Highway Patrolman

shuvelrider · December 31, 2017, 08:04 PM

Attachment 106542

This is my no dash HP I alluded to in someone else's recent post, rather than hijacking I.ll post a new thread. The topic was about engraving and the value it may or may not bring to a gun. I had this "lettered", it left the factory sometime in 1955 with four others. Ordered by a hardware store in Portland OR, somehow it made it's way to Illinois where I bought it from a deceased relatives estate. Along the way it was engraved, I gave $300 for it in 2003. A real pleasure to shoot.https://scontent.fdet1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...b1&oe=5AF9D9D1

dahermit · December 31, 2017, 08:08 PM

"Invalid Attachment"

shuvelrider · December 31, 2017, 08:36 PM

Darn, I tried following the instructions. Gotta find a hosting site then, photobucket used to be a good thing.

https://scontent.fdet1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...b1&oe=5AF9D9D1

https://scontent.fdet1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...2b&oe=5ABD1189

shuvelrider · December 31, 2017, 09:08 PM

Figured it out for a solution

105kw · December 31, 2017, 09:30 PM

Pretty gun, very nice

SaxonPig · January 1, 2018, 05:37 PM

It is flashy.

Model12Win · January 1, 2018, 09:18 PM

Nice . 3 5 7 !!!

dahermit · January 2, 2018, 05:57 PM

A question: The "Highway Patrolman" was a Model 28, which had a less polished finish. The Model 27 had a high polish finish and was considered fancier than its plain-jane sister. Why would they engrave a Model 28 rather than a 27? Does it say, "Model 28" inside the frame or "Model 27"? Either way, that is one darned good looking gun.

shuvelrider · January 2, 2018, 09:53 PM

Model 28, actually pre-model 28. It has "Highway Patrolman" stamped on the right side of the barrel. The "why" will never be known, but it probably made sense to the owner at that time. You need to remember that firearms were not looked at, back then like they are now. I just consider it a nice piece from a different era of "firearm enthusiasm" .

CajunBass · January 3, 2018, 06:53 AM

Whoever did it, probably had the gun already. A lot of people back then didn't have but one gun, so if they wanted it engraved, they got it engraved. They never considered "collectors value" anymore than we'd think about the future collectors value of a Glock.

Another picture hosting site that seems to work pretty well is TinyPic. Not as easy to use as Photobucket, and there are adds, but it works in a pinch for this forum.

My 1954 Highway Patrolman. Rode hard and put up wet.

**Mike Irwin** · January 3, 2018, 08:37 AM

That actually looks like a pretty decent engraving job.

Whomever did it also didn't make the cardinal sin of engraving the area between the stop notches on the cylinder. Given that the cylinder bolt drags in that area (the drag line), engraving will eventually be damaged, as can the cylinder bolt.

That's always a dead give away when someone says that they have a "factory engraved" S&W.

If the drag line area is engraved, it's not by S&W.

kraigwy · January 3, 2018, 09:35 AM

Beautiful gun, The M-28 is my all time favorite revolver. I like mine better then my Model 27.

That might have something to do with carrying the Highway Patrolman for 20 year in law enforcement and it having been gifted to me when I retire. It was issued to me in March '74, new so I'm thinking it was made in 73 or there abouts.

Put down a lot of moose with these sucker.

shuvelrider · January 3, 2018, 10:07 PM

Cajun Bass, I'll trade you grips

It might have been someones prized possession, hopefully the owner enjoyed using it back then. I'll never know how many people owned since it, from when it was shipped to Oregon originally.

James K · January 3, 2018, 10:36 PM

Thar is a very good engraving job. The only thing I see that says it is not factory is the reddish finish on the cylinder, the result of the hardened cylinder not taking the normal commercial blue. The factory would have used the same process it used in the original bluing (S&W keeps that close to the vest) to give a uniform finish.

That style and type of engraving should add around $2000 to the value of the gun, IMHO.

