CHP prototype GA-86T vis S&W model 68

Attached is a photo of a Ruger CHP marked GA-86T (on top), a S&W model 68, California Highway Patrol model, (in the middle) and a S&W model 19 California Highway Patrol commerative 1929-1979 (on the bottom). (The model 68 shown was an actual issued piece bought from an ex-CHP officer). All three guns are in my collection.

Since the Ruger was made about 1980 (correction - 1982) and is excactly like the S&W model 68, even to the 'CHP' stamp on the left side, and is not at all embellished like the commerative, I think it's clear that the Ruger 'CHP' is a contract prototype and not a commerative as has been suggested.
It is an example of a failed contract bid. S&W kept the CHP contract!



Terry T

Are the first two .38s or .357s?

Top two are .38 spl., the bottom one is .357 mag.
After the Newhall incident, the Dept. required only 38s. The problem was that they trained with 38 loads in the 357s (cost savings) and then carried 357 loads in the field. Durning the shootout, witnesses said that the officers seemed surprised at the recoil. 4 officers died that day.
Terry T

Sad, but I wonder how many LEAs were doing just the same? A great example of where "bottom line thinking" can get you. Dead. It don't get more "bottom" than that....

Mike,
The CHP learned a lot that day and have modified their training as a result. It was a heavy price to pay but they did learn from it. My son is a CHP officer. Other departments also took the lessons to heart

The officers were not using speed loaders.
You do what you practice - they found the dead officers with empty shells in their pockets because at the range they were required to pick up their empties.

Today they train under stress - are required to be able to make hits with all kinds of 'stuff' going off around them.
Today they carry S&W autos in 40 S&W with large cap. mags AND an AR in .223 along with the shotgun in their car.
Newhall was a turning point for LE training nation wide.

They did step 'back' to 38spl for a while but the CHP is more of an urban dept. than a rural dept. and I suspect that 357 mag. may have seemed to be a bit much - too much over penetration.
It's kind of hard to remember LE thinking in the '60s and early '70s but I think it had not changed much since the '30s. Newhall was a wakeup call. It took a few years to sort it all out including the switch to autos from revolvers.

The point of the post is the example of a failed contract prototype. Ruger was trying to break into the LE market. They had some success and a few notable failures such as this CHP prototype and the 5" 38spl Service Six made up in an attempt to get the contract for revolvers for the RCMP. Failure means very low production numbers. Just the 'prototypes' were made.
Terry T

Terry:
The GA86T in question is in the 155-76844 to 156-94382 sn range? If so, please PM the sn to me on that one as it will need to be documented in the reference. Have you received a letter from Ruger that verify the extra markings?
Thanks!
Chet15

Terry, I remember the mid-70s. I was a rural part-timer with the county and we had to buy our own service revolver (only revolvers). I got an OM Colt Trooper from a retiring deputy in another county and found that it was a .357 and we were required to carry .38s. Dept. allowed me to keep it but load with .38s only. Since we were in an area replete with moose, elk, bears, range cattle, and well-armed natives, I carried two speed loaders full of 158 gr. JSP .357s in the unit with me. But, like a good boy, I kept the Trooper full of lead 158 gr. roundnose .38 Spls.

(Fortunately I never had to use them; the only time I ever fired the Trooper on duty except at the range was to finish a huge bull that had tangled with a Weed Science professor's Volvo--one JSP .357 did that).

Sounds like the CHP is no longer undergunned, although I would prefer a .357 revolver to any auto. My Marine son doesn't feel that way, tho.

Chad,
Opps - my bad - (going from memory rather than my notes!)
The GA-86T was made in 1982, not 1980!
It is ser. no. 159-30254, right in the middle of your list of the known ser. no. range. Ruger records states that it was shipped in Nov. 1982. They have no reference to the 'CHP' markings.

