I NEED TO STOP GOING TO GUN SHOWS...

A gun show was going on yesterday in a town about an hour's drive from here, so on the spur of the moment I decided to head on up there and see what they had. Saw lots of familiar vendors, and the turnout was pretty good, too. Very few Old Model Rugers were there, and those that were just weren't what I was looking for. One OM Blackhawk .357 looked like it'd been spray painted black and then touched up with a brush. Seriously, you could see the brush marks. Thought I was gonna throw up. Of course the place was chock full of New Vaqueros, New Model Super Blackhawks, New Model This and That.

Nothing really caught my eye, though, until I ran across an S&W guy I'd bought some grips from last year. He had this S&W Highway Patrolman Model 28-2 that just seemed to be calling my name, and the guy made me an offer I couldn't refuse. It was like the gun grabbed hold of my hand and wouldn't let go. And well, like I said, I need to stop going to gun shows, cause the gun's laying on a soft cloth here next to the keyboard now, so I can lean over and look at it every once in a while. It was made in late '64 or early '65, and except for some holster wear, there isn't a scratch on the thing. So it'll celebrate its 50th birthday here at my house next year. I'll probably take it to the range in the next day or two, sight it in and get a feel for it.

And now I hear there's gonna be two big gun shows...two, mind you...here in October. What's that old saying...something about "Get thee behind me..."?

Pretty hazardous to go to a gunshow....you never know when one is going to stick to you. I love the excitement. Looks like you did good, congratulations. Dr.C

I lucked up on a 6 inch Model 28 locally with Serial Number N622. I don't really know if the 3 digit SN is significant or not. Going to a gun show is dangerous and does compare to "Get thee behind me" and possibly need to be like Joseph and "Run out of your cloak" or go home with less in your pocket! ;-) Guess the moral is "Don't go to the gun show if you don't need to spend any money"
Thanks for sharing!

GA Cracker said:

I lucked up on a 6 inch Model 28 locally with Serial Number N622. I don't really know if the 3 digit SN is significant or not.

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Smith & Wesson's "N" series of N-Frame serial numbers started off in 1970 with number N1. So the significance of your 3-digit number at least gives you some idea of when the gun was made. Serial numbers ran from N1 through N60,000 from 1970 through 1972.

Of course, S&W cranked out Model 28s by the thousands (a good reason for calling the model the Highway Patrolman). What I like about the 28 is that, unlike the Model 27, it doesn't have that S&W high-polish fancy blue job on it...it's just a standard blue. Whenever I'd take my 27 out, it was like I was almost afraid to get it dirty, or worried about getting a scratch on it or something. The Model 28 looks like the working revolver that it is. I bought my dad a six-inch 28-2 in 1973. Still have the receipt for it...paid $112 for it. I still have the gun and the original box, too.

Prices on the Model 28 continue to climb. I've seen some go for $900-$1000 with the original box and papers.

Thanks for the schooling BIGDAWG! Unfortunately I have just the 28 but I do know where thers is a very nice one in the box with paperwork. $112.00? Don't you wish you bought some more? I gave $450 for mine after reading what Elmer Keith said about them being great shooters. My dad bought me a Remington 1100 16 guage for $100 in 1972 when I was 12 but it was used. I tell "loved ones" that complain about my buying guns it's just like putting money in the bank on interest and then gleefully add "well go sell whatever you bought and show me how to get your money back" and of course they can't do that!

You just can't beat an M-28! I bought a 6" new in early '77 for $154.50. It was my 1st CF handgun and I still have it.

I call this one the .357 Mountain Gun. I love it. You should dress it in stag or sheep horn for it's next photo op :mrgreen:

gunsbam69 said:

I call this one the .357 Mountain Gun. I love it. You should dress it in stag or sheep horn for it's next photo op :mrgreen:

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It'll be one of my hiking guns, that's for sure. But I'm just a poor Southern boy...I can't afford those fancy stag and horn grips. Plus, I have to admit, on these large frame Smiths, I'm more partial to the large wooden target style grips than other styles.

Good looking S&W!

Nice; now I want one!

tookalisten said:

Nice; now I want one!