Jim

Viper225 · January 4, 2018, 01:52 AM

In 1974 when I first got into law enforcement I picked up a commercial Browning Hi Power. Accuracy was terrible, and it would not feed anything that did not look like ball ammo. I owned it less than a month and traded it for a new 4" model 28. It was one of the most accurate handguns I have ever owned. A friend of mine still owns it.

That is some very impressive engraving.

Bob R

Model12Win · January 4, 2018, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kraigwy

Beautiful gun, The M-28 is my all time favorite revolver. I like mine better then my Model 27.

That might have something to do with carrying the Highway Patrolman for 20 year in law enforcement and it having been gifted to me when I retire. It was issued to me in March '74, new so I'm thinking it was made in 73 or there abouts.

Put down a lot of moose with these sucker.

That picture never gets old. BEAUT!!!

Hanshi · January 4, 2018, 05:58 PM

Those HPs - M28 - are among the finest revolvers ever built that the average guy can afford. There's no difference between the 28 & 27 except the M27 is prettier. I shoot my M28 more than I shoot the M27. I've owned a few 27s and an untold number of 28s. I do love that M28.

Top is my 5" M27. Bottom is my 6" M28.

CajunBass · January 5, 2018, 05:46 AM

Quote:

That picture never gets old. BEAUT!!!

Ain't that the truth! I tell you..that's what a handgun is supposed to look like.

shuvelrider · January 5, 2018, 06:26 AM

Lighting cast from the flash when pic was taken.

smee78 · January 5, 2018, 09:02 AM

Wow, that is a fine looking revolver you have there, I am jealous. I saw 4' HP for sale once and did not get it and regret passing on the deal, they are solid guns and are quality made.

oldscot3 · January 5, 2018, 09:11 AM

smee78 - look up to Wyosmith's post, here's your chance.

BTW in Texas we call those Barbeque guns. If you were a sheriff, you had to do a little politicing. You couldn't show up to the city July 4th BBQ wearing starched and pressed jeans, white shirt with pearl snaps, polished boots and a duty worn revolver. You put your engraved gun with fancy grips in your rig for those events. Not everything about yesterday was better, but I miss that certain kind civility from then. Ladies wore dresses, little hats and gloves to public events, lawmen wore engraved revolvers. Those were the days.

**Mike Irwin** · January 5, 2018, 10:08 AM

Reminder to everyone that there are no sales in the Handgun forums.

If you have someone to sell, please post it in the appropriate gunshow forum thread.

m&p45acp10+1 · January 5, 2018, 07:22 PM

That engraved gun is what the Texas Rangers call a "Bar-B-Q gun." It is a nice example of one I might add.

In explanation it meant that the gun was beyond being a daily carry. Typically brought out to be shown in a very flashy exotic rig holster, and belt that went along with his best suit. Special occasions like weddings, and the yearly barbacue would be a time it would be shown.

shuvelrider · January 5, 2018, 09:29 PM

I'll be keeping it for a few more years. Take it up to the range and shoot offhand at steel plate, makes the "polymer" shooters stop and stare

. I'm 54 and grew up with revolvers and shooting in a more old school style.

James K · January 7, 2018, 10:55 PM

I would say that that gun is well above the standards of what I know as a "barbeque gun", which generally has flashy but poor quality engraving (often done "across the river"), and a lot of silver or chrome plating.

Jim.

December 31, 2017, 08:04 PM	#1
shuvelrider Senior Member Join Date: October 2, 2011 Location: West Coast of Michigan Posts: 132	Highway Patrolman Attachment 106542 This is my no dash HP I alluded to in someone else's recent post, rather than hijacking I.ll post a new thread. The topic was about engraving and the value it may or may not bring to a gun. I had this "lettered", it left the factory sometime in 1955 with four others. Ordered by a hardware store in Portland OR, somehow it made it's way to Illinois where I bought it from a deceased relatives estate. Along the way it was engraved, I gave $300 for it in 2003. A real pleasure to shoot.https://scontent.fdet1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...b1&oe=5AF9D9D1 Last edited by shuvelrider; December 31, 2017 at 09:06 PM.

