep it unfired :)
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That's the reason it's still in the box, that and the fact IMHO that the 5 and 686s are far better strength and accuracy wise. I probably shoot my old 6" mod 57 with 9gr of unique and a 215gr cast bullet more than any, then the colt with 8gr and 250gr cast. I also love my 4" K38 and wadcutters. But for outside carry around the farm it's always a 4" 686 with 8gr and the 170gr Keith.... John
 
I've never owned a 586 or 686. At one time I wanted one of those Lew Horton 3" 686s but my wife at the time was not on board with it so I let it go. If one came up used today I'd grab it if the price was reasonable. I don't want one of the new ones,

For the time being I could say, my 686 is a GP100! I bought the first GP100 I ever saw.
 
Try to find a real M29...with firing pin on hammer, recessed cylinder and pinned barrel. Be prepared to examine it closely for need to repair. Ones shot a lot with hot loads do develop curable issues. Great gun overall.
 
biggun2869 said:
Buy a 57 or 657 in .41 Mag. I own both .357 and .44 mag but this is by FAR! favorite. Mine are a 6" light bbl and a 8 3/8 heavy. You'll be amazed by basically the same power at a LOT! less recoil.
Please do not respond unless you have experienced both and actually have an opinion.Gary
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I started with a 4: nickel model 57. Sent it back to S&W for a 6" Barrel.. while there had them strip the nickel and blue it. Then it got cut to a 5". Carried that gun for many years as a Deputy Sherriff. I then picked up a 657, 6" full under lug barrel. Cut that barrel to 5". Then got another 6" full lug gun with a scope on it.
Then received a 6" light barrel from a friends estate. I carry that gun in a chest rig while Elk hunting now.
Was at a Gun show this past weekend. Saw a 657 6" light barrel. Was asking $1700.00 for it. Didn't bring it home!
 
AccelR8 said:
Two front sights I can see pretty well primarily because of the orange color. On the right, a layer of florescent orange nail polish over a layer of white. On the left, one I did with files back in the early 1980's using a liquid sight insert kit from Brownells. The sight was originally a plain black serrated ramp. I filed the notch with a triangle file, scratched in the grooves with a thread gauge matching the spacing of the little grooves, then cut the grooves first with a knife-edge needle file and then finished them with a triangle needle file. I see in this pic, they've taken a little beating since then. Held up well though over the years.
View attachment 1435480

In terms of my eyes, I remember doing that insert with simply the issued eyeballs, no magnification. There is no way I could do that today. In my early 20's I tried scoping a revolver but found I could not shoot it any better than I could the iron sights. Might be time to revisit that. Today, I can sure shoot a red dot sighted 22 pistol way better than I can the same open sighted pistol.
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AccelR8 -

Howdy !.

I am fond of "N"-frame 357Mags, also. I gravitate towards the square butt, pinned barrel; recessed cylinder ones.

While I loved my 6" M-28, and even more so the superb 5" M-27; both were a tad long for easy concealed carry.

What I did was go full custom, to have ( 2 ) heavy-handed .357Mag "N's made.
My 'smith was Dave Schwarze of Ft. Wayne, IN. I wanted to go w/ a fixed-rate frame, and for the first gun; I used a M-58 that was re-bored to accept a .357" cal barrel. Schwarze also installed a M-28 cylinder, smooth combat trigger, and did an action job. I completed the gun by installing a set of Herretts custom " Jordan Trooper " walnut stocks.

The gun shot well, but their way room for more barrel wt to help mitigate recoil even more.
I came across a former NYSP M-520, and took it to Schwarze also. For this gun, he went w/ a full bull Douglas 4" barrel, used the stock .357Mag cylinder, bobbed the hammer, installed a smooth combat trigger, did an action job; and machined the Rt side of the trigger guard down to about 1/2 width; ala' the trigger guard on the Bill Jordan commemorative M-19.

When I contacted Herretts about stocks for the gun, they happened to have some Goncalo Alves there. I went w/ Jordan Troopers custom taylored to fit my hand. I had them mimic a speed loader recess that I had carved / sanded out on the stocks for the M-58 based gun; and their iteration of the Lt stock recess was even better. I had Schwarze send the gun out to be manganese phosphate coated.

For carry, I had Ken Null of Resaka, GA make me a custom strong-side ultra hi-ride leather holster, tanned using his " Oxblood " shade. Ken did a great job of giving me the muzzle fwd rake that I wanted, so that the draw comes from a straight fore arm..... wrist.... gun barrel axis. The gun's cylinder is positioned above the upper belt line.

The custom M-520 has the balance of a 5" -27, and that robust fixed sight frame configuration. It's my carry gun, for today.


With regards,
357Mag
 
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