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Well, I'll tell you...they're out there, but there don't seem to be as many for sale as there used to be. The gun show where I got this one, I saw two, maybe three of them, and that was it. Now, there could've been more, but I didn't see them.

Don't know where in North Carolina you are, but there are two shows coming up in Charlotte in October. One is October 12-13 and the other one (the big one) is October 19-20. And the person who sold me this one has told me he'll have a booth at both shows.

The .357 has never been my favorite round to shoot. I've always thought it had way too much muzzle blast and flash, plus I never liked that sharp recoil. But the heavy N-Frame Smiths really tame it down...especially in comparison to shooting it in a K-Frame like a Model 19 or 66.

VERY NICE PEICE!!!!. I love N-Frames .I passed on a M-58 a few years back .the gun was in 95% and the guy only wanted 350 for it .I wish I'd bought that gun .
Now that I have a .41 mag I see what I've been missing all these years .
I gaint 4" M-10 that throws a 210 SWC at 1,000 FPS is the penical of a defencive revolver in my book .
Lou

N-frame Smith shorties, to my eyes, are the ahestetical perfection, revolver style :O

Kudoooos!

GfA

Ran across one today in a LGS. It was about 60%, lot of holster wear/loss of bluing. Also, looked like it may have been dropped/dinged as the left side of the rear site was flattened out.
Asking price was $425. I decided to pass and did not even try a lower offer; but admittedly even with the wear, I was still a little tempted. Would make a nice project gun.

tookalisten said:

...looked like it may have been dropped/dinged as the left side of the rear site was flattened out.

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Interestingly enough, I saw one at a recent gun show that had the left side of the rear sight flattened out and it wasn't the result of being dropped. The left side wasn't exactly "flattened", but had been ground down at an angle and the corner rounded off a bit. The owner told me it was to keep the corner of the sight from snagging or dragging on the holster when being drawn.

Since then, I have seen two more that have had the sight done the exact same way.

Frankly, for $425, I'd have been seriously tempted. It may have looked bad cosmetically, but it'd make a great knock around or toolbox revolver.

That is interesting; I bet this one was ground down too for the same reason. Just too much of a coincidence otherwise. Doubt it is still there; but I may have to check now.

tookalisten said:

That is interesting; I bet this one was ground down too for the same reason.

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Funny thing is, I've only seen this on Model 28s, although I know people are always fiddling with their guns, trying to "improve" them. If you found it again and bought it, you could always get a new rear sight blade for a few bucks, or some friendly gunsmith might have one laying around in a parts bin and just give you one, you know?

I know a lot of people who won't look twice at a gun that's a bit beat up or missing some finish or whatever. I'll look twice, and sometimes three or four times, before I'll make a decision whether or not to buy it. I like pretty guns as much as the next person, but a gun with a lot of wear and tear, some dings or cracked grips...providing it still locks up tight with minimal endshake...shoots just as good as a safe queen. I'll bet if you'd offered the guy $400 out-the-door, you'd own that Model 28 right now.

Oh man, BIGDAWG, that OM 357 Mighta been what I needed for a 44 special conversion. The very few that I find around here are much too nice to convert!

Colonel Daddy said:

Oh man, BIGDAWG, that OM 357 Mighta been what I needed for a 44 special conversion. The very few that I find around here are much too nice to convert!

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I saw 4 Model 28s at a gun show this past weekend (you know, those gun shows I said I need to stop going to?), all at the same guy's table. One was a 4-inch, the others were 6-inch. The 6-inchers were really reasonably priced.

I didn't buy anything at this show, though. No, I take that back. I bought a "Don't Tread On Me" bumper sticker, and a bumper sticker that's a copy of the old colonial "Join, Or Die" with a segmented snake representing the original colonies.

BigDawg, I wanted to bring this thread back. I had not been back in that gun store since back in early October. They have a website with their inventory and I had seen that Model 28 was no longer listed; so I assumed it was sold.

I went in today just to look around and there she was still in the gun case. I know one of the guys that works there pretty good and he said someone had asked them to set it aside and he would be back for it; but he never came back, so they put it back in the case this week.

I brought her home. This thread is what peaked my interest in these guns so I guess I can officially blame you as the enabler.