My point was that the CHP had just made up a commemorative gun in 1979 to celebrate their first 50 years. 1980 or 1982, for that matter, would not have been a special year to the CHP.
Terry T

Mike,
My son has noticed that the 40S&W doesn't do car doors like a 357 mag. does! (Hence the AR in .223! )
Terry T

Terry T said:

Chad,
Opps - my bad - (going from memory rather than my notes!)
The GA-86T was made in 1982, not 1980!
It is ser. no. 159-30254, right in the middle of your list of the known ser. no. range. Ruger records states that it was shipped in Nov. 1982. They have no reference to the 'CHP' markings.

My point was that the CHP had just made up a commemorative gun in 1979 to celebrate their first 50 years. 1980 or 1982, for that matter, would not have been a special year to the CHP.
Terry T

Click to expand...

Terry T:

Nice set of revolvers you have there! Last week I just acquired a Ruger GA-86T CHP Security-Six with serial number 159-28890. I got this from a retired CHP Officer.

rugerrat

"Rugerrat",
Did the prior owner, the retired CHP officer, offer any insight on the failed contract or why there are some Rugers with 'CHP' markings?
I need all the help I can get!
Terry T

Terry T said:

"Rugerrat",
Did the prior owner, the retired CHP officer, offer any insight on the failed contract or why there are some Rugers with 'CHP' markings?
I need all the help I can get!
Terry T

Click to expand...

No, the Retired CHP officer just told me that his CHP stamped GA86T was part of the failed CHP contract of 500 guns. He also mentioned that S&W got the CHP contract with their model 68 .38 Special revolver. This CHP officer worked from 1965 until he retired in 1999. Did you get the box and papers with your GA86T CHP Security-Six? Did you acquire it NIB or had it been fired any?

Rugerrat,
I did get the box but the gun had been fired a lot. It's a reasonably clean piece anyway.
I'd like to know if that officer has any knowledge of the contract failure - what went wrong for Ruger. Was his piece actually part of the shippment to the CHP or one of the ones sold on the open market later?
I've been trying to find someone who actually knows what happened. I've talked to several retired officers but, so far, have come up blank.
Terry T

Terry T:

I'll try to contact the Retired CHP officer to see if he knows anything else regarding the failed CHP contract etc.? I let you know whatever happens?

Rugerrat,
Great! Thanks,
Terry T

I remember when the CHP guns were around. Apparently some CHP officers got them, but quite a few of them were evidently shipped to normal distributors. Also, some were CHP marked and some were not. The distributor(s) were getting either variation.
As I remember, it was about 50/50 for those seen of either variety for those in the marketplace.
Chet15

Got mine from distributor, can't recall which one, but since lost the letter and box. I shoot this gun, and enjoy its easy handling.
No CHP markings on this one.

Hummmm...... I wonder if the higher ser. no. are NOT marked 'CHP' and the lower ser. no. are? If so, where is the cut off?
Chad has suggested 50/50 with and without the 'CHP' stamp. That would make about 250 of each. :shock:
Terry T

If a person ever HAD to "fill their hand," that would fill it nicely! Guess I just like Ruger DAs....

Terry T said:

Hummmm...... I wonder if the higher ser. no. are NOT marked 'CHP' and the lower ser. no. are? If so, where is the cut off?
Chad has suggested 50/50 with and without the 'CHP' stamp. That would make about 250 of each. :shock:
Terry T

Click to expand...

That would have been for the ones sold through the distributors though (I suppose after the contract was dropped).
But something else I'm curious about....if it was a failed contract for CHP, I wonder why Ruger would make two separate batches of them, apparently several months apart?
From the reference:

GA-86T "California Highway Patrol" model with or without "CHP" rollmark on left side of frame. Known s/n ranges 159-27589 to 159-38475 and 159-67056 to 159-85889. It has been reported that a total of 500 of this model were produced.

I don't have any ship dates on these guns, but from the serial number range it would appear they were made from the Fall of 1982 to early 1984. It would seem that we don't have the whole story on these.
Chet15