December 31, 2017, 08:36 PM	#3
shuvelrider Senior Member Join Date: October 2, 2011 Location: West Coast of Michigan Posts: 132	Darn, I tried following the instructions. Gotta find a hosting site then, photobucket used to be a good thing. https://scontent.fdet1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...b1&oe=5AF9D9D1 https://scontent.fdet1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...2b&oe=5ABD1189 Last edited by shuvelrider; December 31, 2017 at 10:32 PM.

January 3, 2018, 06:53 AM	#10
CajunBass Senior Member Join Date: May 6, 2005 Location: North Chesterfield, Virginia Posts: 4,767	Whoever did it, probably had the gun already. A lot of people back then didn't have but one gun, so if they wanted it engraved, they got it engraved. They never considered "collectors value" anymore than we'd think about the future collectors value of a Glock. Another picture hosting site that seems to work pretty well is TinyPic. Not as easy to use as Photobucket, and there are adds, but it works in a pinch for this forum. My 1954 Highway Patrolman. Rode hard and put up wet. __________________ For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)

January 3, 2018, 08:37 AM	#11
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,382	That actually looks like a pretty decent engraving job. Whomever did it also didn't make the cardinal sin of engraving the area between the stop notches on the cylinder. Given that the cylinder bolt drags in that area (the drag line), engraving will eventually be damaged, as can the cylinder bolt. That's always a dead give away when someone says that they have a "factory engraved" S&W. If the drag line area is engraved, it's not by S&W. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

January 3, 2018, 09:35 AM	#12
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	Beautiful gun, The M-28 is my all time favorite revolver. I like mine better then my Model 27. That might have something to do with carrying the Highway Patrolman for 20 year in law enforcement and it having been gifted to me when I retire. It was issued to me in March '74, new so I'm thinking it was made in 73 or there abouts. Put down a lot of moose with these sucker. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

December 31, 2017, 08:08 PM	#2
dahermit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2006 Location: South Central Michigan...near Posts: 6,501	"Invalid Attachment"

December 31, 2017, 09:08 PM	#4
shuvelrider Senior Member Join Date: October 2, 2011 Location: West Coast of Michigan Posts: 132	Figured it out for a solution

December 31, 2017, 09:30 PM	#5
105kw Senior Member Join Date: June 30, 2017 Location: Columbia Basin Washington Posts: 413	Pretty gun, very nice

January 1, 2018, 05:37 PM	#6
SaxonPig Senior Member Join Date: April 24, 2006 Posts: 1,900	It is flashy.

January 1, 2018, 09:18 PM	#7
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	Nice . 3 5 7 !!!

January 2, 2018, 05:57 PM	#8
dahermit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2006 Location: South Central Michigan...near Posts: 6,501	A question: The "Highway Patrolman" was a Model 28, which had a less polished finish. The Model 27 had a high polish finish and was considered fancier than its plain-jane sister. Why would they engrave a Model 28 rather than a 27? Does it say, "Model 28" inside the frame or "Model 27"? Either way, that is one darned good looking gun.

January 2, 2018, 09:53 PM	#9
shuvelrider Senior Member Join Date: October 2, 2011 Location: West Coast of Michigan Posts: 132	Model 28, actually pre-model 28. It has "Highway Patrolman" stamped on the right side of the barrel. The "why" will never be known, but it probably made sense to the owner at that time. You need to remember that firearms were not looked at, back then like they are now. I just consider it a nice piece from a different era of "firearm enthusiasm" .

