Highway Patrolman

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L]

A friend messaged me yesterday evening.  He wants to sell me a revolver.  It's a 1954 (or very early 1955) Smith and Wesson Highway Patrolman, pre model 28.  Unfortunately, someone nickeled the poor thing, and it doesn't have the original grips with it.

 

I'm still gonna meet him about it.  But it sure would have been nice if someone had just said "no" sometime in the past.  

 

The first picture is off the internet.  The second and third are allegedly actual photos of the gun for sale.  He got some 'splaining to do...

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

That nickel is enough to make this grown man cry.

 

I love the Highway Patrolman. It’s the first .357 I learned to shoot on and last year Dad passed it to me. Definitely a keeper. 

 

Maybe Doug Turnbull can restore its proper glory. 

[Catlow4697]

Buy it 

Use it 

Love it for what it is 

Lots of them were made 

If you want a collector piece look somewhere else

I have one with police dept. stamping on it  but it's still a great shooter

[Rye Miles #13621]

I say buy it, shoot it and enjoy it!

[July Smith]

Are we looking at three pictures of the same gun?  Top shows a N frame with a trigger shoe, nickel front sight and a black rear sight.  Bottom two pictures show a gun without a trigger shoe, black front sight and nickel rear sight. 

 

Also the third picture there is and "s" on the cylinder at about 10 o'clock.  If I remember correctly an "s" means a factory nickel gun.  If the serial number on the cylinder matches the frame it could be (unlikely) one of the very few and very rare nickel highway patrols S&W produced.  The more likely case is somebody took a nickel cylinder from a 27 and created a franken gun.  

[Alpo]

Top pic also shows a CCH hammer, while the bottom one is nickel.

 

 

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L]

24 minutes ago, July Smith said:

Are we looking at three pictures of the same gun?  Top shows a N frame with a trigger shoe, nickel front sight and a black rear sight.  Bottom two pictures show a gun without a trigger shoe, black front sight and nickel rear sight. 

 

Also the third picture there is and "s" on the cylinder at about 10 o'clock.  If I remember correctly an "s" means a factory nickel gun.  If the serial number on the cylinder matches the frame it could be (unlikely) one of the very few and very rare nickel highway patrols S&W produced.  The more likely case is somebody took a nickel cylinder from a 27 and created a franken gun.  

No.  The first picture is an internet image.  I just figured that out myself.  The second and third pictures are of the gun I'm supposed to look at later today.

 

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L]

"S" was the serial number prefix for the early Highway Patrolman revolver.  The cylinder matches the frame as to serial number.  A nickel hammer and trigger are a dead giveaway that it's not a factory nickel job.  

[July Smith]

4 minutes ago, LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L said:

No.  The first picture is an internet image.  I just figured that out myself.  The second and third pictures are of the gun I'm supposed to look at later today.

 

nvm.

[Shotgun Clay]

1 hour ago, July Smith said:

Are we looking at three pictures of the same gun?  Top shows a N frame with a trigger shoe, nickel front sight and a black rear sight.  Bottom two pictures show a gun without a trigger shoe, black front sight and nickel rear sight. 

 

Also the third picture there is and "s" on the cylinder at about 10 o'clock.  If I remember correctly an "s" means a factory nickel gun.  If the serial number on the cylinder matches the frame it could be (unlikely) one of the very few and very rare nickel highway patrols S&W produced.  The more likely case is somebody took a nickel cylinder from a 27 and created a franken gun.  

 The S prefix was used from the late 40's when the hammer block was added as a "safety" feature until 1968, when the N prefix began following the GCA.  If there is a star on the gun (probably bottom of the grip frame) that indicates it was re-nickeled at the factory.  I doubt that is the case, this one looks like it had the dog squeeze buffed out of it.

[Rex M Rugers #6621]

LawMan Mark , unless you are a purist , that ole Model 28 will probably shoot as well as a new-in-the-box collectors specimen.. I bought one off GunBroker some years ago that had been nickeled , and the hammer and trigger gold plated. Some of the nickel had flaked off ,it looked like hell , but still shot great. I got the hots for something else and either sold it or traded it off here on the SASS classifieds. I hope the new owner gets as much pleasure from it as I did.

Rex 

[Lawdog Dago Dom]

That was one of the first handguns dad taught me to shoot (after the Ruger MK .22 pistol). That was a lot of pistol to hold for a skinny, 10 year old kid!

 

But it was a great shooter then, and it still is now. You will not regret your purchase.

 

https://gunsinthenews.com/5-reasons-to-buy-a-smith-wesson-highway-patrolman/

[Utah Bob #35998]

Sweeeet!

 

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L]

I've already got a Model 28-2 made in 1968.  I was interested in the nickel one due to it being a 1954 manufacture. 

 

The rubber grips are no longer on this gun.  I replaced them with a set of Altamonts, and am watching for a pair of correct N frame S&W grips.

[Lawdog Dago Dom]

Date on the box is 1955.

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L]

Passed on buying it.

 

Grips were cracked, and non matching.

Nickel finish appeared to have been buffed, resulting in a wash board appearance on frame and side plate.

Nickel chipped or worn away on front of cylinder, and drop marks on barrel. 

Hammer and /or trigger would need replaced.  When pulled back to single action, the hammer could be pushed off with slight pressure from behind.  

 

I love old guns, and love shooting old guns, but I don't need another abused orphan at the moment.  

[Lawdog Dago Dom]

That's a shame. Few things worse than finding a once fine firearm that has been abused and neglected.

[Pat Riot]

3 hours ago, LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L said:

I've already got a Model 28-2 made in 1968.  I was interested in the nickel one due to it being a 1954 manufacture. 

 

The rubber grips are no longer on this gun.  I replaced them with a set of Altamonts, and am watching for a pair of correct N frame S&W grips.

That gun is HUGE! What is that, a 3" x 4' pallet? 

[punxsutawneypete]

7 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

I say buy it, shoot it and enjoy it!

 

That's exactly what I did with the nickeled Highway Patrolman I bought.  You can take it out and not have to worry about the collector value if it gets a scratch

[punxsutawneypete]

1 hour ago, LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L said:

Passed on buying it.

 

Grips were cracked, and non matching.

Nickel finish appeared to have been buffed, resulting in a wash board appearance on frame and side plate.

Nickel chipped or worn away on front of cylinder, and drop marks on barrel. 

Hammer and /or trigger would need replaced.  When pulled back to single action, the hammer could be pushed off with slight pressure from behind.  

 

I love old guns, and love shooting old guns, but I don't need another abused orphan at the moment.  

 

I can't disagree with your decision.  You held it in your hand.

[Major E A Sterner #12916]

On 9/24/2019 at 10:49 AM, Rex M Rugers #6621 said:

 I bought one off GunBroker some years ago that had been nickeled , and the hammer and trigger gold plated. Some of the nickel had flaked off ,it looked like hell , but still shot great. I got the hots for something else and either sold it or traded it off here on the SASS classifieds. I hope the new owner gets as much pleasure from it as I did.

Rex 

Rex, I'm the person you traded with, The gun has some finish issues, But with full magnum Federal Hydrashoks, I was able to put 6 rounds into 1 1/4 inch group at 25 yards. It's a shooter for sure. I am going to get the nickle(Thinking it's actually chrome plate) stripped off and get a proper blue finish done to it. I already swapped out the gold plated hammer and trigger.

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

LawMan Mark, good no-buy. 

 

I do love vintage S&W revolvers.