January 3, 2018, 10:07 PM	#13
shuvelrider Senior Member Join Date: October 2, 2011 Location: West Coast of Michigan Posts: 132	Cajun Bass, I'll trade you grips It might have been someones prized possession, hopefully the owner enjoyed using it back then. I'll never know how many people owned since it, from when it was shipped to Oregon originally.

January 3, 2018, 10:36 PM	#14
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Thar is a very good engraving job. The only thing I see that says it is not factory is the reddish finish on the cylinder, the result of the hardened cylinder not taking the normal commercial blue. The factory would have used the same process it used in the original bluing (S&W keeps that close to the vest) to give a uniform finish. That style and type of engraving should add around $2000 to the value of the gun, IMHO. Jim

January 4, 2018, 01:52 AM	#15
Viper225 Senior Member Join Date: September 20, 2009 Location: SC Missouri Posts: 663	In 1974 when I first got into law enforcement I picked up a commercial Browning Hi Power. Accuracy was terrible, and it would not feed anything that did not look like ball ammo. I owned it less than a month and traded it for a new 4" model 28. It was one of the most accurate handguns I have ever owned. A friend of mine still owns it. That is some very impressive engraving. Bob R

January 4, 2018, 05:58 PM	#17
Hanshi Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2017 Posts: 239	Those HPs - M28 - are among the finest revolvers ever built that the average guy can afford. There's no difference between the 28 & 27 except the M27 is prettier. I shoot my M28 more than I shoot the M27. I've owned a few 27s and an untold number of 28s. I do love that M28. Top is my 5" M27. Bottom is my 6" M28.

January 5, 2018, 06:26 AM	#19
shuvelrider Senior Member Join Date: October 2, 2011 Location: West Coast of Michigan Posts: 132	Lighting cast from the flash when pic was taken.

January 5, 2018, 09:02 AM	#20
smee78 Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 2,918	Wow, that is a fine looking revolver you have there, I am jealous. I saw 4' HP for sale once and did not get it and regret passing on the deal, they are solid guns and are quality made. __________________ We know exactly where one cow with Mad-cow-disease is located, among the millions and millions of cows in America, but we haven't got a clue where thousands of illegal immigrants and terrorists are

January 5, 2018, 09:11 AM	#21
oldscot3 Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2007 Location: texas Posts: 997	smee78 - look up to Wyosmith's post, here's your chance. BTW in Texas we call those Barbeque guns. If you were a sheriff, you had to do a little politicing. You couldn't show up to the city July 4th BBQ wearing starched and pressed jeans, white shirt with pearl snaps, polished boots and a duty worn revolver. You put your engraved gun with fancy grips in your rig for those events. Not everything about yesterday was better, but I miss that certain kind civility from then. Ladies wore dresses, little hats and gloves to public events, lawmen wore engraved revolvers. Those were the days. Last edited by oldscot3; January 5, 2018 at 09:19 AM.

January 5, 2018, 10:08 AM	#22
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,382	Reminder to everyone that there are no sales in the Handgun forums. If you have someone to sell, please post it in the appropriate gunshow forum thread. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

January 5, 2018, 07:22 PM	#23
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	That engraved gun is what the Texas Rangers call a "Bar-B-Q gun." It is a nice example of one I might add. In explanation it meant that the gun was beyond being a daily carry. Typically brought out to be shown in a very flashy exotic rig holster, and belt that went along with his best suit. Special occasions like weddings, and the yearly barbacue would be a time it would be shown. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

January 5, 2018, 09:29 PM	#24
shuvelrider Senior Member Join Date: October 2, 2011 Location: West Coast of Michigan Posts: 132	I'll be keeping it for a few more years. Take it up to the range and shoot offhand at steel plate, makes the "polymer" shooters stop and stare. I'm 54 and grew up with revolvers and shooting in a more old school style.

January 7, 2018, 10:55 PM	#25
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	I would say that that gun is well above the standards of what I know as a "barbeque gun", which generally has flashy but poor quality engraving (often done "across the river"), and a lot of silver or chrome plating. Jim.